top of page

SCENE IT: Esra shines in MY LEFT BREAST with humour and heart

Barbara Loots

 

MY LEFT BREAST, currently onstage at the Baxter Theatre’s Masambe, is a play by Susan Miller, first performed in 1994. One would expect that a 30 year old play may be dated, but MY LEFT BREAST stands the test of time with heart and honesty.

In the current South African staging, Shannon Esra plays Susan, who describes herself as "a one-breasted, menopausal, Jewish, bisexual lesbian Mom”. On the surface MY LEFT BREAST is a story about a cancer survivor, but once Susan starts unpacking her truths and fears, sharing key memory moments about the people she loves (and loved) deeply, you realise that at its core, MY LEFT BREAST is a story about loss, more particularly the response to loss.


The script strikes a cathartic balance between humour and heartache. It is short, pithy and moving. It doesn’t get bogged down by preachy importance, or lose the personal story in a sea of important issues. The issues simply propel the story forward, without becoming the story itself.


MY LEFT BREAST is a play about the personal journey of someone who gets knocked down by life every time she thinks she’s found her footing. And that’s where its impact lies, because it’s not necessarily (just) the cancer fear that still gives the play relevance, but the fact that anyone in the audience can in one way or another relate to that feeling of loss when it seems life pulls the carpet from right under you.

I must admit that when I walked into the theatre to see MY LEFT BREAST that was not what I expected. Having lost a parent to that monster called cancer and having my own mammogram scheduled for the very next day, the title itself triggered my anxiety greatly. However, once the theatre lights dimmed and Esra stepped into Susan’s world I found my anxiety quickly settling as I was captivated by the character at the centre of the story itself, one who talks about friendship, parenthood, aspirations, love, family and yes, cancer, but not cancer above all else. At certain points one actually forgets that breast cancer is the inspiration for title. The play shows that life doesn’t stop when cancer enters the equation.


Esra’s performance makes it clear that she appreciates the nuances that gives this play all its heart. Her performance, under direction of Janet Baylis, deftly avoids all the acting traps that could easily result in an overplayed, inauthentic performance. Esra’s performance respects the emotional connections in the play, which takes her portrayal of Susan beyond the superficial.


The staging is paired back, using the black box space of the Masambe with two generic black chairs and one prop that acts as the silicon stand-in for the space once claimed by Susan’s left breast,

One however quickly forgets that this isn’t a high budget set with all the bells and whistles. It doesn’t need to be. The same way the presence of bells and whistles can’t save an emotionally stunted performance, absence thereof is easily forgotten when a performer has the insight, skill and stage presence to emotionally elevate and transport an audience. With MY LEFT BREAST, Esra falls in the latter category. Her performance doesn’t need stage dressing to hide anything. The poignant performance delivered by Esra makes you forget that she’s practically standing in a void (assisted only by the lighting and sound design of Barry Strydom to emphasise subtle transitions). She sketches the world of Susan in such a convincing manner that makes the lack of stage dressing a non-issue.


Yes, MY LEFT BREAST is a cancer survivor story, but it is also so much more. Ultimately, it’s a celebration of scars both as memories and as markers for a life lived, inclusive of all the tumultuous tidings the act of living can bring. It’s an honest reflection on love, healing, womanhood, motherhood and transformation. This is definitely a play with heart.


You have until 24 October 2024 to see MY LEFT BREAST at the Baxter Theatre’s Masambe. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets.

bottom of page