Mooi Street and Other Moves

Paul Slabolepszy

Description

This collection of six plays by one of South Africa’s leading playwrights/actors features works written between 1984 and 1993. Slabolepszy, who has won many awards in South Africa and abroad both for his plays and his performances in them, is a master of dialogue, capturing the essence of the personality and speech patterns of his protagonists in language that is often dramatic, frequently funny, sometimes tragic and always entertaining. The works included are Under the Oaks, Over the Hill, Boo to the Moon, Smallholding, Mooi Street Moves and The Return of Elvis du Pisanie. Elvis won Slabolespzy the 1992/93 IGI Life Vita Award for Play of the Year and, together with Mooi Street Moves, gained him the Vita Playwright of the Year award. This collection is introduced by Robert Greig, a well-known theatre critic, and by Bobby Heaney who has been involved in the evolution of several of Slabolepszy’s plays.
Glossary

Introduction - Robert Greig

Bringing Page to Stage – Bobby Heaney

Under the Oaks

Over the Hill

Boo to the Moon

Smallholding

Mooi Street Moves

The Return of Elvis du Pisanie

Sujets

• Littérature Africaine
• Littérature Africaine
• General officer
• General

Informations

• Publié par: WITS University Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776146413
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Mooi Street and Other Moves
Mooi Street and Other Moves
PAUL SLABOLEPSZY
Wits University Press
1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg
2001
www.witspress.co.za
Copyright © Paul Slabolepszy 2017
Foreword © Robert Greig 1994
Bringing Page to Stage © Bobby Heaney 1994
Published edition © Wits University Press 2017
Cover image © Ruphin Coudyzer
Images from Under the Oaks , Over the Hill , Smallholding ,
Mooi Street Moves and The Return of Elvis du Pisanie © Ruphin Coudyzer
Image from Boo to the Moon © Bob Martin
Image of author © Carol Slabolepszy
First published in 1994
Reprinted 2015
Second edition 2017
978-1-77614-159-3 (Print)
978-1-77614-160-9 (PDF)
978-1-77614-641-3 (EPUB)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act, Act 98 of 1978.
All images remain the property of the copyright holders. Every effort has been made to locate the original copyright holders of the images reproduced here; please contact Wits University Press at the above address in case of any omissions or errors.
Application to perform this work in public and to obtain a copy of the play should be made to: Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO), P O Box 31627, Braamfontein, 2017. No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained.
London representative: Patricia Macnaughton, MLR Ltd, 200 Fulham Road, London SW109PN.
Project managed by Hazel Cuthbertson
Cover design by Fire and Lion, South Africa
Typesetting by Fire and Lion, South Africa
P AUL S LABOLEPSZY was born in Bolton, England and emigrated to South Africa at the age of three. He grew up in the Northern Transvaal (present day Limpopo), matriculating in Pietersburg (Polokwane). He graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Drama. He was a founder member (with Athol Fugard and Yvonne Bryceland) of the Space Theatre Company in Cape Town in 1972.
A prolific playwright (as well as radio, television and film script writer), he has written 31 plays, including Saturday Night at the Palace , which went from Johannesburg’s Market Theatre (where six of his plays have premiered) to London’s Old Vic, and has been made into a successful film. His other plays are: Renovations, The Defloration of Miles Koekemoer, Karoo Grand, Making Like America, Travelling Shots, One for the High Jump, The Eyes of their Whites (co-written with David Kramer), Braait Laaities, Pale Natives, My Low-Fat Almost Italian Wedding, Tickle to Fine Leg, Heel Against the Head, Once a Pirate, Going for the Jocular, Fordsburg’s Finest, Planet Perth, Life’s a Pitch, Crashing the Night, Running Riot, It’s Just Not Cricket, Whole in One, Art of Charf, Freak Country, For Your Ears Only , and Suddenly the Storm .
Paul lives in Johannesburg with his wife, Carol and their three children, Frances, Alice and Tim. His other great passion is the gentle science of cricket.
Contents
Glossary
Introduction – Robert Greig
Bringing Page to Stage – Bobby Heaney
Under the Oaks
Over the Hill
Boo to the Moon
Smallholding
Mooi Street Moves
The Return of Elvis du Pisanie
Glossary
(Largely Afrikaans slang) Aasvoël vulture Abbos derogatory name for Australian Aborigines Affs short for ‘Africans’, black people Agterplaas backyard Aikona no, no ways (isiZulu) Akhela name of Wolf Cub pack leader Alles sal regkom everything’s going to come right Atjar vegetable pickle, relish Bakgat very good Bakkie light pick-up truck Ballsup mess, catastrophe Big bok big deal, a boaster Blikskottel scoundrel Bliksem/se cad, bastard Boep protruding belly Boer maak ’n plan farmer makes a plan Boer/ e farmer/s Boet/ a brother, buddy Boggerol bugger all Bokdrol buck or goat droppings Boobs breasts Booze hard liquor, strong drink Braai barbeque Brak cur, mongrel Bredie stew Broek trousers Bult hill, ridge Buzz beat, outlook, way of life Charf talk, chat up Codesa-desa negotiate Cubs junior version of Boy Scouts (Wolf Cubs) Dankie thank you Dassie rabbit-like wild animal Deurmekaar mixed up Dingamalerie whatjoo-macallit, thingie Dis ‘n blerrie/bladdy ... it’s a bloody ... Dit reen it’s raining Dof stupid, sleepy Doos/ es obscene term of address Dop drink, tot Dorp small town Dronk drunk, intoxicated Dronklap drunkard Dronkverdriet drunken self-pity Durbs Durban, South African seaport Dwaal state of confusion, absent-mindedness Dweezil a nerd Eina! ouch! (cry of pain) Flog sell, get rid of Gat hole, arsehole Gatvol fed up, had enough Gemors mess, mess up Gooi throw Grease-monkey derogatory term for motor mechanic Groot big, large Hamba kahle go well [isiZulu] Haregat (hardegat) miserly, tight-arse HNP Herstigte Nasionale Party – extreme right-wing political party Hoer whore Hok cage, pen Houtkop wood-head (derogatory term for a black person) Howzit greeting – ‘how is it going?’ Hurl throw up, vomit Jirre God, literally ‘Here’ (Afrikaans) Jislaaik watered-down version of ‘Jesus’ Jissus/Yissus Jesus Jolling, jol having a good time, partying, razzling Jong young man Kaalgat naked Kaalpoot bare-footed Kaffir unacceptable offensive word for a black person Kak excrement Kak off find oneself in deep trouble Kakhuis outdoor lavatory Kakstories rubbish Khakibos a type of bush weed Khaya dwelling, house [isiZulu] Kip sleep Klaar finished, complete, end-of-story Klap hit, slap, a hiding Kleilat children’s game using flexible sticks to fling lumps of clay at an opponent Kleinhuise outdoor lavatory (literally, small house) Klipdrift brand of cheap South African brandy Klomp bundle, bunch Klopdisselboom progressing famously Koekie cookie, cupcake Kommunis communist Kroeg bar, public house Kuif quiff (hairstyle) Kwes short for question Kyk look Laaitie young boy Lag laugh Lekker very nice Lomp awkward, unsophisticated Los leave, as in leave it alone Magnus Malan Minister of Defence in the National Party government in the 1980s Mahala free (isiZulu) Malgat crazy person Maritzburg abbreviation of Pietermaritzburg, a city in KwaZulu-Natal Meid maid, housemaid Meisie girl Meneer mister, sir Mishoop dung heap Moegoe/mugu Moer idiot beat up, screw Moer/sa massive, very big Moffie male homosexual Mos just so, of course Necklace method of torture and murder, using a burning tyre. It was widely used, mainly against political opponents during the political unrest of the mid-1980s Nogal Nooit and what’s more ... never Oke/ s bloke/s, chap/s, guy/s Oom uncle, sir (polite form of address used by Afrikaans-speaking people) Ou top old man, father Ou/s bloke/s, fellow/s Oupa grandpa Pap porridge Passela handout, gift (isiZulu) Pick ’n Pay large supermarket chain Piekniek picnic Piks strikes, bites (as in snake bite) Platteland countryside (literally flat land), especially remote rural areas Plug fail (as in school exams) Poep fart Poephol arsehole Pondok shack, dwelling Pooftah/poefte a gay, a homosexual Pozzie place, position, turf Pull finger get going Que sera sera what will be, will be (Italian) Robot traffic light Rooking smoking (as in smoking marijuana) Ruk ’a rol rock ’n roll Sasol South African company which manufactures petrol (gasoline) from coal Shaun Thompson South Africa’s best-known surfer Sies/sis! an expression of distaste, as in yeugh! Sjambok leather whip, quirt Skinnering gossiping, bitching Skoon clean Skyf cigarette (especially marijuana) Slag kill, slaughter Slapgat lazy person Slet slut, whore Sluk swallow, mouthful Sommer just, just because Sowaar truly, for sure Split leave, go away Stampvol packed full Steek stab Stoep patio, veranda Strond excrement ’Strue’s bob simplification of ‘as true as God’ Sug care, worry Sussed worked out, figured out Sweet sweat, perspiration Takkies sneakers Tekere gaan behave in an over-emotional, hysterical manner Tet nipple Tickey-box telephone booth Tiekiedraai Afrikaans folk dance Tit nice, pleasant, enjoyable Toemaar never mind, don’t worry Totsiens goodbye Troepie young soldier, new recruit Twak rubbish, also tobacco Umlazi a black township outside Durban Vasbyt, min hare, baie dae army expressions, literally bite hard (endure), short hair, many days Vastrap quick-step (Afrikaans folk dance) Vat jou good en trek take your belongings and go away Veld field, plains Veldskoen leather lace-up outdoor shoe, especially as worn by farmers Voël/Voëltjie bird, small bird Voema vim, vigour Voetsek bugger-off, go away Volksie Volkswagen Beetle motorcar Vrek die Vrot rotten, festering Wat ook al whatever Windgat a person with a large ego, boastful Witgat white person Woes extremely angry Wors sausage Woza come here (isiZulu) Wraggies honestly, truthfully Wraught fight, battle Zola Budd South African Olympic runner
Introduction
ROBERT GREIG
Paul Slabolepszy is the cartographer of the white male soul facing the abyss. Better than any other South African playwright, he has depicted the dreams, hopes and insecurities, and violences of white male South Africans through the doom-laden days of apartheid’s decline. Many of his plays are images of that decline: they convey uniquely the atmosphere of paralysis and paranoia of that time. More recently, in plays like Mooi Street Moves, The Return of Elvis du Pisanie and Pale Natives (1994, not included in this collection), Slabolepszy has depicted the effects of social and political change, his theatre shifting from a social to a psychological focus and, in the process, maturing.
If, as Dan Jacobson said, quoting Olive Schreiner, white South Africans are ‘lower-middle-class philistines’, in Slabolepszy’s hands they tend to be depicted as ‘lower-middle-class nihilists’. The Schreiner observation is useful, if only in indicating that the preoccupations of two writers with extensive allegiances to England are not the preoccupations of a Slabole