The legendary story of a jilted husband’s revenge on his cheating wife turns into a star-studded musical version performed by a powerhouse cast and is a great way to celebrate our rich literary heritage.
With an ensemble of actors and musicians of the highest calibre, a strong creative and technical team behind the scenes of the production and so many dynamic women at its core, The Suit Concer-tized will take the writer’s seminal Sophiatown-era short story to new heights.
By placing a different spin on the story, the creative team has reimagined a classic South African story with a female-centric lens to confront the issue of gender-based violence head-on, creating a multi-genre experience and placing music at the centre of the narrative, with original compositions performed live by a youth orchestra – the New Skool Orchestra that is mostly made up of young women musicians.
In this adaptation, the focus is on Matilda, a violinist and leader of an orchestra in Johannesburg in the 1950s. She's not portrayed as a victim; instead, this musical drama takes a different spin (you'll have to catch a performance to see how this acclaimed cast does it). Featuring original compositions and musical direction by composer Tshepo Tsotetsi, the founder of the New Skool Orchestra, alongside musician Viwe Mkizwana, audiences can expect a diverse mix of classical, gospel, choral and jazz, all influenced by the heady days of the Sophiatown Renaissance, which is infused with modern-day South African sounds.
Theatre practitioner and director of the musical adaptation, Warona Seane, says, "The aim is to amplify the voice of women in the story. We hope this will help curb the silencing of the female voice in society, which often leads to increased abuse against them, whether by their intimate partners, as was the case in this particular story, or in other spheres of women’s lives."
The Suit Concer-tized stars award-winning Vusi Kunene as cuckolded husband Philemon, Khutjo Green (The River, House of Zwide) as Matilda/Mbalenhle and Brian Temba as the love interest (the “other man”) Thozamile/Orpheus. The musical will also introduce two gifted classical musicians to audiences, violinist Lebogang Ledwaba as the young Matilda and violist Kgaugelo Mpiyane as the young Thozamile. Supporting actors include veterans Job Kubatsi and Alistair Dube.
The Suit Concer-tized will run at Joburg Theatre’s Mandela Theatre from Fri, Sep 15 – Sun, Sep 24. Book your tickets here.
