Napo Masheane’s one-woman show “BUM” toured abroad to sold out crowds and the theatrical journey leads her back to African soil.
“My Bum Is Genetic Deal With It”, returns from Amsterdam with the ringing applause of full house audiences. Napo Masheane’s bold writing and satirical performance commanded respect and earned her a certain amount of Saartje Bartman awe during her participation in “Africa On The Move” theatre festival hosted by the Nederlands Institute For Southern Africa (NiZa) and the Afro Vibes Festival, “SOWhEreTO now?”, where she shared the bill with critically acclaimed performer Matthew Ribbick of “HOOT”.
“My Bum is Genetic, Deal with It”, was conceptualized by Napo Masheane from a need to take a stand against a global talk regarding the perceptions of the female body and standards of beauty imposed by society and media. Masheane’s continued research among big, fat, voluptuous black women around her community and the world led her to give voice to a subject normally left unvoiced. Fearlessly, Masheane harnesses the dreams, ideas and plans of every woman made to feel as though her body should be fixed or reconstructed and held to an ideal standard of beauty.
Village Gossip Productions presents this one hour performance delivered in the voice of a young black woman who carries a typical African body in the new South Africa, her intention is to recruit all other sisters with voluptuous African looks to join her political party (BOOTIES UNITED IN MOVEMENT, a.k.a BUM). Taking a stand for all women with a story to tell, she lets loose her ideas to the world about having an African body. She urges the community and the public to take note that South Africa (Africa) imports clothes that don’t reflect black women’s bodies. She rants against fashion magazines, television programs, the film industries, newspapers and pharmaceutical companies. Her political party stands as a voice of resistance against any perceptions carried out by the world about Fat, Huge, and Big women.
If you have a big bum, this play with speak to you, if you have a sister, a friend, a wife, an aunt or a neighbour with a big bum this play will speak to you. “My Bum is Genetic Deal With It” has comedy, action and reflections for everyone to enjoy.
“Every woman’s voice has the power to engage actively in self-transformation and to move from being an object to being subjects,” states Masheane. “Only as subjects can we speak. As objects, we remain voiceless, our being defined by others. BUM is a play that puts emphasizes on a celebration of African booties, remembering how beautiful, powerful and strong our bodies are.”
Tickets are already available at the Maitisong ticket office, and cost P50. The play opens on May 25 at 19h30 and will be staged twice. The following day (26th) it will run at 14h00 and 19h30.
