What: Nkoli: The Vogue Opera When: October 9-19, 2024 Where: Baxter Theatre Times: 19h30, with matinee performances at 14h00 on Saturdays Tickets: Webtickets:https://bit.ly/3MC162x Creator/composer: Philip Miller Co-lyricist: S’bo Gyre Director: John Trengove and Rikki Beadle-Blair Producer and dramaturg: Harriet Perlman Choreography: Llwellyn Mnguni Costumes: Sikelela/Mr Allofit Musical direction: Tshegofatso Moeng Video design: Catherine Meyburgh Motion graphics: Marcos Martins Cast: Includes: Niza Jay – Emcee, Simbone Qonya – Simon Nkoli, Nokuthula Magubane – Bev Ditsie, Ann Masina – Simon’s Mom Bongani Khubheka – Gcina, Simon’s best friend, Mhlaba Buthelezi – Edwin/Chorus, Grant Towers – Roy, Simon’s boyfriend/chorus, Eric Van Rooyen – chorus/comrade, Ayanda Eleki – chorus/Simon’s Dad, Ntuthuko Ziqubu – chorus, Karabo Rabaloi – chorus, Leah Gunter – Caroline, Nica Reinke – chorus, Dumisa Masoka – chorus and dancers – Lwazi Mzimase, Tyler Spelman, Lebohang Otukile and Llewellyn Mngun |
Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera had its world premiere in 2023 at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg and now Cape Town is getting the opportunity to see this stunning production at the Baxter Flipside from October 9-19, 2024. Phillip Miller (composer and creator) working with S’bo Gyre (co-lyricist) and creative team which includes filmmaker Catherine Meyburgh (video design) have vividly evoked the life and times of political and gay activist Simon Nkoli who died of HIV/AIDS in November 1998
The opera tracks the trajectory of the clash of the personal and political in Nkoli’s remarkable life – starting from his home in Sebokeng (he was born in Soweto), we see him coming out as gay to his family and the initial push back by his mother who takes him to a sangoma to try and “cure” him. We see his growing political involvement and push back from his comrades at COSAS (Congress of South African Students), regarding his sexual identity. We see scenes from the Delmas Treason Trial. Nkoli as a member of United Democratic Front (UDF), was one of the defendants in the prolonged trial which ran from October 16, 1985 to November, 18 1988.
Post Delmas Trial (he was acquitted), we see Nkoli’s activism for gay rights. After his release in 1988, Nkoli established the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand (GLOW). He was instrumental in organising with Lesbian activist Bev Ditsie, South Africa’s first pride parade, held in Johannesburg, October 13, 1990. But it wasn’t all glowing for Nkoli. We see the dissention he had with Ditsie. Nkoli’s patriarchal stance would not acknowledge the rights of Lesbians. Ditsie broke away from GLOW. We see the heart-breaking death scenes and Nkoli being reunited with his estranged lover Roy Shepherd. They met when Nkoli was 19, through a classified ad in a pen-pal magazine.
The detail, layer and nuance is extraordinary. As outlined above, we get the full treatment of Simon Nkoli’s story. Phillip Miller has said that he wanted to pay homage to the enormous contribution of Nkoli – which has been sidelined and tends to not be known to the wider public. I was not aware of what he achieved in his life. Miller and his team have delivered a remarkable piece of theatre. Through interviews (using the cast as interviews) and archival footage from newspapers Nkoli’s story is viscerally conveyed. Video design by filmmaker, Catherine Meyburgh is astonishing. She has created filmic projections in the multi-volume Flipside. Motion graphics by Marcos Martins tempers the images with movement so it is very filmic, rather than static audio visuals. Nkoli was an ardent letter writer and his correspondence with Roy Shepherd is imaged through the projection of actual letters which are in the archive at WITS University. We see 3c stamps and flimsy aerogramme paper projectors. It is a magical scene.
The ten piece ensemble band, playing Miller’s stirring score, sit underneath a Vogueing catwalk: The “fashion runway as used in Black Queer Vogueing events. Performers walk the runway, competing in different categories, with song and dance battles. Sometimes it is playful sparring, other times it is all-out-style war”. https://markettheatre.co.za/nkoli-the-vogue-opera/ In the opera, we see the action broken down into categories, for instance the Carducci Suited Lawyers at the Delmas Trial. It is noted that the lawyers in their wigs look like drag queens. The judge is hoisted up in the air on a rig, looking down on his subjects.
Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera is epic theatre in every way. Its references are vast and include opera, rap and protest song. The voices are sensational – each protagonist is a revelation – nailing the emotional anguish inherent in this story. The interactions between Nkoli (Simbone Qonya ) and Roy (Grant Towers) is a tender homage to their love story in Apartheid South Africa. We see Roy in his flat in Hillbrow, with the Joburg skyline and the Hillbrow Tower and Nkoli in his home in Sebokeng. We see them having their first date on a rainy night at the Zoo Lake in Joburg – which was a relatively safe space during Apartheid South Africa for people to mix across the colour and sexual orientation. We see them getting to know each other in the parked car and having to mind the handbrake. It is a delightful and romantic scene, foregrounding the love story, in the midst of the Struggle and anguish.
We see Nkoli in prison, during the Delmas Trial and Roy in his flat, backlit by the Hillbrow Tower. At the end, the names of the cast creatives are announced and they each take a bow. Do not rush out of the theatre. Linger and watch as credits of the cast and creatives are projected onto screens – like a movie. I love, loved Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera and I haven’t even gone into the costumes (amazing) and dance (wow). There is so much to take in this visually and aurally rich theatre piece. Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera is fierce and fabulous history protest theatre.


✳ Philip Miller’s Nkoli the Vogue Opera, Baxter Theatre, October 9-19, 2024. Featured image by Oscar O’Ryan. Pics supplied.