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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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“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.
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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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