OVAL HOUSE THEATRE Directed by Arne Pohlmeier
The award-winning Two Gents Productions return to London with a radical new take on Shakepeare’s revenge tragedy.
In a world of unyielding beliefs and ritual, Hamlet returns home to find his father buried, his mother remarried and the spirit world in turmoil. Burdened by misgivings Hamlet strives to set things right.
On a bare stage, with bold Zimbabwean traditional movement and song two audacious performers tear down and rebuild Hamlet to create an urgent, poetic and spiritual reimagining of Shakespeares classic tale.
Developed in Zimbabwe, using the bad quarto text the shorter, corrupt, pirated, but first to be published, the piece premiered at HIFA 2010 (Harare International Festival of the Arts). Originally commissioned by The Watermill Theatre, Newbury and celebrated at the Gdansk Shakespeare Festival, Poland this summer. Kupenga Kwa Hamlet will premiere in London at Oval House Theatre for a limited three week run from November 16 to December 4, 2010.
PRAISE FOR THE COMPANY
“Seriously entertaining… Zimbabwean actors Denton Chikura and Tonderai Munyevu play all fifteen roles with music hall aplomb, skillfully tempered by emotional insight” The Observer the joyous celebration of humanity stuff you cant buy on a shoestring: go lap it up Remotegoat sheer vitalitypure acting To Do London A striking gem of a production Whats On Stage a fine double act Time Out
BOOKING INFORMATION
Dates: 16 November to 4 December
Tuesday Saturday 7.45pm
Ticket Prices: 12 / 6 concs
Box office: 020 7582 7680
Online sales: www.ovalhouse.com (no fee)
Venue: Oval House Theatre, Kennington Oval, London SE11
Transport: Oval Tube, Northern Line (one-minute walk) Vauxhall Tube, Victoria Line & British Rail (fifteen -minutes walk) Buses 3, 36, 59, 133, 155, 159, 185, 436
Access: Induction Loop. Flat ground floor wheelchair access in downstairs theatre.
Car park: For disabled visitors only, free on-street parking after 6.30pm (not in Congestion Charge area)
Caf: Open theatre nights for wines, beers and meals
For further information, press comps, photographs or interviews please contact Debbie Vannozzi, Head of Press, on 020 7582 0080 or debbie.vannozzi@ovalhouse.com
BIOS FOR COMPANY
Denton Chikura was born in Zimbabwe in 1983. Third of five siblings articulation was learnt quickly, acting an inevitable vocation. Denton co-founded his first theatre company, Spud Life, literally translated Potato Life, at the age of 13 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Despite the title, the company proved a hit, providing a platform to perform professionally from a young age, cementing his love for devised theatre and an ambition to pave a career in acting. He left Harare for London in 2002 to pursue this dream, culminating in co-founding Two Gents Productions in 2008 with Arne Pohlmeier and Tonderai Munyevu.
Recent work includes International Tours of TwoGentlemen of Verona, Magetsi and Kupenga KwaHamlet with Two Gents Productions. An international tour of The Great Escape by Andrew Whaley, Yours Abundantly directed by Annie Castledine at Oval House Theatre, Zuva Crumblingat the Lyric Hammersmith and Gracey and Me for the BBC.
Tonderai Munyevu is an actors actor, tirelessly devoted to his craft. He throws every bit of his larger than life, flamboyant personality into his performances, yet manages to move audiences with his subtlety. He adds to the company a meticulous rehearsal process, surgical in his preparation. Tonderai studied at the London Centre for Theatre Studies and the National Youth Theatre. As well as Magetsi, Dzoka! and Vakomana for Two Gents Productions, his acting credits include TheMerchant of Venice (Arcola), The Invention of Love and Dark of the Moon. But it was with Yours Abundantly, from Zimbabwe that he consolidated years of workshoping, readings and devised projects focusing on the plight of Zimbabwean immigrants and those left behind at home. Other work includes Red Dust Rising and Boniface and Me for BBC Radio 4 and, as a voice artist: Nelsons Dream (Cambridge Press) and Pure Brazil Samba.He continues with his writing debut Kanjani, a poetic meditation on the physical effects of alienation within migrant communities.
Arne Pohlmeier: as well as being the catalyst that propelled this company into motion, Arne holds the record for having the most job titles in Two Gents Productions; producer, script editor, driver, chef and, of course, the main one, DIRECTOR. With regards to the latter, where do we begin but with his influences? Amongst them Shakespeare, Fugard, Barney Simon and, significantly, Peter Brook. Those who have been in his rehearsal room will testify to these influences, but, even rarer still, they will have been struck by his own definite take on a collaborative style. This style has not only delighted his actors and crew but has resulted in rich and textured work that ranges from the classic (Two Gentlemen of Verona for Two Gents, The Caucasian Chalk Circle for The Actors Centre, Johannesburg), to the modern (Beethoven, In Raptus at Artscape, Cape Town and, now, Magetsi for Two Gents) all delivered with a beguiling simplicity.
Post published in: Arts