Review: Calling Us Home - A Proudly South African Musical
Recently I had the honor of being invited to the world premiere of Calling Us Home, a brand new musical written by Alice Gillham and directed by Peter Flynn. It is billed as “A story of hope. A story of love. A story of home” and it delivers all of that and so much more.
Many thanks to Collett Dawson of the CoLab Network on behalf of Shy Music for the invitation to experience what is an amazing, emotional, and brilliant production.
From the first moment when Mother (played by Nobuntu Mpahlaza) belts out the first note to the Calling Us Home prologue, the performance grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go.
A Beautiful Story Beautifully Told
The story centers on Grace, an African princess, who is sent away from a war coming to her homeland by her brother, and arrives in the US. (You can read the synopsis of Act 1 here) Throughout the story we see Grace try to adjust to life in America all the while dreaming and hoping she will be able to return home.
Calling Us Home is a story that tells of a great love, but it is also one that humbly yet firmly touches on some of humanity’s big issues, such as the plight of refugees, the many challenges women face and the need for greater empathy, understanding and care in an uncertain world.
The cast of characters are exceptional and exceptionally played. Every performer brings a fullness to their character which only enhances the entire production.
Thokozani Jiyane (Nelson) and Rene Setlhako (Lindiwe) bring humor to what could otherwise be a pretty heavy story. Devonecia Swartz (Grace) absolutely nails it as the African princess with dreams of returning home. Michel Alejandro Castillo (Rafael) and Monica Tulia Ramirez (Isabella) are perfect as brother and sister, immigrants as well, dreaming big of a better life in America. Mthokozisi Emkay Khanyile (Ivan) pulls off the intimidating gang lord brilliantly.
The set design gives a fullness to the story without being distracting from it. It gives the audience just enough so they know where they are without being too busy or feeling like the stage is crowded. The lighting plays off this as well, emphasizing the mood of the performance and of the performers.
An Emotional Rollercoaster
Every single musical number in Calling Us Home is strong and does an incredible job of both telling and enhancing the story. From the desperation of “Land of the Free” to the passion in “Fire in His Kiss” to the hopefulness of “Trail of Stars” to the triumphant joy of “Lead Me Home” the music and the performances take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster from the opening curtain to the final bow.
My favorite numbers have to be “The Game”, Ivan’s opening number in Act II and “Do You Think About Me”. Mthokosizi’s performance was brilliant and left me wanting more of Ivan. In “Do You Think About Me”, the raw emotion from Grace, Rafael, and Isabella ensured there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
Calling Us Home is one of those rare musicals where there isn’t a weaker musical number in the entire performance. Alice Gillham’s music and lyrics reveal the heart of the story behind Calling Us Home. The music is both anthemic and intimate, powerful and vulnerable, full of hope and full of desperation. The performances bring tears to your eyes, goosebumps on your skin, and a smile to your face.
“I wanted to provide a glimpse of the lives of a small migrant community not as a political statement, but as a tribute. It had to be a story not just about people’s loneliness and longing, but also one that would celebrate their laughter, resilience, and hope.”
A Must See…
Calling Us Home is a musical that is not to be missed. Unfortunately for Cape Town, the final performance was on 19 February, as the production is now preparing to go on tour. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to see it in its limited release in town, you definitely missed out.
I hope beyond hope that Calling Us Home will again return home to Cape Town for another run. As we were leaving the show, both Kim and I agreed that we would definitely go see it again.
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