Lyf

Lyf ("body" in English) is a 2000 Afrikaans one-person musical play by Hennie van Greunen, written for actor, singer, composer and cabaret artist Pedro Kruger.

Subject

Lyf takes a look at people who live with disabilities and the inability of other, non-disabled people in dealing with the issue. The lead character Alex Miller suffers from Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), also known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) [1]. The inspiration for Alex came from the playwright's personal life - his sister Karen had JRA and suffered from the swollen joints, stiffness and reduced motion of the illness.

Translations and adaptations

Translated by the playwright in 2009 into English as Normality which, after its South African run, was staged at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009 and on Broadway in 2012. At Edinburgh it became the first recipient of the Fringe Review Hidden Gem Award.

Performance history in South Africa

2000: Premiered at the KKNK, directed by Shirley Ellis, music by Pedro Kruger, with Kruger as Alex. The production was subsequently performed in South Africa more than 450 times.

The English translation, Normality, directed by Shirley Ellis, with Pedro Kruger as Alex, has been staged in South Africa by Hennie van Greunen Wordsmith's Theatre Factory many times, including at the Grahamstown Festival in 2010, in the Baxter Theatre in 2012 and 2015.