Nkoli: The Vogue Opera

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This show is one of few where I've sat speechless for a few minutes after the interval starts.

"I didn't know what we were in for tonight", I confess to my partner. But WOW what a journey.

Nkoli is technically spectacular - The AV underscores the MC's story by supplementing the entire narrative brightly and unavoidably - much like the costumes all evening. The lighting challenge that comes with full-screen AV is massive, and LD Wolf Britz did a glorious job of highlighting a single cast member, while the next, a few feet away, is part of the projection. The AV does sometimes distract from the dialogue and lyrics, since I will try to read everything, not just listen to the performers, but it's an excellent method to supplement the content - a picture speaks a 1000 words, after all. The use of the original newspaper clippings and letter extracts adds a painful reminder that this is based on a true story.

"Nkoli: The Vogue-Opera tells the story of gay anti-apartheid freedom fighter, Simon Nkoli, an unrecognised hero in the South African struggle. Simon was imprisoned on charges of treason at the Delmas Treason Trial (1985 – 1988) and on his release organized the first pride march in Johannesburg. He played a key role in ensuring gay rights were enshrined in our constitution. Simon died in 1998 aged 41 of AIDS-related diseases, at a time when antiretroviral drugs were denied in South Africa." - Webtickets poster

The costumes are fast and fabulous, one of my favourites being our emcee's rainbow onesie in act two. There was no expense spared on these, and the quick changes are not something I ever wish to coordinate! There are more sequins and glitter than a Drag Race season-finale, which tastefully expresses every part of Nkoli's journey.

This show is billed as a Hamilton/RuPaul mash-up, but that is not entirely correct. Yes, there is a lot of drag, and a lot of revolution and rap and sequins and it is a little confusing at times - but this is all struggle, all the time; and with all the white privilege in my life, this is the first time I truly understand how hard it was (and is, for many) being on the other side of the fence in this country. The show hits hard on the brutality of apartheid, the shortly-thereafter ensuing pandemic that is HIV, and the ongoing challenges many members of the LGBTQI+ community have to endure.

The music is creating emotions that are hard to process, which is a sign of excellent writing.

This show is decolonising opera by using the style in English, instead of the tactic where it expresses the story in a language you cannot understand, relying on expression and tone to convey the plot. This is superb. The live band is a good, discreet, way to support the vocalists.

This show is large enough to fill an actual opera house, not a meagre backstage space like the Flipside, as if it's unworthy of more audience. I realised, however, this choice of venue might have been intentional to convey the covert nature of what had to be the way of life for black and gay citizens through much of the last century in South Africa.

The sound was excellent, unable to find a flaw in any part of it. Vocalists are beyond explanation. I have no words for the skills and the sounds that came out of those bodies - pure, emotional, always interesting. Tone told more stories than words - like good music should. Opera is the perfect medium for this story. I haven't even mentioned yet that all the music and lyrics are original - the juxtaposition of the different moods throughout the show is an art in itself. By the end of the 3 hours, I was exhausted, not only because it had been a long Tuesday, but there was a lot to process.

Backstage deserved their own standing ovation - always ready, never seen - with a million props and costume changes on hand for the cast. Having been a stagehand many times, this is a feat - well done to the crew.

The set is amazingly clever with simple steel structures, and heaps of fringe. This allowed playing with the variable layers of lighting and is the fundamental part of lighting design - exploiting this simple technique made me very happy. The fringe moving out of the way created depth into the actual theatre, which the director used very cleverly for Simon walking into the unknown. The clubbing scene very cleverly used the openness that was created, to convey that sense of space and 'outside'; and the fringe returning, brought down a pride flag with it. Simple. Genius.

This performance is travelling internationally next year - and I hope for all the might in the world they win every award and every accolade that comes their way.

This deserves it.

Audience feedback

"This is fantastic to watch".

"Just amazing".

"On par with shows we've seen in the West end".