Mdu Kweyama Takes a New Look at Reza de Wet's MISSING at the Baxter Theatre this October

Mdu Kweyama, one of the Baxter Theatre's 2015 artists-in-residence, puts a new spin on Reza de Wet's classic South African play, MISSING, as a part of the Baxter Theatre's showcase season of their artists-in-residence work. The staging of this season has been made possible through the support of the Rolf-Stephan Nussbaum Foundation and the Arts and Culture Trust, affording young theatre-makers the opportunity to incubate and develop their work. This culmination of the artists-in-residence process at the Baxter follows a collaboration between Kweyama and his fellow artist-in-residence, Alex McCarthy, on MOST HONEST MEN, a dance production faeturing Grant van Ster and Shaun Oelf.

The magical-realist MISSING deals with a daughter's escape from her dysfunctional rural family, bringing women who are trapped and scared into the spotlight and examining how far fear can take them. Adapted and translated into English by Steven Stead from De Wet's Afrikaans text, titled MIS, Kweyama aims to shift the play from its iconic Afrikaans idiom into a universal realm, endowing De Wet's poetic writing with more physicality.

Kweyama graduated from the University of Cape Town's Drama Department with a Performance Diploma in 2004, an Honours Degree in directing and education in 2012 and a Master's degree in Directing. Before that, he trained as a contemporary dancer at Jazzart Dance Theatre. Over the last 10 years, he has gained extensive experience in theatre and dance, performing in a wide range of work, including MACBETH, HAMLET, VERKEER, ALTYD JONKER, KAROO MOOSE and ONNEST'BO. In 2004, he was awarded the Best Student in Movement Recognition at UCT and in 2006, he was nominated for the Best Newcomer in Dance and Acting at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival. In 2007, Kweyama started working in television, performing in SHOOTING STARS, STOKVEL AND MONTANA. In 2008, he received Naledi awards for Best Actor in a Lead Role and Best Original Choreography for KAROO MOOSE. In 2013, Kweyama won the Best Director award at the Setkani Festival in the Czech Republic for his adaptation of Mike Van Graan's BROTHERS IN BLOOD and last year he directed Mike Van Graan's RETURN OF THE ANCESTORS for the National Arts Festival, the Vryfees in Bloemfontein and at Artscape.

On his choice to stage MISSING, Kweyama says:

I was looking for the 'right' text that would also allow me the scope to combine text and dance or physical movement. Added to that, it was important to consider something that was relevant in contemporary South Africa. Reza de Wet's script grabbed me from the outset - the images which she conjures with the words and subtexts appealed to me straight away. Women who are trapped, scared or missing, does not only apply to one particular community. It is relevant to most communities in this country and many other countries in the world, for that matter. So I could make it universal and that is very exciting for me.

MISSING stars Faniswa Yisa (BORN IN THE RSA, SLOWLY, VOICES MADE NIGHT), Clyde Berning (HAMLET, THE GREAT GATSBY, MASS APPEAL), Daneel van der Walt (DANI AND THE LION, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, DALLIANCES) and Sonia Buqwana (AMAZA, BASH OF BE BASHED, XHOKAANS).

MISSING, which carries an age restriction of 13 years, previews on 14 and 15 October, opens on 16 October and runs until 24 October at 7pm nightly. Booking is through Computicket (online, on 0861 915 8000 or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet). Tickets cost R100 each, with a R60 concession price for "early bird bookings" made before 28 September for the first four performances only. For discounted corporate, schools or block-bookings, charities or fundraisers, contact Sharon Ward on 021 680 3962 or Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993.