Loyiso MacDonald and Michelle Douglas act in Dusk, a play that tackles issues of mental health, abuse, racism, land reclaim, violence and the power of forgiveness. Picture: Suzy Bernstein.
Johannesburg - When Loyiso MacDonald announced his departure from Mzansi Magic’s The Queen to pursue “other endeavours”, little did he realise that the move would lead him back to his first love, theatre.
Eight years after setting foot on the theatre stage, MacDonald is set to star as Kgotso in the brand-new production Dusk. He shares the stage with veteran actress Michelle Douglas, who plays the character of Tessa.
Directed by the award-winning Palesa Mazamisa, Dusk is a mysterious story of murder and memory set on a farm in rural Limpopo.
This production by Mark Scheepers tackles issues of mental health, abuse, racism, land reclaim, violence and, ultimately, the power of forgiveness.
“The play tackles some of the burning issues in our country … like mental issues, specifically as a result of trauma. I think there’s so much trauma in this country,” Douglas said.
“But the show isn’t difficult to watch … it’s like watching a good story that you’re removed from and, at the end, hopefully, the possibility of saying, ‘Maybe, there can be healing, maybe we can move on.’ That’s an hour of escapism.”
MacDonald added: “It’s really (a story) about love. The love between family members, love between siblings and parents. And seeing how, those things can be tainted by trauma.
Douglas said her character used prescription drugs to cope with loss. She hoped that the character would inspire conversation around “the abuse of prescription medication”.
“What really matters at the end of the day is our humanity. It doesn't matter what colour, race, gender, sexuality, language … at the core of each of us is our humanity. And that’s the point where we can reach out to each other.”
MacDonald said that transitioning to the theatre space nearly a decade later wasn’t such a big challenge.
“Theatre is the space that really formed me as an actor because I started in theatre. So, it always holds a special place in my heart, and to be working on such a unique piece, is really an honour,” he said.
“This is a South African story. I don’t think there's anything that would feel alien to South African. I think any South African would understand exactly the situation that Tessa and Kgotso find themselves in. I’d like people to be able to walk away from the show with a little bit more empathy for the world around them, because we're all dealing with so much, and especially now, with Covid.
“It ties back to that age-old saying, ‘No man is an island’; and, really, I think that captures the essence of this show,” MacDonald said.
Dusk premières at the Market Theatre tomorrow and runs until August 29.
The Star