Pests by Vivienne Franzman, directed by Fiona Ramsay

So what did it feel like sitting there in the audience watching Fionna Ramsay, Ashleigh Harvey and Janna Ramos-Violante's interpretation of Vivienne Franzmanns play 'Pests' at the Pop art theater in Maboneng?

Rolly and Pink (Played by Ashleigh Harvey & Janna Ramos- Violante) are two sisters living through desperation, addiction, poverty, prostitution and the social exclusions that came with their harsh and heartbreaking past. They tell the story of a struggle that many South Africans are familiar with. The work was very powerful, I found the play to be taking me through a host of difficult emotions like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

Here was this world of lack and desperation being presented from a socio-political context that completely disassociated me from my own personal experiences with lack and desperation. For the very first time in my entire life, I was seeing and experiencing this world from the outside looking in and not from the inside looking out and this gave me a lot of perspective.

This work was so emotionally engaging, the way in which the actors carried me through the story rising and falling with both Rolly and Pink as if I knew them personally. I found it liberating how this story peeled away the layers of a dehumanizing reality showing us compassion and empathy over the labeling; othering; prejudice and judgement otherwise expected when addressing issues of this nature.

I felt so connected to the characters that I could see and feel life from their perspective and couldn't judge, label or other them because of the circumstances of their lives. This play took the dirt out of people's struggle with addiction; poverty; lack; desperation and illiteracy. It showed me pain, love, strength, power and weakness in all that darkness.

Pests took me through so many different feelings in the 60 minutes I was there. I got so emotionally involved in the work that I became completely unaware of my existence. I got so engulfed and so lost in that play and the places it took me to.

What I loved so much about this play was how it reminded me of how addressing struggle in Hip Hop music used to liberate, empower and build people up. it would give a voice to the marginalised and it resonated so deeply because "real art comes from speaking for those who can't speak for themselves in a way that is real and meaningful" as John would say.
Thanks to John for the opportunity to see this play and have the kind of experience that I had tonight; it has enriched my life in so many ways.

These are the kind of stories I want to hear about, these are the kind of voices I care to hear from. Voices that get me in touch with my humanity once again. Voices that free me from the clasps of judgement, prejudice, class-ism and all kinds of ideas that continue to separate us from ourselves and our humanity.
Thank you Fionna Ramsay, Ashleigh and Janna. This work was amazing!!