‘A Street Taxi Named Desiree’ makes a pit stop in Mbombela
The play, which was showcased during this year's Innibos, was inspired by the renowned “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams and offers a satirical take on the issues facing most South Africans.
“When you start your day in the office, before you type your first ‘kind regards’, mine has long started – on the road, no tea breaks, no days off, no medical aid. Just me on the road, making sure you get to work, you go to your job interviews and you get to school.”
This was a taxi operator’s dialogue in a play called A Street Taxi Named Desiree, which showed the intricacies of the South African taxi culture. The play was part of this year’s Innibos National Arts Festival and was showcased on various days at Laerskool Laeveld.
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Each facet of the taxi ride was depicted in individual scenes portraying the point of view of the driver, the passenger and even the observers. It offered a captivating journey into issues that South Africans experience on a daily basis.
The producer, writer and director, Obett Motaung, said the play served as a satirical look at what happens in the taxi world and unravelled some of the general issues in South Africa.
Motaung said he drew inspiration from the American play by Tennessee Williams with a similar title, A Streetcar Named Desire, the South African classic Woza Albert! and The Island.
“The play was inspired by many other works and through this process, we unpacked what is happening in contemporary society, including issues like gender-based violence and corruption. However, we used the imagery of the taxi world to drive the story.”
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An audience member who attended the play on Saturday June 29, Zani Barrish, said she loved that it was a satirical take on A Streetcar Named Desire but that it was set in a South African context with issues to which the audience could relate, such as load-shedding, government grants, strikes, reality TV and the need for change – both small and larger political change.
Barrish said the actors transitioned brilliantly and seamlessly between different perspectives and various characters.
