A touching story about two families who are exposed to change, which explores themes of race, religion and differing backgrounds, is set to stage at the Crown Theatre in Durban North next week.
Love in a Pickle, written and directed by Jithen Premrajh, is set in the 1990s and follows the great trek of the Moodleys from Chatsworth to a new suburban life in uMhlanga… with some twists and turns, and matters of love along the way.
We caught up with Premrajh to find out more about the play.
“I have just moved back to South Africa. I am an accountant and work in business, but theatre and film, have always been my passion. However, a lot like the main plot of the story, I was also a boy who moved from Sydenham, to Chatsworth and after the Group Areas Act (under apartheid) was lifted, my parents tried to give us a better life and moved us to uMhlanga.
“I was exposed to so many new things along with a new school. Previously I went to an ‘Indian school’, then I found myself in Crawford and even my friends varied in race and lifestyle, so the play is based on a lot of things many South Africans were exposed to in our ‘new South Africa’.
“We had to not only embrace change, but I think the people who had to embrace it the most were the older generations,” he explained.
Commenting on his cast, Premrajh said he and his sister, Shiksha, went through weeks of auditioning. “But some of the actors we had worked with before, when I made a movie called The Colour of Love, when I did a year of film school after I returned from London, so I guess a bit of both (auditioning and hand-picking the cast).”
He added: “This is a family production, which deals with topics that every South African can relate to. In my opinion, it’s a play that touches on cultural issues, interracial issues, family issues, love and the main issue of being South African – all dealt with in a hilarious fashion.
“It touches on serious topics in a way that keeps the audience entertained, but still allows them to reflect on the issues.”
Among the cast is Kogie Naidoo and Maeshnie Naicker (Broken Promises fame) and Pelisha Somaruh (Miss India finalist).
“I hope the audience more than anything else enjoys the production. It is something that my partner, Chirag Patel, who has moved down from London to start a life here with me, my sister Shiksha, and I have all created as our first production together since our move back to South Africa,” said Premrajh.
• Love in a Pickle stages at Crown Theatre (at the Durban North Conference Centre, 5 North View Road, Durban North) from August 28 to September 9. Tickets are R90. Each table seats eight. Tickets can be purchased from Computicket, Shoprite/Checkers and from Durban North Conference Centre at 031 563 9176 or 084 068 0114.