VERY OCCASIONALLY, YOU may be blessed enough to see a piece of theatre which threads itself into the very fabric of who you are, in this world. A piece without artifice or self-indulgence. A piece which takes you to the brink of self-deprecating laughter unbridled and to the brink of tears, raw and recognisable. That work is Paul Slabolepszy’s Bitter Winter, currently onstage at Montecasino until 16 March 2025. Unequivocally, it is the play of the year so far.
In a contemplation of what it means to age in an industry which is perhaps less forgiving than most, and what it means to become an overnight star in a world coloured by instant gratification, blue tooth earphones and social media, Bitter Winter reins in references to Shakespeare that resonate chillingly and warmingly, at the same time.
It is here where we meet two men in the vestibule of a theatre agency, awaiting a high-flying American film director. Jean-Louis (André Odendaal) comes of the kind of theatre stock that imbibed the magic of theatre as a craft. A man with a solid life of awards and success onstage behind him. Prosper (Oarabile Ditsele) is very young. Headhunted by an ad agency because of his face, he’s an overnight success with tickets to Paris in one hand and a signed contract in the other. He’s living the life – an Audi in tow, friends at every junction. Felicia (Chantal Stanfield) is the admin assistant in a difficult position. She knows how the industry works and has weathered how the ‘yeses’ and ‘nos’ at auditions can change lives.
The waiting room is bare – not even the urn is boiling. The tablecloth, with its domestic ruffles is burnt sienna and contributes to the sense of the ordinary, beautifully. The office is also adorned, with images of stars of the South African theatre industry: Bill Flynn, Sharleen Surtie-Richards, John Kani, Leleti Khumalo, like kisses blown to the ancestors of this rich industry, which gives us soul but not always comfort. The lighting is subtle, and you don’t notice the passage of time, as day deepens into evening. The sound resonates with your own emotion – it’s there but does not dominate.
And like any great piece of theatre, or life, the fabric of the tale is premised on the interstices of the big events. This work is a reflection on the Beckettian un-drama that unfolds before the production is a thing. It all happens in the waiting room. It is not only a tale of existential notions, however. It’s about apartheid and the shifting of the world from analogue to digital. It’s about how tightly one holds onto one’s embarrassing and life-forming secrets as it is about being in the same proverbial boat as another actor, regardless of age or experience. It’s about how a passing encounter with a stranger can shift the passage of one’s life. And yet, none of these ideas are handled with a forced pen or a contrived line. There is no political framework being shoved in your face.
It’s also about how that domestic ruffled tablecloth can, with the flick of a light switch, and the nuance of a head movement, become a cipher to a world where Shakespeare’s Duke of Gloster can articulate his lust for power. There is a moment in Kazantzakis’s Zorba the Greek where, in the face of catastrophe, Zorba teaches Basil to dance. Bitter Winter contains a wise and rich nugget of that passing on of life from one thespian to another. Bring tissues. The performances in this work, for all three characters is completely impeccable and three-dimensional.
With a punt to the Theatre Benevolent Fund and an embrace of the man in his corduroy jacket who lives in a rented room, wears a frayed shirt and who still holds on to the chance of freelance work, whether he is you or me, whether he is in the arts or the media, this is a perfect play.
- Bitter Winter is written by Paul Slabolepszy and directed by Lesedi Job. Performed by André Odendaal, Oarabile Ditsele and Chantal Stanfield, it is produced by Weslee Lauder and stage managed by Yvette Hanekom, featuring creative input by Oliver Hauser (lighting), Sne Dladla (sound), Julia Burnham (movement) and Frankie van Straten (production design). It is onstage at the Upstairs Theatre, Montecasino complex, Fourways, until 16 March 2025.