The Ugly Noonoo

The Ugly Noonoo comic satire written by Andrew Buckland (1954-)

Also found as The Investigation of an Ugly Noo Noo, The Ugly Noo Noo and The Ugly Noo Noo: A Trilogy.

The original text

A one-person (mime) play about a "Parktown Prawn" (i.e. a species of king cricket endemic to Southern Africa)[1], used as a metaphor for an exploration of humanity's fear and how that fear compounds itself by robbing us of our ability to communicate.

First performed as The Investigation of an Ugly Noo Noo at The Warehouse in 1988, though it was later simply billed as The Ugly Noo Noo.

Published by AD Donker in More Market Plays (edited by John Kani, 1994)

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1988: First performed Upstairs at the Market (as The Investigation of an Ugly Noo Noo) on 16 August 1988, directed by Janet Buckland and performed by Andrew Buckland. Winner Fleur du Cap Award for Best New Indigenous Script in 1989.

1989: Performed by Buckland at the Baxter Studio on 1 March 1989.

1991: Repeated by Buckland at the Market Theatre

2010: Performed by Andrew Buckland at the Market Theatre

2022: A new production, directed by Peter Mitchell and performed by Mpilo Nzimande, played at the Hilton Arts Festival in the Drama Centre on 23-25 September.