Coat of Many Colours: Bit of a fib

Sweet am-dram dealing lightly with the heavy issues of contemporary shack life acted with feeling and ending happily with a religious message pretty much sums up Coat of Many Colours.

It played out in the low-ceilinged Glennie Festival Centre (proabably the second-worst fest venue after Dicks) where only the front row could see all the action on the barely-raised stage. Having followed two large groups of primary school kids into the venue, I was right at the back, blocked by pom-pommed beanies but it meant I did get a good earful of the fervent whispers enquiring if the 14-year-old protaganist really was pregnant and all the giggles when the subject of sex education was raised.

The Dinaledi Dramatic Arts group opted for a literal set coupled with earnest acting by Daniel Mooi, Khanyisile Vilakazi, Nontobeko Mavundla and Palesa Kwena who had the tweens craning their necks to see what was going on.

Martin Koboekae and Daniel Mooi’s script was a straightforward trajectory that skipped a number of chasms, giving the impression that Coat of Many Colours was created for Grade 7s although it’s not listed under family fare, which would be a more comfortable home.

Koboekae could benefit from some lessons in directing and a study of Poor Theatre would help sort out a cumbersome set and the use of traditional conventions that do more harm than good in a work such as this. Also, the fact that everything turns out allright in the end felt rather dishonest and I had to stifle an urge to tell the kids they were fed a lie. But that’s their teachers’ job, I hope they do it.

Coat of Many Colours plays tomorrow, and then again from Wednesday to Saturday. Programme notes and bookings here.

— Steve Kretzmann