Multi-award winning theatre production, RUINED debuts at the Market Theatre

A stage piece set in a small mining town of muddled Democratic Republic of Congo called RUINED, written by a multi award winner and African American playwright Lynn Nottage opened at the John Kani's Market Theatre on the 12th August 2022. This play which won several awards including the prestigious Pulitzer Prize (2009) and Drama Desk Award (2009) is directed by Clive Mathibe and performed by star-studded Hlengiwe Lushaba Madlala, Fulu Mugovhani, Shoki Mmola, Sami Maseko, Molefe Monaisa, Thapelo Sebogodi, Edward Nkomishe, Anele Situlweni and Vaughan Lucas with debut musical and compositional direction by Banda Banda. This colossal production has Hlomohang Mothetho on lighting design,  Karabo Legoabe on set and props, Motshidisi Monyaneng on constume design and stage managed by Lebeisa Molapo with Irvin Taylor as stage manager intern.

Ruined Cast. Pic Supplied 

This tear-jerking 2-hour piece is so captivating that you sit on the edge of your theatre seat the entire time, only with exception of 15 minutes of interval break. The piece follows the story of businesswoman Mama Nadi played by Hlengiwe Lushaba Madlala, what in those days of Kofifi (Sophiatown) would be termed Shebeen Queen, a brothel equivalent of other nations, doing her best to earn sustenance in the midst of war and terror. The business is not only for her survival but the survival of three young women she adopted and gave refuge. She does not only protect and feed them but also earns revenue off them selling their pleasures to the loitering rebel soldiers and their commanders. 

 

From the beginning of the play, we are introduced to a girl by the name of Josephine played by stellar actress Sami Maseko whose choreographic movements on stage makes this musical a set piece. Mama Nadi further takes on board two new girls Sophie played by Fulu Mugovhani and Salima played by Shoki Mmola both of whom have been exposed to extreme sexual violence. Mama Nadi finds herself at the crossroads of government troops and the rebel militia in her attempt to save the girls, resulting in jeopardy of her profiteering and lives of the girls as one of them fell pregnant by one of the marauding troops who frequented her establishment. To say Hlengiwe in this play is a prolific performer would be an insufficient description, she is a whirlpool on stage, drawing all the cast to the core of a RUINED tale written and envisaged by Nottage.

 

August is known as National Women's Month in South Africa, the courage and prowess displayed by Mama Nadi charging authority over all the subjects in her household, even the courage to call shots over the Commander Osembenga played by Molefi Monaisa, in her establishment is remarkable. Hlengiwe captures, excellently all the qualities of African woman: her circumscribed economic vision underpinned by confidence in her trade and authority over everyone entering her abode, her protectiveness over her stable girls and thorough guard on her patrons. Everyone follows the rules of her establishment, including dislodge of weaponry at the entrance.  An ebullient travelling salesman Christian played by Anele Situlweni hits the mark with conviviality, poetry and philosophical lines he charges throughout the play. The dialogue between Mama Nadi and Christian is a love story that does not end with business transactions but extends to a delayed confession of sentimentality, a well-deserved ending for the two.

 

Ruined play journeys you to the central part of Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo. This well written script delivered by the South African talented thespians, who did a great job emulating the Congolese-English accent, brings one closer to real life situation of a war-ravaged countries resplendent in civil unrest. It is clear that the playwright Lynn Nottage in this play depicted a warzone in which women's bodies are subjected to battlefields and brought out the tenacity of women to stand up against male bullies, punctuated by one character in the play: “You will not fight your battles on my body anymore”. Coming back home, this play raises awareness on the Gender Based Violence that is ravaging the country, virus that turned into a pandemic worse than Covid19 with recent crime statistics showing a sharp rise in sexual offences. 

 

In a profile feature for Almeida Theatre Company, reflecting on her play RUINED, Lynn Nottage remarked: 'In Ruined, Mama Nadi gives three young women refuge and an unsavory means of survival. As such, the women do a fragile dance between hope and disillusionment in an attempt to navigate life on the edge of an unforgiving conflict. My play is not about victims, but survivors. Ruined is also the story of the Congo. A country blessed with an abundance of natural beauty and resources, which has been its blessing and its curse.' 

 

Well done the crew at The Market Theatre for affording us the opportunity to engage on a different kind of African story from other parts of the continent. The set design on stage and costumes journeyed us to the DRC. Good theatre makers on stage let the audience into their characters’ inner workings whenever their perform their lines, letting the audience see volcanic emission move below and above the surface – the cast members succeeded in this, all of them. Director Clive Mathibe incredibly carved out clear path through a foreign text in this prestigious awards winning production and made it palatable to the local taste bud.

 

The play is on till 4th of September 2022. 

 

To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950 or Bandile Luvalo 078 4344 860

 

For further information, interviews and images, contact:

 

Lusanda Zokufa 072 367 7867 or lusandaz@markettheatre.co.za and Desmond Mathebula 062 329 4741 or desmondm@markettheatre.co.za

 

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