The first thing you need to know about Platform 9 TWO Park Station is that it is in Afrikaans. Not mooi Afrikaans; proper Kaapse Afrikaans – the way that it should be.
The second thing you need to know is that you will laugh; and not a quite chuckle or sophisticated giggle. You will laugh that full belly, stomach-hurting, danger of wetting your pants laugh – so it is best to go the bathroom right before the show.
Platform 9 TWO Park Station revolves around two friends, Mau and Theo, who are taking the train to Johannesburg to try and fulfil their dreams. Theo wants to be a chef and Mau wants to be a rapper. On their journey, they encounter a variety of weird and wonderful people, and their friendship gets put through the ringer, as they learn new things about each other and reminisce about the past.
The thing that struck me the most about the play was its authenticity. The yellow bench and graffitied sign scream South African trains. Even the space lends itself to the illusion of being on a train. The Flipside Theatre is small and intimate. I felt as if I was a passenger on a crowded train, a train with comfortable seats and breathing room, but a train nonetheless. The most authentic thing of all was the characters. While they were exaggerated caricatures, they were people you have definitely seen in real life, especially if you’ve ever travelled on the train.
Maurice Paige and Theodore Jantjies are absolutely brilliant. They slip in and out of the different characters effortlessly and their energy on stage is contagious.They are not afraid to make fun of themselves and dive right into the performance. They sing, they dance, and most importantly, they make you laugh out loud.
I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard at a show in years, seriously, I was in tears. Not one person in the audience was immune to the comedy, and that is because it was all so relatable. The whole play encompasses the spirit of Cape Town so beautifully. Not the pretty, touristy Cape Town, but the real heart and soul of its people.
If you are looking for a feel good, genuinely funny show, Platform 9 is it. Don’t miss out on this proudly South African play.
OF NOTE
When Monday 14 December 2015 at 8:15 pm until 16 January 2016
Where Baxter Golden Arrow Studio, Main Road, Rondebosch
Cost R110 at Computicket
Contact +27 21 685 7880
Photography courtesy
Nurjehan Perin lol 😀