.png)
SCENE IT: Figure of 8 plates up an inspired production with THE RESERVATION
- Beverley Brommert
- Sep 4
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 6
Beverley Brommert
THE RESERVATION, a vibrant production from the Figure of 8 Dance Theatre, is inspired by one of the most universal activities of urban culture, namely eating out.
Multilayered as a rich gâteau, it explores a variety of situations and the drama attendant on each, all conveyed through the expressive vehicle of physical theatre, in a succession of cameos.
Shaun Oelf's evocative soundscape, together with a versatile set and Nell van der Merwe's well-conceived lighting design, enhances the multiple moods of THE RESERVATION. All this, coupled with the high calibre of performance achieved by the artists of Figure of Eight, makes dialogue redundant, especially if it is not clearly articulated, or delivered too quickly (as is the case in this show).
Tongue-in-cheek humour is apparent at the outset as the cast serially enter to set a long table: a dim religious light, a hint of incense, solemn cello music, and all the ceremonious reverence of priests preparing a church for Sunday service... the incongruity of this solemn ritual in a restaurant being readied for public gratification of hunger is enough to raise spontaneous chuckles.
The mood shifts abruptly with the appearance of a stern manager to organise the waiters. Music shifts to a percussive assault on the eardrums, the dancing ignites, the refectory table is briskly dismantled into six individual tables... and the fun begins. For some.
Under the frenetic energy, there is not so much joie de vivre as taedium vitae, a sense of "here we go again" into an exhausting evening of service, underscored by the relentless repetition of musical themes and bodily actions.
Soft background jazz accompanies the patrons' arrival, and there is no shortage of action as one scenario succeeds another.
Donning and doffing of a white overshirt makes it clear which role each member of the seven-strong cast is playing, (waiter versus client), and the ensuing episodes are a study in contrasts of mood and morality.
Memorably dark is the rape of a woman server carried out in silence as music is muted, the clatter of plates the only sound...
Familiar figures of contemporary society are presented with dry wit - such as influencers, the mobile-phone-obsessed, and the ecologically aware. Respect for food and feelings is generally absent, but this is not allowed to depress spirits in the athletic, zesty execution mustered by the artists as they maintain the unforgiving pace with equanimity.
As the action winds down, the lights dim, and the set is demolished, one has the sense of having been enlightened and entertained in equal measure, since this is goodly fare for both mind and body. A reservation is therefore strongly recommended for this boisterous buffet.
You can see THE RESERVATION, directed by Buhle Ngaka and Grant van Ster, at the Magnet Theatre until 6 September 2025. Tickets can be booked online through Quicket.