Review: THE KING OF BROKEN THINGS from Theatre Smiths Will Stay in Your Heart

Have you ever seen a piece of theatre that crawls into your heart and you're happy for it to just stay there? This is how I feel after seeing THE KING OF BROKEN THINGS. It's beautiful and Cara Roberts is completely and utterly charming in her portrayal of a hopeful young boy who is bullied and abandoned.

The story itself isn't anything too new, but the way it's told is where the impact lies for this piece of theatre. The opening sounds of the play are from children teasing and taunting our young hero as he runs away to the safety of his workshop at home. The scene is immediately set - you know who this young boy is and you quickly realise that he has some very big problems. There are bullies at school and his home life isn't great either. His parents have split up, with his dad leaving the home and his mom taking the split badly. Our hero is left to find his own strength in the workshop he created with his dad.

The message of this play is that broken things are often more beautiful than they were before they got broken - and this applies to humans too. Through watching this little boy (and believe me, you completely forget that it's a grown woman playing the part and become engrossed by the character) the audience is reminded about how to see magic and potential in everyday things around us.

There's nothing quite like seeing something through the eyes of childhood innocence. I left the theatre feeling like I had permission to be broken and to love myself because of those experiences that have left me a little bit or a lot broken. It's incredibly powerful stuff.

THE KING OF BROKEN THINGS will be heading to the National Arts Festival later this year. I also hope it'll be coming back to Cape Town for another run, because it's something everyone should see. Keep an eye on the Theatre Smiths socials for updates on future performances.

Photo credit: Supplied

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