The Epicene Butcher and Other Stories for Consenting Adults
The Epicene Butcher and Other Stories for Consenting Adults is a play by Gwydion Beynon and Jemma Kahn.
Contents
The original text
With a text by Gwydion Beynon and drawings by Jemma Kahn, the play uses a range of drawing and narrative styles and techniques to take the audience on a journey ranging from old Japanese folk tales to a tongue-in-cheek pornographic piece, ending with an anime rendition of Nelson Mandela's long walk to freedom. Her energy is infectious, and her assistant 'Chalk Girl' is an insolent audience favourite.
Directed by John Trengove, the piece has been performed numerous times by Jemma Kahn, with either Klara van Wyk or Dylan Esbach appearing as 'Chalk Girl'. Illustrations done by Jemma Kahn, Carlos Amato and Gwydion Beynon.
After its initial runs in South Africa, the piece has been performed more than 400 times around the world, receiving a range of awards from various festivals, including from the National Arts Festival, the Fringe Amsterdam, the Musho! Theatre Festival and so on.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
2012: Performed at the National Arts Festival in July, directed by John Trengove with Jemma Kahn.
2012: Performed in The Nunnery at the University of the Witwatersrand on 10 August, as part of that year's at the 969 Festival of works from the NAF.
2013: Performed at the Market Theatre in April, directed by John Trengove with Jemma Kahn.
2013: Performed at the Alexander Bar, Café & Theatre 31 times between Oct. 28, 2013 and Jan. 17, 2015.
2019: Performed once again at the Alexander Bar, Café & Theatre (now renamed The Courtyard Playhouse) from 27 August to 7 September.
Sources
Ruphin Coudyzer. 2023. Annotated list of his photographs of Market Theatre productions. (Provided by Coudyzer)
Report on the production by Kayla Roux & Amaal Salie, RUTV Journalism Rhodes University [1]
Moira de Swardt. 2012. Review on What I do, see, hear, eat and drink: Posted on August 12, 2012 by moirads[2]
"The Epicene Butcher at Alexander Bar", WeekendSpecial, 27 August 2019.[3]
"https://alex.lateforlunch.life/show/epicene/
"The Epicine Butcher"[4]
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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