作者：Ashwin Singh
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Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice: Five South African Plays试读：
Ashwin Singh
Ashwin Singh is an attorney, lecturer, playwright, director and actor. His plays have received national and international exposure with To House, Spice ’n Stuff, Shooting and Marital Blitz* being the best known.To House was published by Aurora Metro Books in the anthology New South African Plays; Spice ’n Stuff enjoyed critical acclaim during a national tour; Shooting was selected for the 2011 National Arts Festival Main Programme; and Marital Blitz was selected for the 2012 Qadir Ali Baig International Theatre Festival in Hyderabad.Singh is also a three-time national award winner via the PANSA/NLDTF Playreading Festival (South Africa’s foremost playwriting contest) with his plays To House (2003); Duped (2005 [earlier version]); and Reoca Light (2012).Singh is also a published poet and academic author. He has received critical acclaim for his performances on stage, radio and film. He has also presented several workshops on contracts and business enterprises for PANSA, the Playhouse Company and Catalina UnLtd.He is currently the artistic director of AshTal Art (Pty) Ltd, a company he runs with his sister and mentor, Shantal Singh.*Marital Blitz was co-written with Kajal Maharaj and Nesan Pather.First published in the UK in 2013 by Aurora Metro Books67 Grove Avenue, Twickenham, TW1 4HXwww.aurorametro.com info@aurorametro.comDURBAN DIALOGUES, INDIAN VOICE: Five South African PlaysEducational Edition © 2013 Ashwin SinghTo House © 2003 Ashwin SinghDuped © 2011 Ashwin SinghSpice ’n Stuff © 2006 Ashwin SinghReoca Light © 2010 Ashwin SinghBeyond the Big Bangs © 2013 Ashwin SinghProduction (Educational Edition): Simon SmithWith thanks to: Neil Gregory, Richard Turk, Jack Timney, Juliet Peacock, Fay Allum, Anna Laura Festa, Molly Gibbons, Nick Riedlinger and Sarah Strupinski.All rights are strictly reserved. For rights enquiries including performing rights contact the publisher: rigths@aurorametro.comNo part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.In accordance with Section 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the author asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of the above work.This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.ISBNs:978-1-906582-42-5 (Main Edition)978-1-906582-50-0 (Educational Edition)978-1-906582-32-6 (Educational Edition, Ebook)ASHWIN SINGHDurban Dialogues, Indian VoiceFive South African PlaysEducational EditionAURORA METRO BOOKSAcknowledgements
My sister, Shantal, for her constant support and belief in me, for her invaluable contributions to my artistic evolution and for exclusively funding some of my shows; my late father, Harry, for his quiet but powerful support and friendship; my mother, Shunitha, for shouting my name from the rooftops and for her daily prayers; the great community leaders, Lesley Jacob, Thayalan Reddy and Betty Govinden, for their tremendous belief in me and for their professional support; Renos Spanoudes, my main sparring partner in the arts, an innovative artist who inspires me; Chantal Snyman, my other artistic sparring partner, a multi-talented artist, who has always offered me enthusiastic and insightful feedback; Zaakir Ally, my best friend, whose reassuring words and firm hand always picks me up; Durban’s great artistic directors, Themi Venturas and Linda Bukhosini, who have helped to nurture my work and afforded me so many opportunities.Derosha Moodley, Dolly Reddy, Kogi Singh, Habi Singh, B.P Singh, Geno Moodley, Pallavi Rastogi, Edmund Mhlongo, Jenny Haslett, Ansuyah Moodley, Logan Perumaul, Rubeshan Perumaul, Sheeda Kalideen, Krishni Naidoo, the late Nirej Mothilal, family and friends.Special Acknowledgement for Contribution to Promotion of Arts and Language by the Indian Cultural Centre, DurbanThe Indian Cultural Centre Durban, is the educational and cultural wing of the Indian Consulate in Durban. The Centre has initiated several innovative projects which are contributing to the South African cultural landscape. I am deeply grateful to Consul General of India in Durban Sh Vinod Kumar Sharma and Dr Lesley Jacob for the enduring support of my work.Ashwin SinghForeword
The search for new playwrights and exciting new works is always fraught with a myriad of complex issues. It requires one to open one’s mind to a variety of new ideas, new styles, cultures different from one’s own, hegemonies that are different to one’s own and see beyond one’s own narrow vision of what might or might not be a ‘well made play’. As an artistic director faced with the challenge of bringing new work to the South African public I have deliberated these complexities for some time and have enjoyed the adventure to find works that tell our uniquely Durban and South African stories in an entertaining, thought-provoking and soul-searching way.I have always known that theatre has the propensity to change one’s life. In fact, my own life’s experience is testimony to that. Fugard’s play Master Harold and the Boys changed the course of my life in the late 70s radically. So, in this search, for ‘life changing’ new works I came upon Ashwin Singh – a Durban-based playwright