Foreplay by Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom

According to Lyn Gardner of the Guardian this is " one of the most remarkable pieces of theatre to come out of South Africa" ...

I am tempted to say this was probably the best theatrical play I have seen for a long time.
Almost two hours of a very realistic intimate like approach in the form of  interwining relations of various pairs of lovers in a structured sequence of interconnected scenes and characters: the whore and the soldier; the soldier and the barmaid; the barmaid and the young man; the young man and the preacher's wife; the preacher's wife and the preacher; the preacher and the schoolgirl ... until the final scene takes us back to the initial one, this time involving the whore and the polititian. Many of the sexual nature scenes unveil a society ruled by hypocritical attitudes, some of which are not much different from our day to day reality.

Mpumelelo having adapted a 1900 play by the Austrian dramatist Schnitzler, used a brilliant cast of six actors (three women and three men) in a combination of  raw dance and acting. The setting of the whole  theatre scene sequencing started with the three female actors on stage in a sort of street walking type of  "foreplay" attitude, openly provoking the public, as we were being shown our seats.

Several theatre critics have defined this play as being very "physical", shocking, poignant, thought-provoking, disturbing, splendid and even humurous at times  ...
... I would simply say it was brilliant ...

Koketso Mojela - Barmaid and schoolgirl
Refilwe Cwaile - Prostitute
Ntshepiseng Montsshiwa - Preacher's wife and actress
Mandla Gaduka - Young man and playmaker
Sello Zikalala - Soldier and preacher
Boitumelo Shisana - Polititian

Coreography - Israel Bereta
Light design - Wilhelm Disbergen
Stage management - Zane Mashaba assisted by Kaya Mokoape
Production South African State Theatre