During the hour long one man play, Roelf and other characters share with the audience their unique perceptions of the same incident. The play is presented in a simple manner, and deals with universal issues of humanity.

The woman with a baby on her back is the result of a collaboration between Pieter van Zyl (actor) and professor Thomas Leabhart, director and senior professor in drama at the Pomona College in Claremont in California. The play was given its first performances at the Seaver Theater in California, where it was received with much praise and acclaim. The performances at the Alexander Theatre mark the South African premiere of the play.

Athol Fugard is one of South Africa's most esteemed playwrights. He is best known for his political plays opposing apartheid and for the 2005 Academy Award-winning film of his novel Tsotsi. The recipient of many awards and honorary degrees, he is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Van Zyl  has studied acting at the Akademie van Dramakuns in Cape Town and then continued his theatre studies in London, Paris and California, specialising in the corporeal mime technique of Etienne Decroux. In London, as a member of Theatre de l'Ange Fou, he performed in Entangled Lives (Tardieux) and The Government Inspector (Gogol); and in California in Spoonriver Anthology (Masters) and Maid To Marry (Ionesco). In South Africa he created four plays that were much influenced by his study of corporeal mime: On a green footpath; BREAD; When the saints go marching; and Early Works - a love story.For the Spier production of The Great Gatsby, directed by Peter Joucla, he played the character of Wilson. Pieter's voice is regularly heard in plays and readings on RSG. He has a master's degree in music and also works as a musician.

Thomas Leabhart (director) is professor of Theatre and resident artist at the Pomona College in Claremont in California. He frequently teaches and performs in Europe, Asia and South America and is a member of ISTA (International School of Theatre Anthropology) Artistic Staff. His specific areas of scholarship is Etienne Decroux, with whom he studied from 1968 to 1972. Leabhart is the most published writer on the subject of corporeal.

Production: The Woman with a Baby on her Back
Date: Monday, 27 April to Saturday, 9 May
Time: 19:00
Venue: Alexander Upstairs
Cost: R80 to R90

Bookings can be made via the Alexander Upstairs website.

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