JOHN. Directed by Jeremeo Le Cordeur, with Andre Lombard and Lizanne Peters. At Theatre Arts Admin Collective, Observatory, Monday November 3 to Saturday November 8 at 8.15pm and Sunday November 9 at 6pm. STEYN DU TOIT interviews the director and cast.
“YOU are the master. He is your bitch,” director Jeremeo Le Cordeur tells Lizanne Peters as I walk into the theatre on a sunny Observatory morning. Crouching by her feet and trying to pry a piece of paper from underneath her stilettoed feet is Andre Lombard, author and title role actor in John. the play they are busy rehearsing.
Revolving around a highly intelligent man who, after a traumatic incident at an early age, struggles to form meaningful connections with other people, the play checks in on him at various stages of his life. Through his encounters with a series of prostitutes, who each in some way reminds him of his first and only love (all played by Peters), the viewer is painted a poignant portrait of his lifelong search for her.
“ John tells the story of sex workers. People’s instinctive reactions are usually along the lines of ‘Ag sies, why would someone do that?’” says Lombard during a break in rehearsals, adding that it’s all too easy to forget that behind every prostitute is a story and a motivation to do what they do. Sporting a bandaged hand, he quips that it was too costly to “break a leg”, so he had to settle for a thumb instead.
“For many of these women it’s a job like any other. Some even have boyfriends that they go to at the end of the day. That’s why they’ll usually draw the line at kissing their clients. That’s an intimacy they reserve only for those that they love.”
Before writing the script Lombard ( Urban Death, The Beauty of Incomplete Things) conducted extensive research into this often hidden world within Cape Town, including talks with the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and interviewing sex workers on the street.
“As you can imagine, some of them were very surprised to have a guy drive up to them and, instead of the usual banter, instead offer them cash in exchange for information about their lives and choice of career,” he laughs.
After drafting the script and various characters, Lombard then approached Le Cordeur who, earlier this year, also directed him in Tannie Dora Goes Bos.
A weekend in Hermanus followed, where the text and character motivations were workshopped by director and cast.
“As soon as I got Jeremeo involved I had to let go of being a playwright and separate myself from my text. My job now is to be an actor. There is no room for feeling protective over my script.”
Describing John as the vehicle through which the viewer is granted access to the world of sex workers, Peters reveals that each character has very different personalities, motivations and backstories.
“Just like Andre, I’ve had to put in research and watch a lot of documentaries in preparation for this play. It’s all about doing these people’s stories justice and to properly articulate their psyches.
“Through our meetings with SWEAT, which has its own theatre group as well, we’ve also tried to incorporate their advice and guidance into the final product that you’ll see on stage,” she goes on to explain.
“Despite the transactional nature of paying another person to have sex with you, when you hire a prostitute you aren’t merely dealing with a piece of flesh. You are dealing with a human being with a personality, aspirations and dreams of a better life just like you or those close to you.
“When asked in preschool what she’d like to be growing up, no little girl will ever say she hopes to become a sex worker one day.”
Carrying an age restriction of 16, Le Cordeur ( Pizza’s Here, February 14th) describes the presentation of John as a “magic show.” While the graphic nature of the subject matter is not shied away from, it’s also not necessarily acted out in detail on stage.
“Obviously John isn’t visiting prostitutes for platonic reasons alone. Over the course of the production we also reveal to the viewer an incredibly traumatic sexual humiliation he had to endure while still at school.
“This is where the magic comes in. We had to find a way of making sure the audience understands the long-lasting, emotional impact it will have on his life, without sensationally simulating the incident for the sake of effect alone.”
l Tickets: R50-R60, 021 447 3683, [email protected].