‘Every Woman’ screening revives theatrical nostalgia

Nothing says theatre nostalgia like watching a screening of a play that premiered five years ago.

On a cool Saturday night at The Village Opera House, a modest audience arrives to see a taping of Senga Brockerhoff’s ‘Every Woman’.

The all-women show premiered at the National Theatre of Namibia’s Backstage in 2019. Though watching theatre on a screen seems beside the point of the medium’s immediacy, rawness and high stakes, these are the post-pandemic times we live in.

Local theatre is scarce when in production at all and the funding available in the sector is largely and seriously concerned with social and historical issues, if not earmarked for annual festivals.

‘Every Woman’ – Brockerhoff’s feisty, funny and feminist ‘cheat musical’– is nothing of the sort.

Instead, the actress, writer and director has coaxed the uproarious Jennifer Timbo, Mikiros Garoes, Livinge Dennis, JD Januarie, Chantell /Uiras (Diolini), Lavinia Kapewasha and Lize Ehlers onto a set designed by Lila Swanepoel to truly tell it like it is.

Mining the bittersweet, comedic gold of womanhood, marriage, mothering, sisterhood and more, ‘Every Woman’ transforms a young hopeful’s bachelorette party into a site of wisecracking, confession, resentment and reconciliation set to the tunes of Gloria Gaynor and Chaka Khan.

Five years later and through a screen, the whole thing holds up. Brockerhoff’s writing is barbed and bawdy but it’s also balm to the women who may see themselves reflected. Staged in celebration of ‘Women’s Month’, the production left the audience hungry for the real deal and missing the pre-pandemic local theatre heyday all the more.

“Pegasus Entertainment Productions also turns 10 this year, so what better way to kick-off a nostalgia tour than with one of my proudest works,” says Brockerhoff whose production company regularly produces local film and theatre.

Judging from the enthusiastic response and considering whether ‘Every Woman’ still has legs, Brockerhoff is happy to see that it does.

“It’s hard for me to revisit some of my work and not agonise about what I could or should have done better or differently. But I think ‘Every Woman’ still works. Even five years down the line, its themes still ring true,” says Brockerhoff.

“It’s a musical but I think we touched on a number of interesting and important subjects. The intention was to offer ideas through the different characters and let everybody think and feel about them how they like, while laughing and singing along.”

Despite the moderate turnout, Brockerhoff was pleased to note that the audience was made of a diverse group of women who stayed to engage, exchange ideas and share contacts after the screening.

“It reminded me why I love theatre,” says Brockerhoff. “It also reminded me that the reason theatre is not thriving is not just an industry, funding or venue issue. It’s always been an audience issue too,” Brockerhoff says.

“I just don’t know if we still have audiences for theatre. Yes, there are the stalwarts and we are grateful. But it might not be enough, especially in these Netflix and online convenience times.”

To keep the live theatre dream alive, Brockerhoff is currently seeking support to re-stage ‘Little Sparrow’, her Edith Piaf tribute starring Lize Ehlers, working on an upcoming one-hander and hinting at an all-women show in 2025.

Though Brockerhoff believes that screening or streaming theatre may move the needle on its local revival, there is one fact that remains.

“You simply can’t beat the real thing,” she says. “Live theatre!”

– martha@namibian.com.na ; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com