Faustus in Africa!: Brilliance at the Baxter
By Jess Kelly
Faustus in Africa! is on at the Baxter Flipside Theatre. This spectacular play is a culmination of everything postmodern theatre has to offer. William Kentridge, an esteemed South African artist, and the Handspring Puppet Company, a world-renowned South African puppetry and performance company, join forces to bring to the Baxter stage a thought-provoking and flawlessly executed performance. This truly unique production was revamped from when it was first performed at the National Arts Festival in 1995.
The narrative follows Faustus, a character sampled from a German text written by Johann Goethe in the 1700s, as he signs a contract with the devil, Mephisto, in blood. In doing so, he is granted access to all of Africa to treat as he pleases... for the small fee of his soul. The show's message exists on two related plains: Faustus’s personal story of the reckless pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification, and the overarching narrative about the violent “exploration” and colonisation of Africa.
The depiction of the devil and his junior (a deceptively adorable puppet hyena) as charming and loveable is no mistake. The show highlights the devilish allure of power and pleasure and observes the lengths people will go to chase them—an enduring and universal theme in history and our world today. The disconnection from God in the show is also no mistake and makes an interesting comment on the nature of colonialism, reflecting how the conquest of Africa was driven by greed and selfish desires, completely disconnected from any godly aspirations.
Or not. It's postmodern, so it's largely up to the audience to make sense of it as they choose.
The production itself is a feat of theatre. The seamless integration of multimedia styles including Kentridge’s projected charcoal sketches and animations, music, puppets, actors, and more, is flawless. The smoothness of everything, from the careful timing of the action on stage in relation to the animations and sound effects, to the mastery of the puppetry is, absolute artistry. Handspring Puppet Company are true masters of their craft.
Faustus in Africa! is more than a play—it’s an experience. You will be tossed between humour and horror, criticism and compassion, disillusionment and determination. And you will love every delectable minute of it.
Watch Faustus in Africa! at the Baxter Flipside Theatre until Saturday 22 March. Purchase tickets through Webtickets.