Spice up your life with ‘dramedy’ show

FROM the 8 to 11 June, the Singh siblings will present the revival of award-winning playwright Ashwin Singh’s Spice n Stuff at the Playhouse Loft.

It has been 10 years since the classic Grey Street ‘dramedy’ was first created. Widely praised when last staged on a national tour in 2010/11, the play pays tribute to the multi-faceted community populating Durban’s landmark precinct and is a celebration of the indomitability of the human spirit. The latest production features a star-studded cast, led by Jayshree Parasuramen and supported by Kajal Bagwandeen, Yateen Dayaram, Maeshni Naicker, Warrick Frank, Vedarsha Singh, Bongani Mbatha, and the playwright himself. It is again directed by renowned Durban theatre-maker and director, Themi Venturas.

Set in 2006, Spice n Stuff is a tantalising mixture of comedy and drama. It traces the last days of a group of Grey Street traders as they deal with escalating crime, failing businesses, friendships across racial and cultural denominations and entwined family relationships. The play showcases a woman trader, Rita, in the central role. It is not only the pressures of dwindling business that preoccupies Rita but it is the fear of her secret which threatens to unravel her, as she undergoes an emotional journey of self-discovery. The actions of the street and the poignancy of the store become increasingly sensitising as it plays out to a dramatic finale.

Ashwin said that Spice n’ Stuff was a dynamic piece of entertainment but also, as a published play being studied at universities, an important cultural document. “It depicts a people who overcome institutionalised racism and out of their culturally designated precinct, build a magical place, inviting the whole world to sample it. It also laments the recent deterioration of Grey Street (now called Yusuf Dadoo Street) due to circumstances beyond the control of the vendors and hawkers who still work there. Most importantly, it exposes the stories behind the stories of the people who populate this Durban landmark.”

Themi explained that the innovative set, lighting and sound design added to the allure of the production and complemented the playwright’s sensual writing. He also said that he was delighted to be working with a group of multi-skilled and deeply committed actors. “I hope that we once again draw multi-cultural audiences because the play is not just about the trials and tribulations of the Indian South African community, but an examination of the humanity of people in general,” the award-winning director remarked.

Tickets for Spice n Stuff are R100 (with concessions for pensioners and pupils) and are available via Computicket or at the Playhouse Box Office. The production is suitable for the whole family.