“All humans share a desire to express emotions and love, as well as a need and appetite for power and authority. All of these have been apparent in a distinctive feature of human history: war. And also, in everyman’s daily life. The act in which we show our deepest feelings and needs, the act in which many people enjoy, but some also suffer, is sex. These parallels suggest that sex can help to uncover the reasons for war…”
Chuma Sopotela, Ahmed Tobasi
From Palestine with Love to South Africa
With whom do we have sex, and why? What are our preferences and fantasies? What happens when we confide our deepest thoughts and desires to our permanent partner, to a temporary lover, or a total stranger? Why not enhance our relations through sex, so that everyone would feel strengthen and no-one weak? What makes sex amusing again?
These and similar questions are being asked in this performance to investigate the ways and modes in which religious and cultural milieux delineate our experience of sex and, on the other hand, the ways in which sex can influence our culture and religious beliefs.
Chuma Sopotela is an actress, dancer, puppeteer, performing artist, activist and educator. She obtained her Performer’s Diploma at the University of Cape Town, majoring in acting, movement and voice. She received the Fleur du cap Best Actress Award and the Naledi Best Newcomer Award for the lead role in Lara Foot’s Karoo Moose; and a Spier Contemporary award for Unyawo aluna mpumlo, created in collaboration with Mwenya Kabwe and Kemang Wa-lehurele. Recent works include Neo Muyanga’s The Flower of Shembe, Lig by Jaco Bouwer, Exhibit A by Brett Bailey, Waiting for the Barbarians by Alexandre Marine, and Being by Owen Manamela and Kabi Thulo. One of her career highlights was performing for Nelson Mandela, at his home eQunu for his 90th birthday.
Ahmed Tobasi is an actor, director and educator with experiences obtained while working in both domestic Palestinian and international theatres. Born in the Jenin refugee camp, he grew up under Israeli occupation, until in 2002 - at the age of sixteen - he joined the armed resistance. He was arrested and spent four years in Israeli prison. Upon his release he decided to continue resistance through culture, embracing the idea that he could become an agent of change using the medium of theatre. After two years of training at The Freedom Theatre, Tobasi undertook further education in Norway at the Nordic Black Theatre. He joined their professional company and performed in productions including Guantanamo What Now?, Destination Africa, Journey to Identity and Svart Humor. He also directed his own work, most notably Fairoz’s Secret that toured around Norway. In 2013 he returned to the Jenin refugee camp to contribute to the local artistic movement which focused on culture as a form of resistance. He recently performed in The Siege which toured Palestine and leading theatres across Britain, and started to develop his own work. See also Blood/Brothers.