Woordfees: Liewer

Twee paartjies se paaie kruis, en die gevolge is meer ingrypend as wat hulle ooit sou kon dink. Hierdie stuk maak uiters doeltreffend gebruik van visuele media om ’n kontemporêre verhaal te vertel. Liewer is nog op 7 Maart by die Woordfees te sien. Bespreek kaartjies by Computicket.

In this Afrikaans adaptation of Patrick Marber’s Closer, written by Tertius Kapp and directed by Jaco Bouwer, the original play is successfully transposed to a contemporary South African environment. Annie (Anna-Mart van der Merwe) and Vincent’s (Brendon Daniels) marriage has lost most of the spark it might once have had. Their interactions are at best lifeless, but often veer towards something more hostile. The younger Xander (Wilhelm van der Walt) and Beatrice (Tarryn Wyngaard) embark on a more promising journey, but the cracks soon begin to show.

Van der Merwe delivers a riveting performance during which she reveals her abrasive character’s most intimate flaws with great artistry. Her dramatic speech to camera is a tour de force. Wyngaard’s Beatrice is striking in her more relaxed moments, when her youthful élan surfaces clearly. When Van der Merwe and Wyngaard interact, their energy is palpable, and one finds oneself wishing for more such dazzling scenes. Daniels’ initially frosty Vincent thaws as the action becomes more urgent, and his and Van der Merwe’s later scenes are powerful. Van der Walt maintains a very watchable quality throughout, from Xander’s delightfully awkward attempts at flirtation at the beginning to his markedly more world-weary moments later on.

The production makes excellent use of visual media and is an optically exciting experience that leaves the viewer with the decidedly uneasy feeling that they just observed something they shouldn’t have been allowed to witness —the total, inevitable derailment of human lives.

Liewer is part of the US Woordfees and can be seen at Rhenish Girls’ High School on the 7th of March. Tickets are available through Computicket or at the door.