I’m not even sure why I liked it so much. But OWL, written and directed by Jon Keevy, with Briony Horwitz is a strange, slightly addictive and creepily ‘growing on you’ piece of theatre.
A skinny wide eyed girl appears from the back of a small, falling-to-pieces couch. And she starts telling the story of herself, the girl Olivia, from when she was 10 and she moved with her dad to a small town in the Overberg. The story follows the meeting of and friendship with Kay, the strange, blonde girl next door. Did the falling-to-pieces couch just move?
Beautifully observed writing makes this piece totally delicious. I usually hate grown-up actors pretending to be children, but here, Briony is strong, and unusual, and has an innocent integrity that manages to pull it off.
The simple, swiveling couch is the only set and prop. The lights and sound are effective and unobtrusive. Same goes for Fiona du Plooy’s choreography. Thing is, none of that even matters, because OWL is a great story. And I love a good story.
On nightly at The Intimate. GO.
Keevy
Thank you so much for your words and attending last night. Booking details can be found at http://jonkeevy.com/2012/02/06/346/
Simon Cooper
I saw “OWL” on Tuesday night at the preview because I couldn’t make it for the actual opening and I have been thinking about it for the past 36 hours or so and Megan is right, it grows on you. Don’t get me wrong I liked it at once but the nuances come worming their way out of your conciousness as time goes by.
For me the strongest characterisation [by all of the writer, the director and the actor] was K or Kay [as the case may be] – she was instantly recognisable at both her younger and teen age and is someone we’ve met. Briony does a really good job of both girls and both ages. Megan has said the rest and she is right – hats off to Jon and Fiona.
This play is going to be at the Cape Town Edge for the National Arts festival, a venue at which a play that I am involved in will also be, and I am looking forward to seeing it again and seeing how it goes. I think it will fly.