MOFFIE at Riverside Studios

★★★

“a lengthy monologue telling an intriguing and moving story”

“Moffie” is a one-man play about a closeted conscript in the South African Defence Force during apartheid. The title is a homophobic slur, referencing the toxic masculinity of the time and brutal treatment of gay soldiers, who were routinely sent to psychiatric facilities where they faced castration, electro-shock therapy and often went missing. The story flashes back and forth from soldier Nicholas van der Swart’s time in the army to memories of his childhood. Reminiscent of Full Metal Jacket, Moffie also veers into tone deafness surrounding apartheid.

Based on the novel by André Carl van der Merwe, and adapted by Philip Rademeyer, the focus of the story remains on the plight of Nicholas. Whilst illuminating to the lived experience of conscripts, one must question the aspect ratio of the piece. Is the experience of being gay, white, and middle class as oppressive as being a black civilian? I would say no. The play does not assert this idea either, however there is only one named black character who is called “Sophie” and was a nanny of the narrator and descriptions of life in apartheid remain fleeting and auxiliary to the central story. The main themes about masculinity and sexuality are compelling and impassioned, but feel oddly balanced given the severity of events taking place outside of the character’s personal crisis. Secondly, Nicholas was not just any conscript. He was sent to “Koevoet” who were notorious for committing numerous atrocities and war crimes. The play does not emphasise the significance of this particular unit. This puts the play in a very strange territory as Nicholas cries about unrequited love and bullying from his officers (which I’m sure was awful) whilst being part of a group that was held responsible under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for committing massacres. Whilst Nicholas does say he doesn’t agree with the government, the play is more concerned with his relationship with his abusive father and the treatment of young men in the army. As a comparison, would an audience be expected to feel sympathy for a gay member of the Einzatzgruppen who had a mean dad?

The story is a fascinating insight into a history often ignored. Nicholas talks the audience through the events of his life clambering over a pile of army hold-all bags (Niall Griffin). Kai Luke Brümmer portrays Nicholas as a sensitive young man thrust into an environment of intimidation and self-loathing, delivering a powerful performance, though with some lines being fluffed and delivered too quickly to register the meaning of the phrase. Conversely, the multitude of domineering cruel men are evoked with a deep thick Afrikaans accent, dripping in menace. Supporting the action are the industrious creaks and groans of helicopters and the hum of the Angola jungle, the sound design is both haunting and striking, evoking setting and emotions with originality and artistic skill (Charl-Johan Lingenfelder). Directed by Greg Karvellas, Brümmer flows over the lines quickly, rarely stopping to pause as he adjusts himself around the central set piece, using minimal blocking, relying more on emotional delivery and characterisation.

Moffie is a lengthy monologue telling an intriguing and moving story, however, given the circumstances and ‘background’, there is a hollowness to its core themes. What would a play about a victim of the Koevoet be about and would those stories get such brilliant production resources and attention? Moffie raises questions about the nature of intersectional oppression, but not in the way it intended. The bio of the show arguable says it all “set against the backdrop of apartheid”. Can apartheid really be a ‘backdrop’ when the subject matter of the south African army?

MOFFIE at Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 7th June 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Daniel Rutland Manners

Previously reviewed at this venue:

KING LEAR | ★★★★ | May 2024

THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE | ★★★★ | April 2024

ARTIFICIALLY YOURS | ★★★ | April 2024

ALAN TURING – A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY | ★★ | January 2024

ULSTER AMERICAN | ★★★★★ | December 2023

OTHELLO | ★★★★ | October 2023

FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS | ★★★★ | October 2023

RUN TO THE NUNS – THE MUSICAL | ★★★★ | July 2023

THE SUN WILL RISE | ★★★ | July 2023

TARANTINO LIVE: FOX FORCE FIVE & THE TYRANNY OF EVIL MEN | ★★★★★ | June 2023

KILLING THE CAT | ★★ | March 2023

CIRQUE BERSERK! | ★★★★★ | February 2023

MOFFIE

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★★★★

“a stunning sight that feeds our imaginations”

The air is thick with silence. And darkness. As we hold our breath, our eyes slowly adjust while a blanket of white light spreads across the back wall like an uncertain dawn. Silhouettes appear like ghosts on polaroid. A crack of sound. Not a word is spoken. King Lear: a fallen angel with bleached hair, is flanked by the black-clad figures of Goneril and Regan. Gestures alone reveal the deception of their false declarations of love. Cordelia watches from the side, until Lear grabs the back of her hair. We realise the silence has been replaced by an electronic drone, pulsing within its crescendo. Still, not a word is spoken. We are in a world of silent screams. A visual tableau long before the invention of language. A modern world, yet one that is as timeless as Shakespeare. We are in Tang Shu-wing’s world.

Shu-wing’s all female production of “King Lear” premiered in Hong Kong in 2021 and was performed in Shanghai two years later, before coming to Riverside Studios for its UK premiere. The director’s style – ‘nonverbal theatre of gesture’ – is the star of the show. Whether the West London audiences are ready for this or not is a moot point. The boldness of the production will keep audiences transfixed. Minimalist and stylised it reduces Shakespeare’s tragedy into ninety minutes of silent physical drama.

Whilst the emotions are sharply conveyed, it is strongly advisable to be familiar with the original text. Otherwise, one might drift, pulled by the urge to seek another distraction in our thoughts. Occasionally it feels like just one part of a wider exhibition. An installation that we would like to wander into and out of. And we wonder: is it a work of art? Is it dance? Is it mime? Or all the above? Is it classical? Is it sci-fi? Jade Leung’s costume design is chic and modern while Billy Ng’s music is a futuristic canopy layered onto Anthony Yeung’s contemporary soundscape. Tsz-yan Yeung’s lighting is as much a narrator of the story as the performer’s slick movement, gestures and expressions. Shadows are cast, then sliced away by light: a single shaft like the blade of a knife, or a blood red flood of unease, tension and murderous intent.

It is a stunning sight that feeds our imaginations but also allows it to create its own subplots. We can grasp the narrative of the principal roles while the supporting players add neither confusion nor substance. Led by Cecilia Yip as Lear, the dynamic cast are fearless, forceful yet smooth as silk. Controlled, yet as fluid as the genders portrayed. There are no boundaries to cross here. No such thing as men or women. Just characters whose movements speak louder than words. The emotion comes to the fore. Cassandra Tang excels in the role of Cordelia, doubling as the Fool. Lindzay Chan’s Gloucester is a tragic figure, not just wordless but sightless, whose outstretched limbs and bloodied eyes convey the noiseless agony loud and clear. But here is no real lead player. Like gender, individuality is merged into an ensemble that moves as one.

And still not a word is spoken. As the final tragedy litters the stage, the figures morph back into their silhouettes. And the air is thick with silence once more. But only briefly. We hold our breath again, before the applause. We are not entirely sure what we have just witnessed, but we know our hearts have been touched. Evocative and original, Tang Shu-wing’s “King Lear” is challenging but is a theatrical dare that should not be resisted.

MOFFIE at Riverside Studios

★★★

“a lengthy monologue telling an intriguing and moving story”

MOFFIE at Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 7th June 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Daniel Rutland Manners

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MOFFIE

MOFFIE

KING LEAR at Riverside Studios

★★★★

“a stunning sight that feeds our imaginations”

KING LEAR at Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 3rd May 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Tik Hang Cedric Yip

Previously reviewed at this venue:

KING LEAR

KING LEAR