Known for the phenomenal success of War Horse, the Handspring Company returns to it's South African roots by reviving a play they first put on twenty years ago: Ubu and the Truth Commission. Inspired by the French play by Alfred Jarry, and by the Truth Commissions occurring at the time, this incarnation of the man see him as a leader of a death squad. Following him is his three headed dog, each head representing a different aspect of the government, that carries out his orders. It is a ninety minute extravaganza of violence.
One of the puppeteers involved in the show, Gabriel Marchand, talks about South Africa's history and how the statues of tyrants and their pride of place was being questioned by the younger generation. This invokes a larger question of erasing history to ease tensions.
"Of course one should remember the people involved but they should not be in front of a prominent university,"
Two of the original members of original Ubu production, who do remember the actions of such tyrants, took on their roles again in this year. Busi Zokufa, playing the jealous Ma, and Dawid Minner, who plays Pa Ubu. They are joined by three younger puppeteers, Mongi Mthombei, Mandiseli Maseti, and also Gabriel, who have all grown up with the stories of the apartheid regime. In a way the baton of experience is passed down. I asked Gabriel if by doing the show has helped him understand what the older generations had been through.
"You can never truly understand but having to listen to the testimonies from those who testified at those TRCs you understood that utterly awful things had happened,"
The company has been touring this show for two years by now but the rawness of those testimonies still have their affect on those like Gabriel portraying it.
"Even thinking about it now still brings up tears. On stage you have to live it, but back stage you have to forget,"
Ubu was one of the most challenging piece of theatre I have seen as it is almost an entirely grim affair, despite it's farcical elements, the overwhelming horror of it's source material and because of it's deeply troubling conclusion. Sometimes the bastards do get away.
Gabriel was taught the art of puppetry by the associate director of Ubu, Jenni Younge, and he finds that puppets are a good medium for tough messages due to their ability to be still. Stillness is important because the audience can then read into them a wide range of interpretations. The puppets range from the bunraku type who are used to give testimonies, to objects turned into animals (such as the surreptitious crocodile whose body is a suitcase), to a wooden vulture that is operated by a manual mechanism giving it movement.
The crafting of these puppets becomes very important in giving animation to their design. Gabriel explains.
"The deep gouges that these puppets have, given by the maker Adrian Kohler, on their faces and the asymmetrical nature of their looks means that with a little movement they can be seen to have life and thoughts,"
Anyone who is expecting War Horse: Part Two will be very disappointed, but anyone wishing to learn the roots of the Handspring Company pre-National Theatre will have plenty to digest.
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