FTH:K first performed Womb Tide on the Arena Programme at the 2010 National Arts Festival, before having seasons at both the Market Theatre and the Baxter Theatre later the same year. Since losing a performer to Cirque du Soleil, Womb Tide is resting until further notice. Background
The play was first performed to high acclaim in 1995, written and directed by Lara Foot-Newton, and developed in collaboration with Leila Henriques, Brian Webber, and Joss Levine, with scenography by Catherine Henegan. At its heart, Womb Tide is an unconventional love story. Told through the memory of a child, Womb Tide is at once deeply moving, funny, dark, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive. Set in the mid to late twentieth century South Africa, it follows an eccentric and somewhat dysfunctional family through a story of love, loss and hope, and paints an impressionistic portrait of the complexities of family life.
... and now with an FTH:K twist
In 2010, the show was recreated and devised by a cast of hot up-and-coming performers, including Liezl de Kock, Daniel Buckland, Jayne Batzofin and Kim Kerfoot, under the direction of Rob Murray, and a stellar cast of designers. More than just simply a remounting, Womb Tide is a complete overhaul of the original story, given FTH:K's approach to creating fresh, startling, visually accessible work. This is given emphasis, by the mentoring of director Rob Murray by theatre maestro Lara Foot. Featuring an incredible crew of collaborators, Womb Tide is a paean to love and perseverance and a tour de force of visual and physical storytelling. Since opening on the Arena of the National Arts Festival in 2010, has been hailed as ‘fresh and exciting theatre ‘, ‘mesmerising' and ‘a visual tour de force'.
Show Credits
WRITTEN BY: Lara Foot, and developed in collaboration with Leila Henriques, Brian Webber, and Joss Levine DIRECTED BY: Rob Murray LIGHTING DESIGN: Rob Murray CAST: Liezl de Kock, Jayne Batzofin, Daniel Buckland and Kim Kerfoot SET DESIGNER: Craig Leo PROPS BY: Craig Leo and Jayne Batzofin PUPPET DESIN BY: Craig Leo COSTUMES BY: Leila Anderson PUPPET BY: Cristina Salvoldi SOUNDS DESIGN BY: James Webb and Brydon Bolton
Reviews
"...extraordinary...There is a sense we might just be witnessing the advent of something new and special in South African theatre."
“…charms with its surreal approach...Liezl de Kock and Daniel Buckland embody their roles with physical prowess...unusually engaging.…a slice of life poetically captured…�
“...variously hilarious and cripplingly sad tale... Daniel Buckland and Liezl De Kock are superb in lead roles...You *will* laugh – sex scene on a swing, anyone? – and you might cry. And when you leave, you’ll realise that nobody said anything, and yet you are deeply moved....�
“…funny, delicious,…fresh and exciting theatre…�
“…a delight to watch…a magical and nostalgic soundscape…the magic is alive in the ever-changing set, the surprising props and the physicality of the cast.�
“...startling, mesmerising and very powerful…�
“…another beautifully-crafted work by the FTH:K company directed by Rob Murray under the mentorship of Lara Foot.�
Caroline Smart, www.artsmart.co.za |
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“Visual tour de force among Fest best……pure magic……�
“Die hoogtepunt van wat ek sover gesien het…�
"…will leave you gasping for air because of its ingenuity and its inevitable smashing of something precious, irrevocably happy and beautiful. Introducing a fabulous little puppet, the piece is so deliciously choreographed that you quickly and instinctively stop considering the presence of the puppeteers and lose yourself in the poetry evoked."
“...tremendous style, invention and emotional punch.�
David Smith on Twitter, Africa correspondent of The Guardian newspaper |
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