Suip!

A 1993 musical drama by Heinrich Reisenhofer and Oscar Peterson.

Published in 2+2 plays by comPress, c. 2000.

Subject

A tragi-comic and multilingual look at the lives of a group of Capetonian “bergies” (street people who sleep in the "berg" (Table Mountain)). As one character puts it: "...loitering, stinking and drinking is our only crime".

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

A hugely successful play, it was first performed in the *** at the University of Cape Town Drama Department, then in The Studio at the Baxter Theatre in 1998 by Djamaqua Productions, directed by Heinrich Reisenhofer and featuring Ivan Abrahams, Oscar Peterson, ***, ***, Celeste Matthews, ***. Won Fleur du Cap Awards for Best New Indigenous Script and Best Supporting Actress (for Celeste Matthews) in 1999.

Staged at the Grahamstown Festival 1999, directed and choreographed by Heinrich Reisenhofer, with Mary Daniels, Ivan Abrahams, Celeste Matthews, Shaun Arnolds and Nicol Sheraton. Percussion by Nkululeko Mzawakhe Hlatshwayo. The same production was performed in the Studio at the Baxter Theatre in July/August 1999 and at the Opera House in Port Elizabeth in June 2000.

Staged at the State Theatre in November 2001, directed and choreographed by Heinrich Reisenhofer, with Mary Daniels, Ivan Abrahams, Silvia Esua, Shaun Arnolds and Nicol Sheraton. Percussion by Nkululeko Mzawakhe Hlatshwayo.

From there it travelled widely in South Africa and abroad. One of the plays to open the Celebrate South Africa Festival in London in April 2001. Also played at the Perth International Arts Festival 2001.

Restaged in 2007 by Heinrich Reisenhofer with Mary Daniels, Ivan Abrahams, Ilse Oppelt, Shaun Arnolds, Travis Snyders and Wonder Made (Music).