Written by: Naomi Iizuka
Directed by: DeBeer Cloete & Barend Kriel
Language: English
Dates & Times:
Thursday, 31 August 2023 - 11:00
Friday, 1 September 2023 - 11:00 & 18:00
Saturday, 2 September 2023 - 11:00
Venue: Rehearsal Room, Scaena Theatre Complex
Tickets:
R25.00 - General Admission
R20.00 - Group bookings of 10+
Age recommendation: 10+PG (V, PPS)
Runtime: 70min
Tickets available on www.webticket.co.za. Ticket will also be available at the door.
“It begins with light, a sliver, a flash, then comes a sound, a pulse, a beat, a crash like a giant hammer smashing through the sky.” Thus, the story of Boom begins as he sets out on an epic journey, ultimately discovering his true self. In this production, playwright Naomi Iizuka combines Japanese fairy tales and fables with her unique creative flair to produce a timeless and modern play. The young protagonist’s journey shows the power of storytelling to help us overcome adversity.
Professor Naomi Iizuka is a multi-award-winning Japanese-born American playwright who has written over 25 plays since the early 1990s. Iizuka’s multicultural upbringing and stellar academic background have resulted in a successful career as one of the most commissioned playwrights in American theatre, culminating in her appointment as the Director of Playwriting at the University of California until 2008. She has collaborated most notably with Anne Bogart, and her plays have been performed internationally. In 2011, Iizuka received the Joyce Award for The Last Firefly. This play highlights Iizuka’s commitment to highlighting themes of domestic violence and gender inequality. Iizuka’s retelling eliminates sexism that plagues our earliest tales by flipping the traditional fairy tale archetypes. The play’s relatability stems from Boom being raised by a single mother who uses stories as a form of solace.
This South African production of The Last Firefly embraces Iizuka’s multicultural approach to theatre by incorporating African music and storytelling elements in a tale that does not shy away from controversial themes such as domestic violence and women and child abuse. As such, this play does carry an age restriction of 10 and up.
This production is produced through special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences