BWW Reviews: Magical meeting of two theatre greats in TOBACCO, AND THE HARMFUL EFFECTS THEREOF

The long overdue collaboration between physical theatre master Andrew Buckland and wonderfully creative director Sylvaine Strike is an intersection of two great theatre minds and a dream come true for many theatre lovers. TOBACCO, AND THE HARMFUL EFFECTS THEREOF - a clever reworking of Anton Chekhov's play - returns to this year's National Arts Festival and tells the story of Ivan, a nervous but delightfully unfeigned character who is forced by his domineering wife to give a lecture on why smoking is harmful.

In the absence of his wife, the lecture quickly steers from the subject (seeing that Ivan is a smoker himself) and the audience is rather given a window into the life of our speaker, a poor soul who has to bear the brunt of his bossy wife and kids. It plays out beautifully, with Strike maintaining a careful balance of humour and sensitivity as the story reveals itself and the audience gets drawn deeper into the dark place Ivan calls home.

Buckland embodies the role of Ivan with the skillful physicality he is known for, constantly moving or climbing about while using his podium and a soap box of sorts to both shelter and free him from the shackles of his submissive life. Tony Morkel makes a hilarious cameo as his wife, appearing in the background with a waving finger while her "scarecrow" husband builds momentum like an erupting volcano.

TOBACCO, AND THE HARMFUL EFFECTS THEREOF is a gem not to be missed.

TOBACCO, AND THE HARMFUL EFFECTS THEREOF is showing every day till 11 July 2015 at St Andrew's Hall. Check out the website for more information: www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.

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