!Kai – A Little Death: Digging Deep in the Desert
Mortality, South Africa’s wretched past, insecurities, forgiveness both personal and political: !Kai – A Little Death delves deep, using live music, puppetry, projections, mask work and shadow play to bring this story about death, to life.
Dale Palmer (Vincent Meyburgh) is lost and unconscious in the Tankwa Karoo. Dreamscapes (and nightmare-scapes) merge into a surreal world of visions, and we witness his inner struggles against himself and his heritage.
First mention must go to musicians Jannous Aukema and Seyiso Qhola, who significantly feature, creating an atmospheric sound track with electric guitar, djembe drums, a marimba, mbiras, and more. Their masterful musicality creates the magical Karoo, transporting us to a distant space, a place revered yet largely unknown. With their evocative music, we are subtly guided through distress, excitement, relief, anger – they play a large role in setting the emotional tones and nuances of the work.
The exploration of South Africa’s distant past is explored by integrating imagery of San rock art, traditions and beliefs. In this story of catharsis, Dale must discover his connection to the land, he must “run with the Eland” – a power animal in San religion, featuring in much Southern African rock art.
Puppeteer Andy Jones manipulates a beautifully designed life-size praying mantis. The mantis, often representing the supreme god in San beliefs, guides Dale through his visions. Later, Dale ‘becomes’ the Eland – evoking the therianthropes of San rock art. Strength and knowledge is drawn from nature in San belief, and Dale needs to access this to overcome his past and present troubles.
The work is significant and topical. Fiery parliamentary debates over land claims and restitution make the news. The Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act, we were led to believe, was to include claims for land ‘appropriated’ pre-1913. As is widely accepted, long before that, the San and Khoi peoples were driven from fertile land to arid areas and inhospitable mountains – by pastoralists from the north and colonisers from the south. Yet the country’s “first people” remain marginalised.
As Dale says, the past has scarred this land forever. His grandfather’s involvement in the violent, inhumane treatment of the San haunts him, and Dale recognises he’s “waiting for a reconciliation that [he] never earned”.
Topically important as it is, there are some niggly aspects that just manage to injure its full potential power. Meyburgh’s performance needs a smidgeon of crafting. The character is somewhat one dimensional, and at times melodramatic. The projected images are great, and integrate well with the story – however, the screen (formed out of the crashed microlight) should have remained plain white, so the audience can properly appreciate the projections of the magnificent Karoo. [I understand the smudges are used to indicate the crashed aircraft… but… it’s more distracting than necessary.]
But let’s not sweat the small stuff on Day One. It’s a lovely production that hits some difficult notes, in interesting ways. The puppets are expertly crafted. The story is compelling. The musicians alone are a good reason to go.
In light of yesterday’s Heritage Day, reminding all South Africans of the fraught history of our land, !Kai – A Little Death, is well worth the watch. It speaks to the convenient repression (and suppression) of selective history, the danger in that, and the necessity of honestly acknowledging how deep the wounds are beneath this scarred land. – Sarah Roberson