Creators: Todd Twala and Thembi Nyandeni
Choreographer: Todd Twala
Venue: Victory Theatre, 105 Louis Botha Ave, Houghton, Tues. to Sun. at 8pm; matinees on Wed. & Sun. at 3pm; Sat. 4pm and 9pm
Rating: ****
When a friend called Africa Umoja cultural tourism I thought she was being cynical, but I see her point. Umoja celebrates African culture and the production company's new home at the Victory is a theatrical experience in the best sense of the word.
This is the kind of place and show you can easily recommend to friends and visitors.
Built as a cinema in 1929, the building has been completely revamped. Some original touches are still visible, for example, the seats have been re-upholstered with real leather, but retain their art deco origins. The building has been thoroughly modernised and boasts understated African influences.
The entire concept lends itself to group functions, hence tourism really isn't a swear word.
Africa Umoja now has a permanent residence here, thanks to the producer, Joe Theron, and this show boasts different music to when it started. The legal battle over the use of songs such as Pata Pata is still ongoing, so original songs are used for this South African-based production.
The production starts off by showcasing the traditional dances practised in the villages. It then moves onto the journey made by rural people to the cities and finally reaching today's contemporary society, all through the medium of dance.
Though there is a narrator (Penuel Bhekizitha Ndaba on opening night) his story got a little lost as the night wore on. His tale is the thread that is meant to weave all the dance sequences together, but the singing and dancing is fore-grounded.
As they move from one sequence to the next, you can clearly see the progression of the dance styles, as each influenced the next, until at the end all the styles are shown to come from the same place: the music and drums of Africa.
In the sinuous movements of the Venda Umashona (snake dance) you can see the precision mirrored by the Zulu stick fighting; you see the sangoma's invocation influencing the arm movements in later styles and the women could teach Beyonce a thing or two about shaking her booty. Forget about krumping, check out the kwaito, which comes right at the end. Having watched the dancers go through their paces you see what the pantsula morphed into.
Music-wise, the drummers are well supported by the five-piece band and, at one stage, a duo playing the marimba. The singers don't miss a beat or a note, the choreography is slick, the costuming spot on and the energy palpable.
Not once do I think the performers were simply going through the motions, everyone is on the mark and dancing their hearts out - this is their culture. As you watch, you find yourself nodding because you recognise a style or the origin of a move but, unlike going to a model village, this isn't cultural voyeurism, it is remembrance and recognition of the drumbeat as the heart of Africa.
Victory Facts
The restaurant upstairs, and jazz bar downstairs, means you can make more of an evening out than just a quick dash from your car to the theatre and back. The complex has no access from the street. You have to drive into the parking garage to get in, but you will have no need to go looking for entertainment elsewhere while you're at the Victory Theatre.
- The Victory was built in 1929. The revamp exceeded R24-million.
- There are 465 seats and four wheelchairs can be accommodated.
- The restaurant seats 280 people.
- There are four levels of secure boomed access-controlled covered parking that leads directly into the theatre.
- Most of the original building has been retained in the doorframes, ceilings, countertops and parquet flooring.
- Africa Umoja has been performed in more than 26 countries and there is another full cast performing in Germany at the moment.
- Tickets are available through Computicket from R50.
The Victory Theatre is amenable to throwing their doors open to other theatre and musical productions.