of Indian descent whose passion for and insight into the theatre seemed alarmingly disproportionate to the time that he had actually spent working in the medium. This passion and insight was backed up by the courage that all playwrights should have to back themselves into production. In Ashwin’s case, he was even prepared to back himself financially. Catalina UnLtd has been proud to be part of these formative years of one of the region’s most prolific playwrights.The first play I encountered was To House which premiered at the Catalina Theatre. This intelligent work tells the story of the struggle between the ‘old order’ and the ‘new’. It gives us a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in a housing complex where change is happening. It gives us insight into the emotional and intellectual complexity of having to deal with change – something which affects the whole world in this rapidly changing society that is Planet Earth.Spice ’n Stuff was my next encounter with Ashwin’s work – first, as an audience member when it premiered at the Catalina Theatre and then later, as a director when it was re-staged on the bigger Playhouse Company stage. Again the playwright gives us valuable insight into the struggle of the Indian community to deal with the changes that are happening in South Africa and in particular the legendary Grey Street. As always, the play is complex and deals with several themes at the same time as we gain entry into the dramatic private lives of the families concerned.Then came Reoca Light, a panoramic overview of the history and story of the Indian people, and in particular of the lives of a community and family that live in the fictitious suburb of Reoca. It tells of ‘unsung heroes’ from the community whilst the chief protagonist has to preside over the closing of his family’s store as a result of the endemic crime in the suburb.Two of the plays in the publication, Duped and Beyond the Big Bangs will premiere at the Catalina in 2013 and 2014. I have no doubt that they will be as well received as the plays I have had the pleasure of being involved with so far.With each work I have seen a wonderful growth in the playwright’s abilities as a storyteller and dramatist. The quality of the dialogue, the rhythms and flow of the works are inviting and beautifully written. With this publication the playwright is at last given the place he deserves. Theatre by its very nature is momentary and transient. It lasts only as long as the production. It is in the publication of the works that we create a legacy allowing the works to remain in our collective memory forever.Themi VenturasArtistic Director, Catalina UnLtdIntroduction to the Educational Edition
The author and publisher always intended to produce an educational edition of Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice as soon as the original edition was on the market and had received some critical appraisal. They believe that the publication has significant educational value for secondary school learners, particularly in respect of the dramatic depth of the plays, their cultural value in an eclectic society and also the socio-linguistic relevance of the work.The author took full cognizance of the relevant Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in compiling this edition and also consulted with teachers of the Dramatic Arts and English Home Language, as well as theatre practitioners. The school’s edition is aimed at both Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners studying either Dramatic Arts or English Home Language. Some of the questions at the end of the book are aimed at both Dramatic Arts and English Home Language learners and some are specifically aimed at Dramatic Arts learners. The questions are also graded, in that there are separate questions for Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners. It is also perfectly reasonable for the book to be considered for Grade 10 learners, particularly the plays Spice ’n Stuff, Reoca Light and Beyond the Big Bangs. Grade 10 learners should be able to answer the Grade 11 questions and engage in most of the creative activities.This edition has the following innovative features to aid learners in their understanding of the works:• A biography of the author, which provides information about his involvement in theatre and academia• A foreword by acclaimed South African director, Themi Venturas• Critical analysis by renowned academic, Dr Betty Govinden and clinical psychologist, Shantal Singh• Important notes preceding each play, including descriptions of the characters, the socio-political context and a recommended set design for each work, accompanied by a sketch of the stage layout• A glossary at the back of the book, which provides definitions of difficult words and non-English words and phrases• Creative activities at the end of the book to stimulate learners to undertake research and to work in groups• Exam-style questions on the different plays testing learners’ knowledge of plot, characters, themes and language, as well as some practical application questions.The first three items also appear in the original edition but the other features have been included to specifically enhance the practical value of the school’s edition. The author and publisher sincerely hope that teachers and learners will find Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice to be an invaluable cultural and literary experience.Ashwin SinghA Critical Overview
