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Week Two 13th to 20th January
After a week without rain, the weather has been a mixture of wind and rain - storms in the afternoons has made work a little more difficult. The 12 school children that are performing in the show have had a very full timetable this week. School starts at 7:30 am and finishes at 1:30 pm with a lunch break at 11 am. After they then join Ayse and Martin to work from 2 pm to 5 pm. Around 4 o'clock we all stop for a tea break with goodies that we have prepared. They children saw the set for the first time this week, and very quickly it became an adventure playground. There are two large flats with doors and windows, four little flats with windows and a huge bed which just about holds out against the wind.
All these flats have been painted by Angelina and Tracy and seen altogether create magical universe with houses that are outsized and child sized. An abstract motif painted by Angelina is transformed into a masked bull by Tracy-the little windows once opened suggest a brightly coloured interior. Slowly but surely the children start to piece together the story of this large family. They have shared their songs and games. This week the cast has invented a thousand different ways of using and dancing with the little broom (the Umthanyelo); Christopher becomes a rabbit with Umthanyelo ears and tail, Sophie wears a very original teapot hat. Ernest the translator has participated in every step of the rehearsals and will no doubt find it hard not to get up on stage in the final performances.
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Luc is working with Thokozani and Sanana; together they have finished constructing the last pieces of the set. The two boys have learnt how to use an electric saw and electric drill. Several afternoons were spent working without any electricity and making sure that no errors were made in the measuring and cutting. Our next door neighbours children have also been helping - they made great wooden boxes and sunglasses - very useful out here ! |  |
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Tracy and Angelina are continuing with their painterly collaboration and are creating a unique universe inspired by daily life, one that has a poetic dimension too. They are constantly chasing the shade around the house and have lost count how many times the flats have had to be moved.
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| This week more and more children have congregated to watch rehearsals with Ayse, Martin, the 12 young performers. They contemplate the paintings by Tracy and Angelina and listen to the tap tap of the hammer of Luc and his team of two. |  |
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It is Saturday and the set is nearly finished.
Martial Chazallon, Martin Chaput |
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