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Theatre Review: The Suit

Nonhlanhla Kheswa in The Suit. Photo by Johan Persson.

The Suit is set in a 50’s South African township during apartheid where a husband & wife are irrevocably changed after an affair.

 

Nonhlanhla Kheswa in The Suit. Photo by Johan Persson.

Nonhlanhla Kheswa in The Suit. Photo by Johan Persson.

Presented by: State Theatre Company of South
Reviewed 3 October 2014

The tailor-made Australian premiere of Peter Brook’s The Suit has opened to reveal the sharply dressed international cast and creative team’s take on Can Themba’s 1950’s novella of adultery and revenge.

Direction, adaptation and musical direction is by Brook and long-time collaborator Marie Hélène Estienne and composer Franck Krawczyk. Reworked from Brook’s French-language version le Costume, The Suit is a quality, multi-faceted production that delivers a consummate theatrical experience.

Set in a 50’s South African township during the apartheid era, we meet the husband and wife whose lives change irrevocably after an affair. William Nadylam is superb as Philemon, the middle class lawyer with a penchant for inflicting a disquieting and bizarre retribution. Nadylam engages the audience’s imagination wholly, and draws us intimately to his hurt, then juxtaposes the sentiment with great humour. His performance is brilliant.

Philemon’s wife Matilda is the shame-ridden adulterer whose dangerous attraction mixes poorly with her husband’s faulting. Nonhlanhla Kheswa performs the unlikeable Matilda with beguiling charm; it is impossible not to become inextricably drawn into her world, and her plight. Kheswa’s outstanding singing, adds yet more layers to her complex character. Matilda’s soulful voice evokes empathy all the way from Feeling Good to the Swahili ballad Malaika.

Ery Nzaramba’s role as Matilda’s Lover serves not only as the catalyst to crisis. The character is in-between the married couple (literally and figuratively), and serves as something of an anchor point away from which the husband and wife’s characters develop. The result is fascinating, and Nzaramba’s execution is excellent.

The three instrumentalists, Arthur Astier (guitar), Mark Kavuma (trumpet) and Danny Wallington (piano accordion and keyboard) not only bring quality live tunes performed with impressive musicianship, (including African melodies and Schubert lieder), their expressions and antics perfectly compliment the action.

The minimalist stage is cleverly utilised with clothes rails, chairs and gender-identifying props. There are numerous exceptional scenes; Kheswa’s solo interaction with the suit, Nzaramba’s performance of Strange Fruit, and the clear audience favourite, the Sunday party.

Just like a well-made suit, this production is beautifully crafted, classy, and with a subtle elegance. The Suit is chic, funny and at no risk of going out of fashion.

Adelaide joins Tokyo, Rome, New York, London and Shanghai in hosting The Suit, which will have visited 37 cities in 19 countries by tour conclusion in June 2015.

Reviewed by Gordon Forester
Twitter: @GordonForester

Venue: Dunstan Playhouse
Season: 01 – 12 October 2015
Duration: 1¼ hours (no interval)
Tickets: $30 – $66
Bookings: Book through BASS online or phone 131 246

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