Over the Edge (Zimbabwe)
Encyclopedia
Over the Edge is a Zimbabwean multi-racial Theatrical company. It is one of Zimbabwe's most prolific and successful independent theatre companies. They have won both local and international acclaim, as well as numerous awards.
They are best known for the imaginative re-inventions of Shakespeare and their original African works. They have had a long relationship with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and have close links to Reps Theatre
.
. The members had been friends for years, many having been in Repteens, and decided to put on a production. The group was praised for its talent and enthusiasm but it was especially noted for its racial diversity. Although racial diversity had been standard practise in Zimbabwe Theatres and Theatrical companies since the 1960s, the majority of performers were inevitably white. Over the Edge, on the other hand, had more or less equal ratios of black, white and "coloured" members.
The Group was quickly raising eyebrows, not only for its ethnic make-up, but also for its extreme, "off-the-wall" comedy performances. The group quickly gained recognition and was soon playing to packed houses at the Reps Theatre
and the 7 Arts Theatre.
Over the next few years, the group performed numerous "reimaginations" of Shakespeare, Arthur Miller
and Joe Orten. These adaptations were often set in Zimbabwe
(or in an imagined Southern Africa
n country, similar to Zimbabwe) and had many satirical
references to Zimbabwe's political scene. The group also performed numerous original comic political satires, with the group's trademark extremism.
, run by the London newspaper The Stage
. The group went on to tour the USA in March 2001, playing at the American Repertory Theater in Boston
and many other venues. The productions of Twelfth Night and Eternal Peace Asylum were well received by the American audiences.
In October 2000, three members of the group performed at the Amsterdam International Improvisation Festival. Their improvised production of Long Form gained an instant standing ovation
.
The show has many characters, each actor playing multiple parts, but it centres around the lives of three people living in Zimbabwe: a white lawyer
, a coloured youth and a black servant. The production used minimal set and costume, with the donning of a single item of clothing being enough to change character. The three cast members all wore black face paint, in order to bring the characters to the same level.
The show's main strength was its portrayal of ordinary people in Zimbabwe, a view that is rarely seen in other countries. The show also portrayed lesser well known issues, such as black on black violence, mixed-race relationships and colonial hangovers. The show's central focus, on the other hand, was what it actually meant to "Be African". The show ends with the characters thinking of leaving Zimbabwe, but realising that they were "born African" and deciding to stay.
The play was first shown at the Harare Internation Festival of the Arts (HIFA), before it was reworked and shown at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
. It was critically acclaimed and the cast were nominated for "Best Ensemble" in The Stage Awards.
They are best known for the imaginative re-inventions of Shakespeare and their original African works. They have had a long relationship with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and have close links to Reps Theatre
Reps Theatre
Reps Theatre is a multi-racial Zimbabwe theatre and theatrical company based in the capital city of Harare. It is one of Zimbabwe's oldest amateur theatrical companies...
.
Early history
Over the Edge first performed on November 1994 at the Avondale Summer Arts Festival in HarareHarare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
. The members had been friends for years, many having been in Repteens, and decided to put on a production. The group was praised for its talent and enthusiasm but it was especially noted for its racial diversity. Although racial diversity had been standard practise in Zimbabwe Theatres and Theatrical companies since the 1960s, the majority of performers were inevitably white. Over the Edge, on the other hand, had more or less equal ratios of black, white and "coloured" members.
The Group was quickly raising eyebrows, not only for its ethnic make-up, but also for its extreme, "off-the-wall" comedy performances. The group quickly gained recognition and was soon playing to packed houses at the Reps Theatre
Reps Theatre
Reps Theatre is a multi-racial Zimbabwe theatre and theatrical company based in the capital city of Harare. It is one of Zimbabwe's oldest amateur theatrical companies...
and the 7 Arts Theatre.
Over the next few years, the group performed numerous "reimaginations" of Shakespeare, Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
and Joe Orten. These adaptations were often set in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(or in an imagined Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
n country, similar to Zimbabwe) and had many satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
references to Zimbabwe's political scene. The group also performed numerous original comic political satires, with the group's trademark extremism.
Overseas Productions
The group won international acclaim when its productions of Twelfth Night and Eternal Peace Asylum were performed at the 2000 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The group got standing ovations, glowing reviews and packed houses. The group won the "Spirit of The Fringe" award for Twelfth Night and Wiina Msamati was nominated for "Best Actor" in the Stage Awards for Acting ExcellenceStage Awards for Acting Excellence
The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence are a set of Scottish theatre awards which were established in 1995 to recognise outstanding theatre performances by individuals and companies on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Organised by theatrical newspaper The Stage, the initial award categories of Best...
