Review: JAKOB is beautiful magical realism at The Drama Factory

At its heart, JAKOB is a simple story. A bit of magical realism that tells the story of a boy who is different, and the way people react to someone who is different. What makes JAKOB remarkable is the way this story is told.

The audience is greeted by a stage that is filled with lights, and barriers for those lights. You're not quite sure what to expect. Then actor Bryn Hiles begins the journey of a boy called Jakob, how he was found by the people who raised him, how he has a strange relationship with light, and finally how that strangeness leads to heartache and disaster. Through the telling, Hiles switches effortlessly between narrator and Jakob, as well as several other characters - from the boy's father to the villagers.

It may be just one actor on stage, but he is never alone. The play of different lights keeps the stage alive, giving Hiles something real to interact with and engage with. I loved it.

What I also love about this play is how intertwined Bryan Hiles was with the creation of the play. It was written and directed by Michael Taylor-Broderick, but Hiles worked with his director on the set design. I felt like this really showed in his performance because the interplay of light and shadow, and how the actor moved between them, was so vital to the story being told.

JAKOB is on at The Drama Factory until Sunday 23 April. Tickets are R145-R180 and can be bought on The Drama Factory's website.

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