TV star takes to Durban stage for one-woman play

A TESTIMONY shared by a woman living at a Durban hostel is the inspiration behind Isidlamlilo – The Fire Eater, a one-woman play coming to the Durban stage soon. The play runs from November 4–9 at the Sneddon Theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus.

Presented by Empatheatre in association with the National Arts Council and The National Arts Festival, Isidlamlilo is brought to life by acclaimed actress Mpume Mthombeni who plays Agatha on eTV’s Durban Gen.  The script, written by Standard Bank Young Artist award-winner Neil Coppen, in collaboration with Mthombeni, is based on a range of testimonials shared with them during their research alongside the Durban University of Technology’s Urban Futures Centre (UFC).

“We’ve based the play on some of the real stories we collected. We spoke to 10 women at a hostel, and one of the stories stood out,” said Mthombeni.

She is a co-founder of Empatheatre, along with Coppen and Dylan McGarry. The company was recently awarded the Bertha Artivism Award for its theatre and social-justice work.

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The plot

Isidlamlilo tells the death-defying life story of Zenzile Maseko, as she rents a cramped room in a Durban women’s hostel. Maseko, a 60-something grandmother, is haunted by her past working as an IFP assassin (fire-eater) in the build-up to the 1994 elections. When Home Affairs mistakenly declares her dead, she is driven to desperate measures to prove she is still alive.

“Maseko was a woman who had lost her husband. She was offered a chance to take revenge and became an assassin. As she looks back, she realises she was manipulated. She tries to seek forgiveness,” said Mthombeni.

Behind the scenes

The actress identifies with the character, recalling her own struggle to escape repression.

“My father had a vision for me that I didn’t share. He wanted me to be a wife and build someone else’s household. When I was in Standard Eight, I was told to leave school – it was not profitable to educate a girl.  I always loved going to school. I had to beg my mother to keep paying my school fees,” recalled Mthobeni.

While she did complete her matric, Mthombeni’s dream to study social science was thwarted by family pressures and a lack of finances. It was by accident that she discovered her talent for theatre. In 1992, she saw an article about drama classes at The Playhouse for people from disadvantaged backgrounds and jumped at the opportunity.

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“It was my first taste of drama, and I loved it. I never looked back.  My soul felt at peace – I knew it was what I was supposed to do,” she said.

She went on to take on multiple roles in theatre, radio, film and television, drawing international acclaim for her performance in Tin Bucket Drum which toured to New York in 2012.

Bookings

 Isidlamlio showings are at 19:00 on November 4, 5 and 8 – 14:30 on November 6 and 11:00 on November 9. The performance is 80 minutes long, and there is an age restriction of 13+. Tickets are R130. Bookings through Computicket or call 0861 915 800. For school and community theatre bookings contact Margie at 083 251 9412.