Literature has always held up a mirror to society, and this has been no truer than in South Africa. Drama, in particular, has been a robust genre, being part of the warp and weft of the liberation struggle during the apartheid years. Our pantheon of dramatists, many internationally acclaimed, such as Athol Fugard, Lewis Nkosi, Ronnie Govender, Muthal Naidoo, Kessie Govender and Kriben Pillay, have relentlessly exposed South African society to itself, and to the world.Ashwin Singh, prolific and versatile Durban playwright, director and producer, is among those who has continued to depict the challenges of South African life in contemporary times, and it is good that his compendium of plays, Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice is now being brought to a wider audience.Ashwin Singh’s plays show that social transition in the current South African multicultural landscape, after political change, is not automatic and assured. We have to work together to create a brave new world. The plays contribute to the deepening of our democracy in that they prompt a critique of many emerging issues in the present time, as we ask: whither the rainbow nation?The plays are driven by ideals of fair play, equity, freedom and justice, and the longing for a free, non-racial, non-sexist society. Dealing with post-1994 issues pertinent to our prolonged transition in South Africa, they show a betrayal of the ideals of the liberation (‘orgy of greed’), but do not descend into cynicism. Ashwin Singh is clearly writing out of great rootedness in and compassion for the world around him. As Fugard had stated, ‘Love is the only energy I’ve ever had as a writer. I’ve never written out of anger, although anger has informed love.’Ashwin Singh’s plays show that he is attentive to the living drama of current cross-racial relationships, complex racial and class dynamics, issues of ethnicity and intra-group politics, as he exposes the absurdities of race, gender and class discourses, both old and new. The interplay of past and present (Reoca Light), with the interweaving of loss and unsettling change, in the context of personal lives, is poignant and dramatic. The allusions to generational differences, the vulnerability of the aged, the creeping social malaise, crime, and the pressures of material mobility, show a consciousness that is alert to the changing dynamics of the world around us.The plays are grounded in a kaleidoscope of material reality. They deal with issues of survival, unemployment, poverty, changing lifestyle patterns (where old family stores give way to malls, as in Spice ’n Stuff); there are the familiar experiences of blue lights, trackers, the body corporate, black-market trading and changing circumstances through loss of livelihood (Duped and To House); and we encounter the modern popular world of South Africa has Talent, and Idols (Duped), or of changing demographics with the coming of the ‘Pakistanis’ and ‘Chinese’ (Spice ’n Stuff).The plays establish Ashwin Singh as a Durban writer and playwright, as he deftly explores changing trajectories of ordinary, everyday life in the city. In some ways his plays are akin to the project of ‘Undressing Durban’, as they take us away from the neon lights and ‘candy-floss’ to the reality of the underbelly of post-apartheid urban and suburban existence. They remove the lid off marginal or hidden spaces, attentive to the struggle for survival in the city against the backdrop of the official story of the South African ‘miracle’. The recourse to salvation, for example, in ‘casino capitalism’, literally, as in the play Beyond the Big Bangs, shows that for some souls the much-hoped-for Promised Land is retreating. This is also a Durban, set against the hinterland of the rest of the African Continent and of global politics, which is inevitably shaping the imaginaries emerging in South Africa at the present time.An interesting feature of the plays is the use of a mix of characters, especially Indian, Coloured and African characters, living cheek by jowl in various configurations of relationships, and in collusive or combative dialogue with one another. At the same time, there is no bland, predictable stereotyping. If anything, there is an exposing of stereotyping and an attempt to move away from a persistent apartheid optic. Through his dramatic presentations, Ashwin Singh clearly has his finger on the pulse, seeking provocative and perceptive ways of depicting the shifting terrains of social relationships in our world, but never eclipsing the histories of individuals that have shaped them in different ways.In a time, arguably, of diminishing intellectual and communal spaces for dissent and protest or even celebration, theatre in South Africa continues to claim its right to explore the fault-lines and fissures of our society, and to create new and more inclusive social alignments. The use of comedy, as in Ashwin Singh’s plays, where people come together to laugh at themselves and one another, but also engage in serious reflection and circumspection about our collective foibles, lifts us out of our post-apartheid depression and lovelessness.Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice indisputably contributes in its own distinctive way to maintaining an agile and engaged South African public, providing spaces to laugh and to cry, contest or concur, satirise and empathise, think and re-think… They provide, in their own inimitable way, possibilities to re-imagine and re-create a new society in South Africa. As Milan Kundera has noted in The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, ‘To laugh is to live profoundly.’Dr Devarakshanam Betty GovindenSenior Research Associate, University of KwaZulu-NatalSummary and Analysis
