Bold. Daring. Intense. Tragic.
Mies Julie lives up to its name, and is definitely more than worthy of the awards and accolade it has gained since its first screening since 2012.
Set in the fictitious homestead of Veenen Plaas in The Karoo, South Africa, the 90 minute play does not possess a single moment that neither grips you nor keeps you at the edge of your seat. Though it is not a new story, (white woman breaks off wedding engagement, becomes the joke of the town, has affair with her black male servant one warm night and winds up dead in a tragic pool of blood), Mies Julie is refreshing in its execution of mind-blowing power dynamics, among many things.
Written and directed by Yael Farber, multi-award winning director and playwright of international acclaim, it is no wonder as to why the Singapore Reparatory Theatre (SRT) brought it in this year, on top of their usual seven productions. In line with all the sterling reviews it has received, Mies Julie proved to be a potent mix of a fine script, impeccable acting, flawless set and sound design.
The play begins with an ominous bass drone, relentless and discomforting. There is oppression in the air and it is ill-likely to go away. A middle-aged black woman who struts with the gait of a duck appears on stage, waddling across the wooden floor as if she was trying to pass through muddy water. The musicians sit on the right side of the stage, an obvious but un-obstructive presence. They create all sorts of sounds throughout the play, with immense adaptability to each scene.
The stage design is bleak, with every prop thoughtfully placed, from the boots placed left foreground, where the male lead, black farmhand John (Bongile Mantsai) squats around, polishing all day, to the kitchen stove situated at the back, and the kitchen table where loads of action takes place. One quickly gets a sense of the story; the purpose, the anguish of being trapped in one’s position and the expectations one has thrust upon oneself by society, the conflicts, and despite hints of foreshadowing, nobody really can predict what is to happen next.
Apart from the marvelous art direction apparent in the colors and style of costumes used, the clever use of dance techniques in conveying emotions, masterful symbolism with the cruel abortion Julie’s dog had to endure as well as the brutal crushing of her caged pet bird, much praise would have to be given for the superb casting. Without a doubt, Hilda Cronje as Julie took my breath away as there was a total role immersion, from her husky, powerful voice with excellent execution of every word, the way she moved in her seduction of her father’s servant, and later the vulnerability in every single muscle of her body as a conquered lover. Bongile Mantsai fared no worse. He spoke in convincing Afrikaans, became one with his character, the conflicted, oppressed farmhand, and was able to switch effortlessly between role as slave without emotions and the empowered black man. The dynamics of the duo were so overpowering that Zoleka Helesi as Christine, John’s mother, and Tandiwe “Nofirst” Lungisa playing the character of an ancestor, were clearly not as outstanding. Not any major issue though, because one could only handle so much tension in one sitting, and it was a just about nice concoction for the themes of sexuality, racialism and power play.
Above all the themes I have already mentioned, Mies Julie also speaks of the inevitability of man to construct his own doom, which of course, uncontrolled drinking of alcohol and the release of unnecessary inhibitions at late nights probably aided to. Undisputedly, it is at its very heart, a love story and extremely distressing as short-lived the affair was, it asks this question that can be translated out of context, “Can love transcend everything?”
A must-watch this month, Mies Julie plays out at SRT at 20 Merbau Rd, Singapore 239035, till 13th September 2014. For ticketing, visit www.sistic.com.sg
Special thanks to H, for feedback and comments
Photos credit: Singapore Reperatory Theater