Purgatorio at the Baxter

Image from here.

The lovely drummer and I were fortunate to crack another invite to the Baxter’s fourth Taste, Theatre and Tweet evening last Friday.

As usual (this is a La Righini curse) we arrived late and rushed towards the tables of wines (well I did at least; I was worried that they would run out before I got there).

The lovely drummer and I got to chain-meet a few tweeps before we were ushered into the theatre.

It was at the moment just before I was about to enter when I realised that I may be way too attached to my phone (read: Twitter). The usher said to me, “please remember to switch your cellphone off before the show begins.” And my response? “what?” *heart beats slightly faster*

But I managed to switch it off and boy am I glad I did. The play we were set to watch is called Purgatorio and is an intimate and semi bizarre look at forgiveness and purging.

We find the two characters involved in purgatory (a cold, calculated patient’s room, like those found in an insane asylum). They are expected to absolve one another from the sins they had committed in their previous life. The story is based on the Greek Mythological story of Jason and Medea. Medea’s jealous revenge against the betrayal of her husband Jason sees her killing both of their two sons and the new (younger) woman in Jason’s life.

Purgatorio is a look at the after effects of these tragic events. Terry Norton plays the wife/healer and David Minaar plays the husband/healer. Both performers permeated their roles poignantly. The struggle between hating and loving their spouse, the deep-set anguish that both characters carried with them from the past. And so much more.

It’s an intense production, one that grasps the gut of each audience member and thrusts them into a thoughtfulness about their own interrelationships and their own actions.

It’s a micro look at an enormous part of human emotion, freewill and inner torment. Forgiveness was never meant to be easy, especially forgiving oneself and Purgatorio stares this fact right in the face.

The show is running at the Baxter Theatre until 30 July. Check it out!

Seriously, the entire audience left that performance either stunned, silent or moved in some way or another.