Sweet-voiced Evita steals the show

DIRECTING a theatre production is not an easy task. It can be a singularly demanding experience, often requiring that a single individual possess a superhuman array of skills. Theatre, of course, is a collaborative art form, which is why a great team is so important in helping a director take on the insane challenge of mounting large scale productions such as the one currently showing at the the Playhouse Drama Theatre.

Directed by Professor Debbie Lutge and performed by a talented cast of students from the Durban University of Technology’s Department of Drama and Production Studies, the amateur production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice Tony award-winning musical Evita is a tuneful roller coaster ride which hits plenty of peaks and valleys.

The large cast is led by Sweetness Ngobese as the iconic Eva Perón. Blessed with a bright, dexterous soprano, Ngobese navigates through the twists and turns of her character’s journey with commendable skill and sensitivity, as Eva uses her smarts and charisma to rise from the slums of Argentina to the presidential mansion as First Lady before meeting a tragic end.

Kwenzokuhle Ngcobo gives a solid performance as Eva’s husband, the populist president Juan Perón, and the lively Brian Khawula takes up the role of the revolutionary icon Che Guevara. The enjoyment of watching these performers was somewhat diminished as they tended to get lost in the crowd scenes.

Although there were times when the music and song didn’t quite strike that perfect harmony, under the musical direction of Madlen Tzankova, cast and orchestra together delivered a few sublime moments, including rousing renditions of Dice Are Rolling and Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. A strong cast of dancers performed Mduduzo Mtshali’s choreography with great energy, while Derek O’Toole’s versatile set design looked great bathed in lighting designed by Mthandazo Mofokeng.