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Empatheatre presents Lalela uLwandle (listen to the sea)

Empatheatre presents Lalela uLwandle (listen to the sea)

Date: 2019-10-11

Lalela uLwandle (listen to the sea) is the new production from Empatheatre, a group of researcher-activist-theatre makers, which will tour coastal towns in KZN before having a formal theatre run in the UKZN's Square Space Theatre from 15 - 19 October.

Lalela uLwandle is an interactive immersive theatre and public storytelling experience, led by the Empatheatre collective. The project makes visible the stories of living with the ocean that are seldom heard in the public domain. Drawing from seven months of collaborative action research into the lives of different KZN citizens along our coast. This project brings to the surface the lived realities of people involved directly and indirectly with the ocean, as well as creating a new social platform that makes public dialogue possible regarding our collective pressing concerns regarding our ocean's health.

The writing team, led by Neil Coppen with contributions from Helen Walne, Gcina Mhlophe, Mpume Mthombeni, Dylan McGarry, Taryn Pereira and Kira Erwin, pieced together oral histories, interviews, focus group discussions, archival research and traditional local stories into a rich and thickly described narrative of fictional characters hopes, dreams and concerns for our shared coastal and oceanic heritage.

After the show the audience are encouraged to participate in a public dialogue space facilitated by the research team from Rhodes University and the Durban University of Technology.

Lalela uLwandle is performed by Durban-based actors Mpume Mtombeni (playing Nowandle, and isiZulu marine educator with an ancestral heritage in Zulu mysticism), Alison Cassels (playing Faye, a retired marine scientist and recent widow) and Rory Booth (playing Niren, a young South Durban Indian social and environmental activist, and descendent of a long line of Durban Indian fisher folk) .

The Empatheatre team have been responsible for launching several high-profile social-justice theatre projects over the last decade including Soil & Ash (focusing on rural communities facing pressure from coal-mining companies), Ulwembu (street-level drug addiction), The Last Country (stories of migrant women) and now Lalela uLwandle (stories focusing on communities' relationships with the ocean). All productions are in repertory.

For bookings please contact Tamlynn Fleetwood:TamlynnF@dut.ac.za / cell: 0791864423