By Arno Cornelissen
The audience begins to clap, one or two rising, myself included. I think most of the audience is still stunned. It is hard to clap, hard to stand – difficult to process what you’ve just seen.
My brain swims through my lineage – my position in the world – my father’s father, my father. We share the wrongdoings, committed and passed down, quietly swept under the rug – buried deep inside.
Droomwerk is a multilingual performance, performed predominantly in Afrikaans. The script, written by poet, playwright, translator and editor Pieter Odendaal, holds an immaculate story – you immediately know a master storyteller is at work. Based on Odendaal’s “exploration of his heritage as a white Afrikaans-speaking male with slave ancestry,” the work explores the notions of dreams, inherited trauma, ancestral connections, and mental health, all influenced and shaped by the legacies of colonialism and apartheid.
Dynamic lights are essential for conveying the emotional tone of each scene. They’re filled with a wide range of movement, until they aren’t – some actors frozen in place, shadows lingering in every corner of the stage. The focus between the performers is balanced and the transitions between scenes are flawless. The cast is stellar, bringing unique appearances, languages, cultures, and inner turmoils – madness and sadness, secrets and confession – a constant struggle throughout.
Sound is another major component of the production. It’s clean and crisp – from setting the scenes, to building momentum, tension, and relief. The soundtrack is beautifully composed, while the sound effects are distressing.
Dealing with spiritual rituals and supernatural elements, Droomwerk’s experience is intensified by burning imphepho. This is the first performance I’ve seen at the Festival that reaches into the sense of smell. No wonder the intensity of the performance is overwhelming.
Crucially, the play is not without its moments of lightness. If not for these strategically timed moments of comedic relief, the performance might leave its audience a little more than stunned.
The performance takes you back into the dark corners of your soul where the cobwebs encroach, deeper and deeper. Be prepared to have your heart and soul battered with bricks of historical oppression – of the known and unknown. Droomwerk is an essential piece of theatre that everyone with European and South African ancestry should experience and unpack. It is sure to be one of the most emotionally and mentally intensive performances at the 2023 National Arts Festival .
Droomwerk is on at the Rhodes Box until 28 June.
