The Stage

Vakomana Vaviri Ve Zimbabwe or Two Gentlemen of Verona

Published Monday 24 November 2008 at 10:55 by Barbara Lewis

Of all Shakespeare’s plays, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, with its tortured plot, lightweight characters and youthful absurdity, is well-suited to irreverent adaptations. This cheeky version, which is both Zimbabwean and based on South African Township Theatre, embraces rather than dispels the play’s confusion of identity, as just “two gentlemen” play 15 characters, including a dog.

What it does make clear, under Arne Pohlmeier’s direction, is the ridiculousness of the suitors and their ladies, who, just as in Shakespeare’s time are men pretending to be women, who in turn pretend to be the men they really are.

From the start, there is no divide between actors and the audience.

Similarly, the class barrier is knocked down and the play’s fine gentlemen - Denton Chikura and Tonderai Munyevu - are no better than the servants whose parts they also play. We are totally at ease with them as they are with us and whenever our attention wanders, they make eye contact or haul us on to the stage to join in.

The production’s humour is both broad and subtle. My favourite moments were Chikura playing the part of Julia, sitting in a suitcase that doubled as a bath, and an African rendition of Who is Sylvia?