Île

Île is a one woman play by Sophie Joans.

The original text

The title derives from the name of (the French name for Mauritius) and the play offers a coming-of-age story about 18-year-old Sophie, who visits her ancestral home: the Île de Maurice (i.e. Mauritius) in a trip to connect with her extended family (and have some fun away from her mother). However, she also uncovers the dark history and strange characters who call the island home, realising that a volcano is still waiting to erupt underneath paradise.[1]

The play won a the Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival Makhanda in June 2022.

Performance history in South Africa

2021: First performed online at on the fringe at the National Arts Festival (which was streamed virtually during the COVID period) performed by Joans and directed by Richard White).

2022: First performed live by Joans at the National Arts Festival Makhanda in June 2022, directed by Rob Van Vuuren.

2023-24: Performed at various venues, including the Theatre On The Square, Sandton, Johannesburg in 2024.

Sources

Bruce Dennill. 2024. "Theatre Review: Île – Family Takes Atoll, Or Physically Funny", pArticipate April 4, 2024 [2]

A.J. Opperman. 2024. "Dog Rose-stuk oor outisme kom Baxter toe", Die Burger, 9 May 2024.

Robyn Cohen. 2022. "Review: Sophie Joans’ Île is a spark in the dark -magical and lyrical storytelling theatre". The Cape Robyn (Posted 4 July, 2022)[3]

https://www.quicket.co.za/events/182991-le-created-by-sophie-joans/#/

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