The Artscape Theatre Centre’s Youth Month celebrations will end with the multi-faceted “Alunamda”. It is a blend of genres and languages in one play that speaks about the trials and tribulations of relationships but in the end love prevails.

It is said that love, like a cat, is one of the most difficult concepts to understand fully. Much has been written about the subject and many songs have been sung about it. For some it is “a river that drowns the tender reed” and for others it is “razor that leaves the soul to bleed.” Whichever way you look at it, or experience it, “Alunamda” is sure to enthral as it weaves together music, acting and movement.

“Alunamda” was created by the ‘Light of Life’ Theatre initiative based in Kraaifontein and the cast together with the director, Luyanda Nodilinga workshopped the piece. It was initially part of Artscape’s Incubator Programme and is now a fully-fledged production and stars Mthobisi Mpandle and Wendy Mrali in the lead roles. In 2016 the production formed part of the Zabalaza festival won the “best directed production” and “the most promising production”. It was also part of the Cape Town Fringe Festival in 2017.

Audiences can look forward to seeing young people unpacking the story of, and the many moods of, love as told from different viewpoints and by using different media formats. The cast will explore the parody and the pathos of that inexplicable thing called love that makes “one man weep, and another sing”.

The play is in IsiXhosa and English with an age restriction of twelve years.

“Alunamda” runs from 27 to 30 June in the Arena.