Dump State
drama
Devised and Performed by Lizandre ISAACS, Nicola SHAPIRO, Theetso MPHOENG, David-John TEMPLETON | Written and Directed by Qondiswa JAMES
12+ PG
The Young Professionals series provides a platform for graduating students to share their graduating work with the wider public, whilst allowing the work to introduce them to the industry. For many, graduating work is the culmination of years of study and as such should be given the space and time to develop and grow into work that enables young professionals to begin working as artists and earning a living.
Set against the backdrop of the current socio-political climate around homelessness in Cape Town and the tumultuous weather of the city, Dump State explores these issues through the perspectives of street-based individuals.
Amidst the rainy winter conditions, Demi—a distressed pregnant woman—is searching for her recently disappeared partner, Jaco. She finds refuge among residents, Frank, Geri, and Sizwe, who have made their home in a demolished building by the dump. As the weeks pass on, we learn how they each found themselves here. Geri is a sex-worker estranged from her only child; Sizwe is an older Botswanian migrant who lost his papers and has since had to survive on piece jobs and the grace of the community; and Frank is an addict with violent tendencies and a checkered past. Frank and Geri share a terrible secret that threatens to rupture the fragile peace they have all managed to create together.
Dump State was originally created as And There Was Blood for the AFDA 3rd Year Experimental works in 2024. Initially an adaptation of Ameera Conrad’s Reparation, the play has since developed into a stand-alone narrative. The four AFDA graduates will again reprise their original roles.