Interview: Tik Tok goes The Emperor’s New Clothes in South Africa, fun and contemporary

The Drama Factory premiered its new family theatre show, The Emperor’s New Clothes in July 2023. It is a production which taps into the landscape of TikTok and how people seek influencers and stars to achieve their goals. It is a fun show with audience participation- and the opportunity to dance – TikTok style. After receiving appreciation and accolades from audiences at the Drama Factory, the show is touring to The Masque in Muizenberg – three shows only -February 9, 10 and 11, 2024, at 14h30. Jessie Diepeveen performs with Henu Baden and has also designed the set. She shares insights into the production:

TCR: How did this production come about?

Jessie Diepeveen: We felt like putting on a really feel-good show that the audience would already be familiar with. The Emperor’s New Clothes was a tale that I listened to a lot, when I was younger. I always thought it a funny one. We figured that we could elevate it and give it some South African flair to really hold the kids’ attention. Of course when you are writing a kid’s show, you need to take into account that more than half of the audience will likely be adults, so we thought that by bringing a few local issues like load shedding into the show, ever so subtly, then the adults could get a kick out of it as well.

TCR: You have positioned social media in this adaptation – and that synchs so well with the story and of course with our times. Can you talk about that?

JD: In the original tale, the Emperor is said to be vain and self-obsessed, and in the age of TikTok and influencers, one does have the potential to be a bit too self-involved -like the Emperor. As fun as playing on TikTok is, we thought we could highlight the potential harm it can cause too. The Emperor does nothing other than doomscroll and take selfies. He doesn’t pay any attention to the needs of those under his rule. We do enjoy teaching the TikTok dance to the audience members. Despite social media having the potential to cause harm, we love that TikTok specifically is encouraging people to get on their feet and dance their hearts out.

TCR: Is there audience participation and does this lead to improv on stage?

JD: There is loads of audience participation. My favourite moment is when the Emperor does a fashion show, and asks the audience which option of hats to wear. One of the hats had the Springboks logo on it, and if the boys weren’t paying attention before then, they definitely get a bit more involved after they see that the Emperor is a Bok supporter. There’s loads of shouting at the Emperor to sign his documents to “End load shedding”, and the best part is when we teach them our TikTok dance. Of course, there can’t be audience participation without improv, and it’s so much fun to be able to play with that and fit in new moments in every show.

TCR: The response of little ones and adults?

JD:  We had one girl who loved the Emperor’s New Clothes so much that she dragged her family to watch it for a second time. She brought a friend with her the next time, who she prepped fiercely for the audience participation – teaching her friend to shout “Sign on the dotted line!” Unsurprisingly, the adults also often have more fun than the children, the grandparents too.

✳Henu Baden in The Drama Factory’s The Emperor’s New Clothes. The show is on at The Masque, Muizenberg, February 9, 10 and 11, 2024, at 14h30. Pic supplied.