Sophie Joans stars in her solo play Île.
Sophie Joans, of Kenilworth, will take to the stage at the District Six Homecoming Centre at the end of August to perform her solo play, Île, which explores her Mauritian heritage.
Île, which is French for ‘Island’, is written and performed by Joans, 25, and is directed by comedian Rob van Vuuren.
“It’s an auto-biographical story about being a second-generation Mauritian, exploring my ancestral home,” she says.
The play deals with the relationship between her 18-year-old self and her mother and it looks at the island itself, including it’s reputation as an exotic tourist destination, its history, its volcanoes and even the extinct dodo that once called Mauritius home.
“This solo performance will incorporate comedy along with acting and it looks to establish the relationships we have with family and finding who you are as a person,” says Joans.
As a high school pupil, Joans played the part of Sandy in a production of the musical Grease as well as Feste in Shakepeare’s Twelfth Night. More recently, she has done stand-up comedy at the Cape Town Comedy Club.
“Theatre is about imaginations, so when smaller productions make do with what they’ve got, it will allow the audience to create the scenery,” she says.
Joans received a Gold Ovation Award for Île at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
Van Vuuren says it is a joy working with Joans. “She has written a deeply moving, funny and personal piece that resonates deeply with its audience. Her performance matches the writing, and I’m very proud to be associated with this wonderful piece of theatre.”
Île will play at the District Six Homecoming Centre from Monday August 22 to Saturday August 27, from 8pm. Tickets are R100 and can be booked through Quicket.
The play will also be staged at The Drama Factory in Somerset West on Tuesday August 16, at 7pm, and on Saturday August 20, from 8.30pm. Tickets are available from The Drama Factory website.