Review: STAR+CROSSED: A New South African Musical

It's December, and the perfect opportunity to explore fresh South African theatre. STAR+CROSSED, currently showing at the Artscape Arena, offers an intriguing theatrical experience for the holiday season. It stars Earl Gregory as Billy and Isabella Jane as Bess, under the direction of Fred Abrahamse. The production is partly inspired by Elizabeth Klarer, a fascinating South African lady who was one of the first women to claim a sexual relationship with an extraterrestrial. After reading the show's brief, I was expecting a campy delight with pulp spectacle to spare (I have been on a recent Ed Wood binge). But STAR+CROSSED takes its subject matter seriously - and that is certainly not a bad thing.

In fact, the alien excursion is not the show's focus. STAR+CROSSED follows the interwoven tale of Billy and Bess. Bess, who is based on Elizabeth Klarer, meets Billy one evening on Flying Saucer Hill in the Natal Midlands. The two children form a connection that spans nine decades, from 1910 until 1994. Billy and Bess' stories are intertwined but also juxtaposed by one another. While Bess' privilege allows her to travel the world and pursue her heart's desires, Billy must face the reality of being a black man in apartheid South Africa. Yet, their shared appreciation for storytelling and its power keeps them tethered.

The story reveals a crucial twist towards the end; binding the show's thematic explorations. Although the show demonstrates how storytelling can be used as an agent of healing, it also reminds us how it can be used to obscure the truth. In a time when misinformation runs rampant, I believe it's important to interrogate when narratives are harmful or constructive. It brings to mind Chinua Achebe's essay "The Truth of Fiction" (1978), in which he explores the difference between beneficent and malignant fiction:

"What distinguishes beneficent fiction from such malignant cousins as racism is that the first never forgets that it is fiction and the other never knows that it is."

STAR+CROSSED does not specifically investigate this, but it is something that was provoked in my mind by the show, especially since malignant fiction - the belief in superior and inferior races - is exactly what makes Bess and Billy's love star-crossed.

Although their sweeping love is what is central to the story, the show itself is not executed with much romance. It doesn't offer the escapism one usually expects when walking into a musical. Instead, it investigates how we might use storytelling to help us understand or escape the truth. The songs, created by the team of Wessel Odendaal (music) and Marcel Meyer (book and lyrics), drive most of this economical production. I would appreciate seeing this production in a bigger space since it sometimes felt like the music and scope of the story were bursting at the seams. Yet, with its economical set-up of zero props, only two performers, and a projection screen; it could potentially be staged in many different spaces.

Apart from one musical number which leans into the kookiness, "My Lover is an Alien" (my personal favourite), the production plays it mostly straight. The are no big dance numbers, no sweeping sets. To me, the drama was central, which is mostly narrated through the songs. Although I am a musical theatre novice, I believe Gregory and Jane sang beautifully, committing to their characters and every scene. They deliver impeccable performances, which is crucial since so much of the production rests on them.

Although I would recommend this production to musical enthusiasts, STAR+CROSSED is not a light and fluffy musical piece. It is not a buoyant, lavish musical and is more stoic in nature. Thus, this show might be the perfect match if you appreciate heavier dramas and musical productions. It is certainly an interesting watch and a show that did a lot of work in my mind retrospectively without being didactic. Plus, it is so exciting to see a proudly South African musical on the scene!

Photo credit: Deon Coetzee

STAR+CROSSED runs until 31 December 2022 in the Artscape Arena, Cape Town. Bookings are now open and available via Computicket/Shoprite Checkers outlets, Computicket online, or Artscape Dial-a-Seat 021 421 7695. Tickets range from R200 - R250.

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