Conservation and comedy collide in the new offering from a collaboration between South African funnyman Ben Voss and Spud author John van de Ruit, which is currently showing at Montecasino.
The one-man comedy show Benny Bushwhacker: Human Nature is being performed at the Studio of the Pieter Toerien Theatre in Montecasino from 3 to 20 October. Both Voss and Van de Ruit spoke to the Fourways Review and other media houses about the show, which sees the world’s funniest conservationist share what it takes to survive the African bush … and for the African bush to survive. Voss conjures up about 14 different characters for the piece.
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Voss stars in the show, which was written by Van de Ruit. “Benny Bushwhacker is the culmination of a 20-year creative partnership between myself and Johnny [van de Ruit], and hopefully, to some extent, it’s me maturing as an actor.
“Benny is a character from the bush who looks at the line between nature and human nature. The play has no age restriction and I believe everyone will enjoy it.”
Watchers also have the chance to help conservation, as Voss is also using the performance run to raise funds and awareness about the Lebombo Leopard Human Conflict Survey located in Northern Zululand, as members of the audience can place donations for the project in a collection box before and after they watch the show.
“A big part of this project is to raise money to set cameras to monitor leopard movement in the area after two children were taken by these cats on the reserve boundary,” he explained.
“My interest is not so much conserving pristine bush, as conserving the line between humans and nature. These boundaries are critical. As a roving species, leopard is under constant threat from humans, and communities are under threat from the leopard. So this conflict seemed like a ‘natural’ fit for my show.”
The conflict between human and nature is a big theme in Benny Bushwhacker, Van de Ruit explained. “Ben and I started to talk, not just about the environment but also the people who inhabit this world – from the man sitting in his chair in the Kruger Park to the millennial who does not really understand nature.
“We wanted to pass on a message [about the environment], not lecture people.”
Van de Ruit also said that he is currently working on a new book, as well as a musical version of his beloved novel Spud.
