HALF ART
CHRIS THURMAN: Van Graan’s lie of the land inspires paradoxical hope
About 10 minutes into the opening night performance of Land Acts, the latest one-man satirical show penned by Mike van Graan and directed by Rob van Vuuren, entertainer extraordinaire Daniel Mpilo Richards broke out of character to address the audience directly. Perhaps he feared he had competition for our full attention: outside the theatre the rest of the world, it seemed, was watching England and Croatia square off on a football field in Moscow. "I can give you an update," he joked. "England are ... um ... 25 for 1 in the second quarter, I think?" Richards needn’t have worried. For the next hour, as he morphed deftly from character to character, shifting from mockery to poignancy, he held everyone rapt. When my wife and I emerged from the Auto & General Theatre on the Square in Sandton (where Land Acts is running until July 29), England and Croatia were tied 1-1 with a few minutes to play. Perfect, we thought, joining the slightly boozy crowd at Hard Rock Café to watch extra time...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.