Review: IMBILINI... MY FRIEND! at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio

IMBILINI... MY FRIEND! is a moving piece of physical theatre that has been carefully crafted for the stage. The chemistry between the two real-life friends, who also wrote and perform this original piece, is natural and completely tangible as you sit watching them move on stage.

The play follows the story of two young men, two close friends, who are moving out of home and are ready to face the challenges of adulthood and being young black men in the big city. Together, they face social ills like crime in Johannesburg, poverty and alcoholism, as well as a society that doesn't understand and has strange, scary beliefs around albinism. These two young men find that their friendship is put to the test as they struggle through losses and changes around them.

IMBILINI... MY FRIEND! was written by real-life friends Bulelani Mabutyana and Siphenathi Mayekiso under the mentorship of Baxter CEO and artistic director, Lara Foot. Both are graduates of the Magnet Theatre training programme. The story was inspired by their own lives, the friendship they share and the real concerns faced on a daily basis by Mayekiso, who lives with albinism. His condition seems to have built a fiercely protective element into the friendship that has left a mark on both the performers and the characters they created.

The characters and the relationship between them was incredibly powerful to watch, aided by the skilled direction of Mdu Kweyama. The physical movement and choreography of the piece is incredible and Mayekiso's dancing abilities really stood out for me. Added to this, the clever lighting that was used to cast shadows on the walls and create deep contrast in some scenes made moments in the play seem otherworldly.

While the content and the characters of IMBILINI... MY FRIEND! are wonderful to watch, I did find that the story was a little disjointed. It was almost like we were watching vignettes of time. Each one beautifully crafted, with emotion and performance to match. However, moving between these moments of story didn't always feel natural and I got a bit lost at times.

That being said, IMBILINI... MY FRIEND! has a powerful message and the performers are perfectly in sync - and well worth watching.

Photo credit: Supplied

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