Stage: UHAMBO (The Traveling), Buhle T Stefane’s personal journey of confronting his past and finding solace in art

Buhle T Stefane’s autobiographical play, UHAMBO (The Traveling) will be on at Theatre Arts in Cape Town from August 1-3, 2024. Stefane wanted to write a play “that spoke about mental health, depression and suicide.” He says: “UHAMBO means traveling/to travel/ to move and for me this translates to a dancer, a mover. Someone that travels through emotions, states, times; only using a black stage.”  He reflects: “It’s my therapeutic experience and I hope that it heals not only me or a few but all those who set inside the experience.” UHAMBO (The Traveling) premiered at Magnet Theatre as part of THE FOUR: A SUMMER SEASON festival in February 2024. The play received critical acclaim and audience praise. Read on for more about Stefane’s journey in making this very personal piece of theatre:

UHAMBO (The Traveling)

This thought-provoking production tackles themes of mental health, depression, violence, and suicide, shedding light on the long-lasting impact of childhood trauma and absent parenting. Through a unique blend of storytelling, dance, physical theatre, object manipulation, projection, and poetic text, UHAMBO (The Traveling) shares Buhle’s personal journey of confronting his past and finding solace in art.

He invites us: “Let’s come together to break the silence surrounding mental health and support those who have been affected by trauma. Share your own story or offer support to others using the hashtag #UHAMBOTheTraveling. Together, we can create a wave of change and foster a more compassionate society.”

By sharing his story, Buhle aims to spark crucial conversations about mental health, break down stigmas surrounding mental illness, and inspire others to seek help and support. UHAMBO (The Traveling) is a testament to the transformative power of art and a reminder that healing and growth are possible, even in the face of adversity.

Process

As the process went on I ended up writing about me, my personal life journey- about what makes or made this performer I am today and the dealing of nightmares. I speak in the play about the relationship I have with my father, my mother’s family and my mother and twin. I speak how some of these relationships were absent and remains absent, how others where present but violent, and how some worked and still working.

I took last year’s December [2023] to go back home to investigate this matter further and when I came back most of the things changed in me and in the piece as well. I write this piece also from a place of healing and solace.

Childhood

I was born in King Williams Town, Eastern Cape. I spent most of my childhood life with my mother’s family, denied by my father and my mother. Before me and my twin moved in with my mother’s family, we stayed with mother moving from place to place finding a temporary home until she sent us to live with her family. Most of the experiences I talk about in the play happened during that period – when we lived with my mother’s family.

One of the things that happened – my twin was sent to live in Cape Town. That also contributed a lot of disconnect between me and her – until today.

In search of a home- “my body”

Home for quite a long time was were my blood related people reside – together with their differences. Over time, home was just a structure that kept pushing me away and further away. I have been in search of a home that would accept me – for me to feel that I belong there. As I grew and up I am realised that for me home is my body. It’s the ability to dance. This dance I share with everyone and it brings me to a place of peace- accepted and belonging. One of the huge mistakes I made was when my home structure broke physically. I put my feelings of home in people but  over time they left.  I realise that dancing has and will always be my home. Home is not a physical space but an emotional space and holder, for me.

From the Eastern Cape to finding a home in Cape Town

The time period of UHAMBO tracks from 2008- the year I started dancing until 2018- the year I decided to move to Cape Town. In the Eastern Cape I danced for a local organisation Arts of Modeller’s dance Company founded by Mpumelelo Stefane. I moved to Cape Town in 2018 December. Then I came part of the Jazzart and Chrysalis dance and leadership program in 2019 and spent my evenings volunteering at KASI RC and Ndalwentle arts organisation in Khayelitsha. In 2020 I was part of the Magnet Theatre training programme cohort. That two and a half years programme led me to Magnet Theatre internship (one year). From there I was with Magnet Theatre Youth Company (8 months) and now I am with theNew Magnet Theatre Youth Company. In the evenings, I am working with Ikrele LeJoy an organisation in Khayelitsha. UHAMBO is my second one hander show following Ithuna (The grave) with themes around mental health, GBV, Femicide, toxic masculinity. My choreographic credits includes House of truth Directed by Siphenathi Siqwayi, and Magnet theatre’s INtransit productions directed by Siphenathi Siqwayi, Molupi Lipedi and Azola Mkhabile.

UHAMBO means traveling/to travel/ to move

UHAMBO means traveling/to travel/ to move and for me this translates to a dancer, a mover. Someone that travels through emotions, states, times; only using a black stage. Also what comes to mind is the traveling of thoughts. Thought being what carries an emotion, what makes a reality and thought as a memory. UHAMBO is me traveling inside my mind as with my thoughts, me traveling in memories, me physically traveling from home to home and from home, and me traveling on stage.

And at first I didn’t want to believe that this play was and still is healing me because it really broke me. It really took me to places where I felt the light absent. I pretended to find happiness in it but all the power to be happy was gone. It broke me and repaired me. It’s my therapeutic experience and I hope that it heals not only me or a few but all those who set inside the experience. Performing it at Magnet made me realise that I am not alone in this world, not alone in UHAMBO and that this was and is worth traveling to.