Much has been said about writer-director Yael Farber’s Mies Julie since its debut in 2012. Raw and gripping, this acclaimed adaptation of August Strindberg’s play lays bare the visceral struggles of contemporary South Africa, absorbing audiences into its battle of power, sexuality, family, and land.
The calm before the storm
The setting is simple: a kitchen of a remote farmhouse in the semi-desert region of Karoo, South Africa. Offstage, the haunting voice of Tandiwe “Nofirst” Lungisa accompanied by a traditional South African instrument comes on. Lungisa acts as the ever-present Xhosa ancestor (who never speaks and only observes) – a constant reminder of African heritage and culture for John (Bongile Mantsai), the black servant boy who obsessively shines his master’s shoes throughout the play. The relative calm of the kitchen is shattered when Miss Julie (Hilda Cronje), the young, wilful daughter of his white master, enters and engages in a battle of wit and will with John.
The confrontation
John and Julie’s rapid-fire dialogue reflects the turbulent sentiments of post-Apartheid South Africa, but it is the restless energy exhibited by the characters onstage that gives us a clearer glimpse of long-held tensions on the brink of bubbling over. From Julie’s hand tentatively reaching out to stroke John’s shoulder, to the mesmerising, writhing spectacle of two barely-clothed bodies on the wooden kitchen table, John and Julie shed their inhibitions in one swift move, as we cast our eyes squarely on the disparity of class and race on Freedom Day.
The climax
Blood is spilled – in more ways than one – throughout Mies Julie. John goes on angry rants at the white men who stole the land, which rightfully belonged to his bloodline. Christine (John’s mother, played by Zoleka Helesi) returns with a pail of blood, a result of the abortion Julie’s dog undergoes after being impregnated by a mongrel. All this foreshadows the terrible conclusion of John and Julie’s illicit union, when Julie decides to erase all traces of their carnal encounter with devastating results.
In a nutshell
Highly eroticised and emotionally charged, Mies Julie (rated R18) is a laudable attempt at reflecting a country’s grappling with a crisis of identity and ownership. Bongile Mantsai and Hilda Cronje are extraordinarily gifted actors, and a stellar cast ensures that Farber’s remake of Strindberg’s play makes an immense impact on audiences.
Mies Julie is now showing at DBS Arts Centre – Home of Singapore Repertory Theatre, and will run till Saturday, 13 September 2014. Book tickets ($50-$80) on SISTIC here.