Language: English
Directed by: Sylvaine Strike
Script: Sam Shepard
Music: The Dead South
Set design: Chen Nakar, Andrea van der Kuil
Lighting design: Mannie Manim
Costumes: Andrea van der Kuil and Sylvaine Strike
Stage manager: Loren Nel
Age restriction: 16 (N, L)
In July 2017, the world bid farewell to one of theatre’s most celebrated heroes. Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer prizewinning playwright known for his dark, moody dramas and poetic turn-of-phrase, left behind an expansive body of work to be remembered and revived by a new generation of theatre-makers.
At this year’s US Woordfees in Stellenbosch, director Sylvaine Strike brings Shepard’s work to life with her stunning rendition of The Curse of the Starving Class – a family tragedy about identity, belonging and the yearning for a better life.
The play was first written and performed 40 years ago, yet under Strike’s bold direction, it feels timelessly fresh and relevant for a South African audience.
Strike, best known for award-winning works such as Tobacco and the Harmful Effects Thereof, Tartuffe and The Miser (for which she won a Naledi theatre award for best Director in 2012), has become a force to be reckoned with in the South African theatre scene.
Although The Curse of the Starving Class is less based in physical theatre than some of her previous productions, it is every bit as worthy of critical acclaim.
At a rundown farmhouse in rural California, the dysfunctional Tate family are struggling to make ends meet. Ella (Leila Henriques), an unhappy mother of two, dreams of selling off the house and heading to Europe. Her husband Weston (played the inimitable Neil McCarthy) is a down-and-out drunk who squanders his money on quick-fix investments which amount to nothing.
The children, Emma (Inge Crafford-Lazarus) and Wesley (Roberto Pombo), are in no better shape. Emma is a rebellious teenager willing to do whatever it takes to escape her situation, while Wesley seems destined to walk the same path as his father.
When Taylor (Antony Coleman), a dodgy developer, shows an interest in purchasing the property, the family is forced to confront their ties to the land, and the threat of corporate greed.
They’re not quite part of the ‘starving class’, but they may as well be. Like many South Africans on the fringes of society, this family is hungry for hope, change, and a little prosperity.
Cast members from left to right: Neil McCarthy, Inge Crafford-Lazarus, Roberto Pombo, Leila Henriques, and Lola the Lamb. PHOTO: TheatreSceneCPT
Strike’s adaptation is riveting from start to finish, largely thanks to her impressive cast of actors. Navigating Shepard’s complex characters and legendary dialogue is no easy feat, yet this group – also featuring industry heavyweights Rob Van Vuuren, Antony Coleman, and Damon Berry – rise to the occasion with complete confidence.
The chemistry between them is remarkable, and together they tell a seamless story that is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.
The production elements – especially the minimalist set and sparse use of folk-bluegrass music – are notable plus points. Rather than distract from the performances with unnecessary frills and flashes, they elevate and enhance the action at just the right moments.
The only point where the action fell flat was when the most unusual cast member, a live lamb (named Lola) decided she’d had enough of the spotlight and attempted to escape from her pen on stage.
Sadly for McCarthy and the audience, her antics happened to coincide with one of Weston’s pivotal monologues. Strike’s decision to have a live animal on stage, while faithful to Shepard’s original text, let the cast down that night as they did not deserve to be upstaged.
The Curse of the Starving Class is a simple, yet compelling piece of theatre that still holds water forty years after it first premiered. Five runs seems too few for this memorable production, as it is a rare privilege to see such a talented cast of actors collaborating on a text of this calibre.
– Nell Hofmeyr and Josh du Plessis