PERFORMANCE

Rough Musick (2013)

Inspired by early English ‘rough music’ practices – participatory, carnivalesque public shaming rituals for criminals and sexual deviants- Rough Musick is an ethnographic ritual-like performance that provokes the post-colonial residue, melancholia and shame pertinent to the South African socio-political landscape. In the performance a visual and visceral experience unfolds through the brazen clashing of images and activities sourced from Gaelic folklore, Welsh ‘sin eating’ ceremonies, ‘bogey man’ mythologies and psycho-sexual fetish role-playing games. The pre-Empire culture of the United Kingdom is rendered exotic and strange, positioning the South African artist-of-English-descent as primitive and barbaric.

Rough Musick has been performed at Buzzcut Festival 2016 (Glasgow, Scotland), Desenho de Cena 2016 (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Live Arts Festival 2014 (Cape Town, South Africa), Experimentica Festival 2014 (Cardiff, Wales), the National Arts Festival 2013 (Grahamstown, South Africa), Scenofest and World Stage Design 2013 (Cardiff, Wales), and at the Theatre Arts Admin Collective 2013 (Cape Town, South Africa).

Created and choreographed-directed by Gavin Krastin.

Performed by Gavin Krastin and Alan Parker.

Sound design by Shaun Acker (Additional music by Christina Aguilera and Vera Lynn).

Prop design and construction by Koos Marais (in collaboration with Gavin Krastin).

Set device design and construction by Mark McKeown and Anzu Wicks (in collaboration with Gavin Krastin).