, run by the London newspaper The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
. The group went on to tour the USA in March 2001, playing at the American Repertory Theater in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and many other venues. The productions of Twelfth Night and Eternal Peace Asylum were well received by the American audiences.
In October 2000, three members of the group performed at the Amsterdam International Improvisation Festival. Their improvised production of Long Form gained an instant standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
.
Born African
Born African is, undeniably, Over the Edge's most successful production to date. Written by Kevin Hanssen, Wiina (Lucian) Msamati and Craig Peter, with additional material by Adam Neill. It was directed by Zane E. Lucas.The show has many characters, each actor playing multiple parts, but it centres around the lives of three people living in Zimbabwe: a white lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, a coloured youth and a black servant. The production used minimal set and costume, with the donning of a single item of clothing being enough to change character. The three cast members all wore black face paint, in order to bring the characters to the same level.
The show's main strength was its portrayal of ordinary people in Zimbabwe, a view that is rarely seen in other countries. The show also portrayed lesser well known issues, such as black on black violence, mixed-race relationships and colonial hangovers. The show's central focus, on the other hand, was what it actually meant to "Be African". The show ends with the characters thinking of leaving Zimbabwe, but realising that they were "born African" and deciding to stay.
The play was first shown at the Harare Internation Festival of the Arts (HIFA), before it was reworked and shown at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 54th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe ran from 5–27 August 2001 and presented 1462 shows over 176 venues.-Scotsman Fringe First Awards:Week One:*Gagarin Way*Runt*Like Thunder*Bedbound...
. It was critically acclaimed and the cast were nominated for "Best Ensemble" in The Stage Awards.
Today
Over the Edge last produced a play in 2004, this being a reunion of the group. Today the group's members are spread far and wide. Notable among these are Lucian Msamati (also known as Wiina) who has been following a successful career in the UK, Sarah Norman has also done well in the UK, recently assistant directing at The Globe Theatre in London. Craig Peter and Zane E. Lucas went onto create a theatre development group called Theory X in Zimbabwe. Gavin Peter continues to teach, his passion, and is the Chairman of the Allied Arts Festival in Zimbabwe, a large performing arts festival for school students. Adam Neill continues with an acting career in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kevin Hanssen continues to live and work as an actor, director and teacher in Zimbabwe. He recently published a book on theatre production called 'Jump Theatre - How to make a play' (www.jumptheatre.com). Karin Alexander lives and works in Johannesburg and Chipo Chung continues to pursue a successful career as an actor and director in the UK and America.Members
Gavin Peter : Wiina Lucian Msamati : Zane E. Lucas : Craig Peter : Kevin Hanssen : Karin Alexander : Adam Neil : Sarah Norman : Chipo ChungChipo Chung
Chipo Chung is a Tanzanian-born actress raised in Zimbabwe. She currently lives in London.-Background:Chipo Chung was born as a refugee in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She is half-Zimbabwean and half-Chinese. She spent her first two years in refugee camps in Mozambique with thousands of young people...
Plays
- Shakespeare’s MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(1995) - The CrucibleThe CrucibleThe Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
by Arthur MillerArthur MillerArthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
(1996) - Molière’s Learned Ladies (1997)
- The Complete works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by the Reduced Shakespeare CompanyReduced Shakespeare CompanyThe Reduced Shakespeare Company is an American acting troupe that writes and performs unsubtle, fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics.- Overview :...
(1997) - An adapted version of the American play Sheer MadnessSheer MadnessSheer Madness is a 1983 German drama film directed by Margarethe von Trotta. It was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Hanna Schygulla as Olga* Angela Winkler as Ruth* Peter Striebeck as Franz* Christine Fersen as Erika...
(1999) - Three original plays, Completely Over the Edge (1998), Anti-Panto (1998) and Anti-Panto 0.5 (1999)
- Eternal Peace Asylum, an original play by Wiina Msamati (1999–2000)
- LootLoot (play)Loot is a two-act play by the English playwright Joe Orton. The play is a dark farce that satirises the Roman Catholic Church, social attitudes to death, and the integrity of the police force....
by Joe OrtonJoe OrtonJohn Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
(2000) - Improvisation and theatre games
- TV pilots: Over the Edge (1996) and Ah, foetsak! (2000)
- Born African written by Craig Peter, Wiina Msamati, Kevin Hanssen and Zane E. Lucas (2001–2002)
- Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (2000,2001)
- The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
by William Shakespeare (2002)