Stellenbosch University: Vloeibare Moed production tackles men’s role in combatting GBV
Vloeibare Moed (also known as Fluid Courage), a theatre production inspired by the events that led to the gruesome murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana, will be presented at the Academia Hall on Sunday, 18 September and Monday, 19 September 2022 at 14:00 and 18:00. Tickets are available for all students and staff of Stellenbosch University (SU) on Quicket.
The play’s script, which was written by Enrico Hartzenberg of Hartzenberg Films, “focuses on men’s role in combatting gender-based violence” (GBV) and tells the story of how the lives of four first-year university friends – Sherwyn, Randall, Dillon and Dean – are thrown into turmoil after one of them becomes the main suspect in a GBV crime committed on the university campus.
Hartzenberg was mentored by SAFTA-award-winning scriptwriter, Abduragman Adams, as he wrote the second draft of his script while acclaimed director, Iman Isaacs, is responsible for directing the production.
The four friends are played by Lyle October, Gershwin Mias, Marunzo Thomas, and Jaydon Williams. October, who will be making his debut appearance, plays Sherwyn; an intelligent, introverted and curious 18-year old. Mias has been featured in productions such Noem my Skollie, Trackers and Arendslvei while Nama Swaan plays the character of Dean, the party animal of the group.
Dillon is played by Thomas, who has been seen in productions such as Sara se Geheim, Troukoors, Projek Dina and Arendsvlei, while Randall is played by Williams, who has also been seen on Arendsvlei as well as The Kingdom.
“This group of young, talented actors could not be more perfect to star in this diverse and exciting cast.”
Noël Bekkers, SLS Cluster ResEd Coordinator and Residence Head at House MacDonald at SU, is responsible for bringing the production to the university along with three other staff members within the Division for Student Affairs and the Centre for Student Communities, which includes Yeki Mosomothane, Monica du Toit, and Joy Petersen. According to Bekkers, Vloeibare Moed (also called Fluid Courage), also celebrates the different cultural heritages in South Africa in the same month that citizens will be commemorating Heritage Day on 24 September.
“While most of the dialogue is in Afrikaaps, one of the many Afrikaans dialects that are spoken in South Africa and gaining increasing recognition in the Western Cape, and some English, the play is also meant to encourage multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism in its broadest sense and presented through a different lens.”
Added Hartzenberg: “With the frightening statistics of gender-based violence in South Africa, this conversation needs to continue and our production is a way of doing exactly that. This is a story we need to tell and the message behind it is an urgent and relevant one.”