Amajuba is a direct-impact dramatisation of the stories of five young people growing up in the tough and impoverished world of the townships, surviving hardship with a potent mix of song, prayer, resilience and an indomitable determination not to look back but to move forward. That momentum is the key to this production.

We are told five stories from Yael's 'wasteland of discarded memories' - not exceptional stories, but representative of 'the countless stories that will never be told'. The five actors, dressed simply and working in a basic set with minimal props, bring these 'small' stories directly to life for the audience with power and authenticity. They seek to find their way out of the darkness seeping into their lives, and they sing when their untold stories cannot stay silent any longer. Most of all, they try to leave the past where it belongs - behind.

The stories told are based on the lives of the cast, making Amajuba true-to-life in the best sense and, unsurprisingly, the stories are delivered with conviction. Each character tells his story using a rhythmic mix of narration, dialogue, mime and song. The stories present vivid images in both word and movement and when these coincide the message is very powerful. We see the struggle against darkness, against silence, and the effort to reclaim the light of hope. The dialogue is beautiful at times - realistic, yet poetic and expressive.

The actors cavort over the stage mixing mime, movement, dialogue and song to great effect and giving the storytelling a dance-like quality. The pace is urgent as the action cuts from scene to scene giving the impression of rapidly turning pages in a book. We see a father abandon his family following forced relocation and his painfully unsuccessful attempt at reconciliation, a girl subjected to attack by a gang and a police tear gas attack. Most of all we see the irrepressible energy of the characters, their ability to rise from the brink of defeat and move on.

Song provides the backdrop for them to rise from their troubles with spirit. The whole production is suffused in original song with the actors producing their own constant sound backdrop of haunting harmonies, more powerful and evocative than any line of dialogue. The song holds the story and sets the mood as much of the dialogue is delivered in native tongue guided by narration in English. The immediacy this gives the scenes of family strife, brutal policing and gangland violence is striking.

In the final scene the actors summarise their childhood stories and assess how far they have come. To survive and keep momentum they have had to look forward in spite of the prevalence of death around them, but in the end it is time to bury the past and rise from its ashes. Time moves, and the momentum has been clearly shown dramatically as well as in words. Uniting word and movement into a tightly woven whole is Amajuba's greatest triumph. The production is authentic from the heart. And that is why the audience rose to their feet to applaud it.

Kathryn Karakaya 23.07.03