For all of its fast-paced humour, Did You Know?! poses a central question: What is the origin and the function of superstition? Performed by Sibahle Mangena, Khanyisile Ngwabe, and Sinenhlanhla Mgeyi, the work explores the absurdity, the mythology and the ritualism of superstitions expressed and practiced over centuries, with a distinct rootedness in South Africa.

The work begins off stage, where bad luck is visited upon an unassuming audience member, activating a chain of events that all carry a loaded, superstitious meaning. A play that’s full of physicality, the cast also develop a neat choreography around these superstitions. They jump across the room to avoid stepping on a crack, contort their bodies around a ladder to avoid passing under it, and then do away with the ladder altogether for fear of following in the same path as the person ahead of them.

The three friends chase good luck and avoid ill-fortune at all costs. They chastise each other for their ignorance, warn one another against certain gestures or cultural faux pas. “Don’t whistle inside the house!” they cry. “You must never point at a grave with your finger!” they warn. As to the sources of these superstitions, none of them can say. What they are certain of, though, are the consequences – bad luck!

– David Mann

CREDITS:

DIRECTOR | Iman Isaacs
PERFORMERS | Sibahle Mangena, Khanyisile Ngwabe & Sinenhlanhla Mgeyi