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Barbara Loots
Andrew Buckland wrote and performed his comic satire hit, THE UGLY NOO NOO, in 1988. Now in 2024 he is reviving this classic (onstage at the Baxter Theatre until 10 August 2024), and it still punches with as much skill and insight as it did then: A win for theatre, but also a clear indictment on the current sad state of the human race.
Physical theatre can so often just be superficial clowning. However, if you place it in the hands of someone who knows how to drive a narrative and add nuance to his art, then you get a theatre gem such as THE UGLY NOO NOO.
Over the years, Buckland has developed a style of physical theatre that is quintessentially his. Watching him morph in an out of character is always a treat. Seeing him do that again now at the Baxter, I was reminded of how many performers have built a career by just following his lead and in fact copying his style – imitation, after all, is a form of flattery. But the OG does it best and with THE UGLY NOO NOO that’s an undeniable truth. Buckland’s style as done by Buckland simply rings truer than anyone else trying to imitate a mentor.
On the face of it THE UGLY NOO NOO just tells the story of a man’s encounter with an insect: Though not just any insect, the ugliest, most indestructible insect of them all, the notorious Parktown Prawn which inhabited the suburbs of Johannesburg particularly during the 80’s and 90’s.
The production initially has you in stitches; the antics of humans being tormented and captured by a tiny (albeit persistent) insect, engulfing the theatre with the audience’s laughter. However, raucous laughter soon makes way for more subtle giggles as the theatre audience goes quiet in the realisation that the hilarity merely masks the sadness of a tale that hits to the heart of the problem of the world’s lack of humanity… a world where intolerance breeds hate.
THE UGLY NOO NOO is a clever piece of physical theatre that explores the fear of “the other” as an irrational concept that has ruined many lives and fuelled many wars over the years.
When Buckland first took to the stage with THE UGLY NOO NOO, it was clearly pointing the satirical political finger at apartheid in South Africa. With apartheid now gaining a global momentum in the sad state of the world, I’m pretty sure all of us can think of at least one such present day fear-fuelled war to which such a satirical perspective speaks.
As proof of the power of storytelling done to maximum physical theatre effect, THE UGLY NOO NOO sees Buckland create a world without the need for a single prop. With just himself taking up space on an empty stage, amplified by subtle lighting design (by Wesley France), Buckland sketches out scenes you will remember in 3D technicolour detail as if you truly saw every aspect of every room and character in real life.
One so rarely sees theatre shows that can hold up so many years after its creation, which is a great testament to the quality of theatre that THE UGLY NOO NOO brings to the stage.
You can see Andre Buckland, directed by Janet Buckland, in his timeless hit, THE UGLY NOO NOO, at the Baxter Theatre until 10 August 2024. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets.
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