Spiderman and the Voodoo Master action-packed
Mpho Tlale | Friday April 11, 2014 12:20
In his quest to overcome theatre that has no action Ndlovu created a combat packed piece that has action hero Spiderman, an African Voodoo Master and ninjas.
To complement those he also put in some choreography and music in the mix to rev things up. All these are merged and turned into a complete package by the set design that commands attention and stands as evidence to the work put behind the production and its coordination.
The play opened to a hearty reception on Tuesday evening at Marua-a-Pula’s Maitisong theatre. Starring Maru-a-Pula students under the direction of head of drama department Ndlovu, production piece Spiderman And The Voodoo Master made a mark and impressed a mixed audience. The play revolves around the theme of poaching and explores it from different angles.
On talking about his stage work Ndlovu pointed out that his aim was to address poaching which is currently a burning social topic in Africa. Through the production, he hopes to bring awareness to young people. He says: “About 200 rhinos were killed this year alone in South Africa and that is a very huge number from January up to now.”
The director believes that if the issue is not attended to the upcoming generation will never have the chance to see rhinos, especially the black rhino which is the one mostly affected. He says that poaching is a topic that needs to be talked about openly so that people can learn the danger that it poses.
Furthermore, Ndlovu believes that through the use of action heroes like Spiderman the play has potential to appeal to masses and send a message to youngsters who admire the character.
He however, says that the production not only target children as an audience but also adults who need to be taught on the issue of poaching. His intention is to educate through means of entertainment, as he believes that the method works most of the time rather than putting people through lectures and keeping it all serious.
“We have to think outside the box and use creative arts to spread messages,” he said.
With his voodoo character, Ndlovu said that the idea was to show that the poaching issue could only be dealt with if Africans stop shooting themselves in the stomach and cry foul. He says that the leading perpetrators are Asians and that they are doing so with the assistance of Africans. He adds that if they had no help on the home ground poaching would prove to be quite a difficult and strenuous task to carry out.
Spiderman And The Voodoo Master will be playing every night until Saturday evening. Ticket prices are P50 for children and P75 for adults.