Director: Itumeleng Motsikoe
Venue: Drama, State Theatre
Dates: Wednesday to Friday at 7.30pm
Rating: ***
What makes Maloba so special is the inclusion of the North West Ten Tenors. They give the show a different kind of feel, one you would not expect from this kind of theatre (a combination of spoken word, dance and song).
And the feel is a mix of classical and traditional sounds merging together. The music is definitely the show's high point. And there were those amazing soloists who would take it a notch higher.
The story is about the history of the South Africa dating as far back as 1910. The narrator takes the audience through historical events that led this country to be what it is today. The aim is to celebrate what South Africa has achieved despite the hardships.
On opening night, at some point the narrator's voice was swallowed by the music, so a balance needs to be made there. And the narrator could add some oomph to his storytelling.
To support him were the dancers who oozed with energy, but most of the time lacked synergy.
They could learn a thing or two from Mbongeni Ngema's theatre productions. His choreography is always synchronised, making it beautiful to watch.
The other interesting thing about Maloba is the different generations represented in the ensemble. The band is made up mainly of the oldies, the tenors are young and the dancers are the youngest. This mix is rarely seen.
This is a North West production and one should go see this just to check out what other provinces are thinking about and how their theatre works.