Durban Dialogues Indian Voice: Five South African Plays

This excerpt from a review of "Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice" by Betty Govinden describes the anthology of five South African plays by Ashwin Singh. The plays selected, "To House," "Duped," "Spice 'n Stuff," "Reoca Light," and "Beyond the Big Bangs," represent the complete array of Singh's storytelling skills in drama as well as satire. Each play reflects, in different ways, on the complexities and contradictions of life in post-Apartheid South Africa, and focuses particularly on people of Indian origin and their relationship with other South African communities. The anthology is described by Govinden as "undressing Durban, as they take us away from the neon lights and "candy floss" to the reality of the underbelly of post-Apartheid urban and suburban existence."

Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice is an anthology of five engaging and eclectic South African plays by award-winning playwright Ashwin Singh. The plays selected, To House, Duped, Spice 'n Stuff, Reoca Light and Beyond the Big Bangs, represent the complete array of Singh's storytelling skills in drama as well as satire. Each play reflects, in different ways, on the complexities and contradictions of life in post-Apartheid South Africa, and focuses particularly on people of Indian origin and their relationship with other South African communities.

These five plays present a moving portrait of a unique array of characters and are also punctuated by Singh's trademark humour. Each one is set in Durban, South Africa's third largest and most diverse city, and they are described by renowned academic and critic Betty Govinden as "undressing Durban, as they take us away from the neon lights and "candy floss" to the reality of the underbelly of post-Apartheid urban and suburban existence."

Ashwin Singh is an attorney, lecturer, playwright, actor and director. He has been internationally published as both a playwright and an academic author. Aurora Metro published his play To House in the 2006 anthology New South African Plays and Catalina UnLtd have just published his play Spice 'n Stuff in the anthology The Catalina Collection. Singh is a three-time national award winner for playwriting via the PANSA Playreading Festival (South Africa's foremost playwriting contest). The Playhouse Company and the Catalina UnLtd Theatre Company have been the most prolific producers of his work.