Theatre: The Fugue of Tjebolang
16 October at 19:00
Adam Small Laboratory
Under all the subtropical soundscapes, unremarkable acting, and overwhelming eroticism lies a story about a young man’s search for identity and meaning amid sensual chaos.
The Fugue of Tjebolang is adapted from The Surat Centhini, an 18th-century Javanese epic that remained buried for two centuries due to its scandalous eroticism and graphic sexual depictions. Adapted and directed by Rehane Abrahams, the production follows Tjebolang, a young man who rebels against his sultan father after being scolded for his debauchery. “I will show you, father, that the excesses of my life will lead me to the science of happiness,” he declares before embarking on a journey of sensual discovery with four companions – played by Sizwesandile Mnisi, Lukhanyiso Skosana, Tylo Ras, and Muzaffar Hendricks.
Cheshire V played the character of Tjebolang, a young man who searches for identity and meaning amid sensual chaos. PHOTO: Supplied/Woordfees
Even before the performance begins, the senses are awakened: Orchestral gamelan music sets the tone with its fast-paced rhythm, incense intermingles with leaves, and peacock feathers lie scattered across the floor. A warm cup of ginger tea in hand, one is enveloped by a kaleidoscope of colour projected across three white sheets that form a box-like stage. When Cheshire V enters as Tjebolang, the ancient tale takes hold, deranging the senses and dissolving the line between performance and ritual.
Yet the very elements that make the production immersive also weigh it down. The layers of sound – chanting, narration, and music – become too distracting, leaving the story difficult to follow. Its frenetic pacing leaves little space to breathe, let alone reflect.
Still, there are moments of brilliance. The encounter with the “Master of Wood” captures the play’s eco-erotic spirit most eloquently. As he moves gracefully with bamboo sticks, he warns of deforestation: “To build a library, you must first clear the forest.” His words remind us that every page owes its existence to sacrifice, urging appreciation for the natural world.
Throughout, Tjebolang’s numerous sexual encounters with men and women symbolise his restless pursuit of wisdom and happiness. Yet the more he indulges, the more he loses himself. In the end, he realises that true fulfilment cannot be found in pleasure or excess but in surrendering the senses altogether, and that the purest science, the one that frees you of all others, is love.
- The Fugue of Tjebolang can be seen on 18 and 19 October at Adam Small Laboratory. Tickets are available on Quicket.