Woordfees: Hierdie Lewe

’n Vrou onthou fragmente uit haar lewe wanneer sy op haar sterfbed lê, en die gehoor word toegelaat om die ritueel te aanskou. Hierdie stuk is ’n US Woordfees-produksie. Bespreek kaartjies by Computicket.

‘For a moment, I was scared of what I would have to remember.’ A dying woman (Antoinette Kellerman) reflects on her life, and by extension the lives that shaped hers, in this moving adaptation of Karel Schoeman’s novel Hierdie Lewe. The play, directed by Wolf Britz, is presented on a demure, dimly-lit stage that suits the mood of the piece perfectly.

Kellerman brings a considerable level of reverence and gravitas to a dense, beautifully convoluted text that ascends to the level of biblical parable at times. As the woman recounts fragments of memory, the play becomes a sort of literary puzzle that requires a painful, wrenching piecing-together. Kellerman holds a tight rein on her character’s emotional expression; in fact, she tellingly only allows her mask to slip when speaking of one character’s memory in particular, and the effect is powerful.

This play, with its beautifully poetic descriptions of death and its vivid conjuring of a human life half-lived, makes the audience part of a spiritual, ritualistic experience and holds many rewards for those who love Schoeman’s work or for those who would appreciate a memorable introduction to his formidable oeuvre.

Hierdie Lewe is part of the US Woordfees and can be seen on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of March. Tickets are available through Computicket or at the door.