What: The Sun is a Star and We Know What It’s Made Of
When: January 14-19, 2025
Where: Theatre Arts, Methodist Church Hall, Corner of Milton Road and Wesley Street, Observatory, Cape Town
Tickets: R180 (standard); R150 (block bookings, pensioners, and students)
Bookings: www.theatrearts.co.za
Written, directed and composed by: Francesco Nassimbeni
Performers: Andi Colombo, Aviwe Clyde Nose, Klara Robertson, Cassandra Mapanda and Dean Goldblum
Accompanied on piano by: Roland du Preez

The Sun is a Star and We Know What It’s Made Of, written and directed by Francesco Nassimbeni is on at Theatre Arts in Observatory until January 19, 2025. It is the first production of the year at Theatre Arts and a wonderful way to become immersed in theatre again, after the festive season offerings of light entertaining fare. That is not say that The Sun is a Star is not entertaining. It is funny, wry and entertaining but it is also deeply layered with images and ideas which resonate vividly as we seek emotional and physical connections in this disjointed and fragmented world of ours

Nassimbeni says, “I wanted to reflect on how the hyper-connected virtual experience seems to impinge on our abilities to connect as a species. The tyranny of WhatsApp, our culture of distraction, and the distortion of our world through technology… and yet, at times, I’m entertained by memes and random wormholes. These two polarities are evident in the work.” The call-out to being affirmed comes across vividly, with the elegiac refrain of the protagonists: “Hear me. See me.” We are all battling with that as we orbit around each other and our stars and we don’t know what they are made of.

There is a sense of the protagonists being flummoxed as to their place and space in this world and the copious amount of ‘stuff’ in the world. The accomplished cast of Andi Colombo, Klara Robertson, Cassandra Mapanda, Aviwe Clyde Nose and Dean Goldblum work well as an ensemble, riffing off others’ wishes, dreams and musings, with Nassimbeni’s finely textured script ringing out. Exquisite crafting of props and theatre craft (see the paper light shades which become orbiting suns, pic on this page). The props shape shift – becoming creatures, memes, nests, places of refuge, hiding holes, play areas.

The props – ignited by the performers – pings for me in reaction to Dali’s painting The Persistence of Memory (1931 aka the clock painting), with everything at boiling point, melting and coalescing. Identity is subsumed in the displacement by time and memory. 

The Sun is a Star and We Know What It’s Made Of toggles between vignettes which flicker between reality and abstraction and the poetic. Narrative is enhanced in vignettes of the Yoga Studio and Casting Studio.  I loved the Casting Studio, with Andi Colombo as the quivering terrified person auditioning, in front of a gaggle of cruel creatives who make her jump to attention and come up with creative responses to their prompts. Watching the faces of each of the performers is hilarious, sad and tragic as we watch them in their onslaught and her anguished attempts to connect within the disconnect of the situation/ Colombo is a revelation in this scene and in the entire play. I did not know that she has such a delicate and emotive voice.

The voice work of the cast is beautiful, offset by the stirring musical score (music and lyrics by Nassimbeni). The cast is accompanied by the Ronald du Preez on piano (keyboards).  In a sense, this piece comes across for me as a song-cycle which I think could be taken further. I would have liked more song and narrative to link the vignettes.

The Sun is a Star and We Know What It’s Made Of is a lyrical and contemplative piece of theatre, with a lot to process in one viewing. it is offbeat, intense, lyrical and intimate. I congratulate Nassimbeni on this new work (writing, directing and composing the music).

Exquisite crafting of props and theatre craft in The Sun is a Star and We Know What It’s Made Of, written and directed by Francesco Nassimbeni, Theatre Arts, Cape Town, January 14-19, 2025.

✳ The Sun is a Star and We Know What It’s Made Of, written and directed by Francesco Nassimbeni, Theatre Arts, Cape Town, January 14-19, 2025. Image supplied.