Zip-Zap Circus’s Moya leaves audiences craving more
The Zip-Zap Circus has created a timeless theatre production – bringing the best one can expect to see and putting it on stage at Teatro Monte-Casino.
The Zip-Zap Circus is presently staging a riveting and breathtaking experience at Teatro Monte Casino – Moya (Spirit in Setswana).
Moya is a staged circus routine that tells a story of societal expectations, and finding one’s place in a cold, lonesome capital society, particularly among fellow acrobats.
The characters seldom speak, and represent professional acrobats and porters at a hotel in a busy city. Trompie, a homeless acrobatic dancer with world-class juggling skills – portrayed by Jacobus Claassen – is the one on the outside looking in, yearning to also be a porter in the Hotel of Acrobatics.
The dancers, porters and acrobats initially shun Trompie as they work together to showcase how talented they each are as individuals working together as a singular unit. Things change for Trompie when Jason, the acrobatic, juggling rapper, takes note of how talented Trompie is and invites him to dance with him.
As Jason and Trompie dance, all the other acrobatic porters at the fictional Holtel of Acrobatics stop to watch, blown away by Trompie’s talents.
The doors of opportunity open before Trompie when he is invited to join the acrobatic porters in a gumboot dance, initiating Trompie into the world of acceptance.
The performance stands out for its brilliance in being gripping, entertaining and breath-taking all in one. From performers juggling more balls than they have hands, to acrobats flying in the air on straps, and a rope-jumping unicyclist – Moya is worth the effort to catch at the Teatro.
“Absolutely awesome,” said Judy Bassingthwaighte. “The music and talent – just incredible. They were so happy, you wanted more!”
Ashley Smith, who described the performance as ‘amazing’, took her daughters Cayleigh and Laynee to watch Moya at 15:00 on September 2 for Cayleigh’s birthday.
“It was so amazing, like wow,” said the elated birthday girl. “My mind exploded! How did he balance on a unicycle?!”
Her sister, Laynee, felt the same.
“I couldn’t stop laughing at Trompie making faces,” Smith said.
The cast
Having an amazing cast and crew is the secret sauce to the brilliance of Moya. Akho Narwele, the club juggler; Bridgette Berning, the flying contortionist; Silumko Ndulula and Luqmaan Benjamin, the acrobatic dancers; Vuyani Lottering, the acrobatic juggling dancer, Masizakhe Kovi, the ‘most balanced human on the planet’ is able to hand-balance in tune to music, acrobatically contorting while upside-down; Matthew Risk, the dancing acrobatic unicyclist; Jason Barnard, the rapping bounce-juggler whose performance in character embodied Moya waUbuntu (the spirit of Ubuntu); and Phelelani Ndakrokra, the breath-taking flying acrobat who tames a giant hula hoop.
Zip-Zap Circus’s Moya runs until September 10 at Teatro on the Piazza at Monte-Casino. For booking information, contact Collett Dawson on collett@thecolabnetwork.com
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