My earliest recollection of Ashwin’s acumen in the dramatic arts was when we were children. He would create original stories and perform them with vigour and enthusiasm, unperturbed by the fact that I would remonstrate that there must always be a happy ending. His artistic compromise was that he would provide a choice of endings – the audience-appeal ending which received ecstatic applause from me, and the director’s cut which was met with muted disdain that I would not share my stash of sweets with him.Two fundamental principles are evident from those early experiences. Firstly, that the stories were unashamedly original and reflected the tapestry of our lives with passion and integrity. Secondly, that these stories deserved to be told and were missing from the dialogues of the literary works we were studying in our childhood. I had discovered that as an audience member or a reader, I was no longer a passive recipient but fully capable of engaging with a text that spoke to my mind and exhilarated my heart.There is no better example of such an enthralling engagement than my reading of Ashwin’s play To House. To House explores the complexities and changing paradigms of living in a multi-cultural sectional titles scheme amidst an emerging South African democracy whereby stability of home, job security, family values, intergenerational relations and interpersonal conflict are brought to the fore. Much of the world seemed convinced that South Africa was engaging in a ‘honeymoon phase’ in the early days of liberation and that colour, creed and class were no longer divisive factors. To House exposes the underbelly of society’s discomfort with dealing with cross-cultural relations as it implodes into our living space.The harsh and aggressive discourse and the references to sexual expressiveness highlight our basic instincts as human beings while cleverly challenging racist assumptions. The use of food as an opportunity to connect characters, suggests from a psychodynamic perspective, the characters’ over-indulgence in oral gratification due to a deeper emotional connection not being fully realized. The characters have a loose association with each other. This appears to be a deliberate choice by the writer in order to demonstrate that although their lives intertwine in terms of where they live and where two of them work, they choose not to connect beyond superficial engagements with each other. The play offers a wonderful vehicle to challenge one’s own perceptions of shared history, the vicissitudes of the now and the willingness to develop a future as an integrated community.Duped is a satire which is set on an airship designed to carry out covert operations for the South African government to safeguard the security of the country and international delegates visiting our shores. The cleverness of the work is the multi-faceted themes of ‘Big Brother is watching’ as South Africa enters the realms of international politics; the threats of internal security and challenges of maintaining a productive workforce; gender politics; and the jostling for power along race and class divides. I believe the standout genius in the play is when the ship’s American designer, Mr. Johnson, takes out his latest invention, a reconciliatory chip, and extols: ‘It’s time to forgive me.’ Images of our Truth and Reconciliation Commission come flooding to mind and the path of the healing of our nation following the atrocities of Apartheid are juxtaposed against the positioning of our democracy in present day South Africa. Have we been naïve in claiming a Rainbow Nation? Have the politics of our country aligned with international party politics to provide a monetary value to freedom? It is particularly noteworthy how theft and greed needle through the story, from the ranks of the officials to the fabric of society until it knits a blanket of deception and covers their foibles.The opening scene of Duped has the airship being ‘battered’ by another jet almost as if to subdue it while the closing scene alludes to the possibility that the chief officers can contemplate some semblance of normality in ordinary pursuits. The play ultimately has an optimistic feel that we can emerge from protracted and vicarious trauma and work in unison as a nation, albeit with compromised ambitions. The hilarious nature of the content allows the reader to laugh at the characters while becoming neither cynical nor judgmental.A unique take on gender politics is realised in the contrasting positions adopted by Sandra Snyman, the ship’s captain, and Luke试读结束[说明：试读内容隐藏了图片]