Abnormal Loads

Abnormal Loads was commissioned as part of Coppen’s 2011 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Theatre and is set in a fictional battle-field town nestled in the once war ravaged valleys of Northern KwaZulu-Natal. The play is a rich amalgamation of ghost story, love drama, historical epic and dark comedy, where events, both past and present, unfold seamlessly. With a narrative that whisks audiences through two centuries of South African history, Coppen’s production takes an irreverent look at how history is misconstrued and constructed to suit various individual’s needs while offering a funny and touching reflection on the many complexities and contradictions of life in small town South Africa.

“In Abnormal Load, Coppen makes his point through a tragicomedy centred on a young coloured man brought up in a white family who boast of their colonial history-he eventually finds himself trapped in it and becomes subject to its consequences, though it is not of his own making. Coppen doesn’t simply juxtapose the past and present, he allows history to run parallel to the present, eventually allowing the two to intersect, at its climax, in such a way that they become indistinguishable from each other.” 

Mary Corrigall, Sunday Independent

The production premiered at the National Arts Festival 2011 and later has seasons at the Playhouse Drama Theatre in Durban and The Market Theatre in Johannesburg in 2012.

“Abnormal Loads is a profound, complex and moving piece of theatre.”

 The Witness.

“Abnormal Loads is a production where so many elements contribute so perfectly that it feels like an experience, rather than just a play.”

DAILYMAVERICK

“Refined and soulful theatre.”

Tonight

“A masterful blend of different periods, stories and characters that move seamlessly from one tableau to the next. This is the sort of work that deserves international recognition and, at very least, capacity audiences. Make sure you see it.”

The Sunday Times

“Best show here for a long time."

David Smith, Guardian in Africa

“One of the most astonishing productions at this year’s Grahamstown Festival. An insightful and nuanced drama set in a small battlefield town steeped in anecdotal history, memories and oral tradition, nestled in the shadow of a mountain.”

 The Mercury.

 “Captivating and heart-rending theatrical mastery.”

The Witness.

“Coppen's accomplished dramatic comedy Abnormal Loads is a must-see.”

 The Mail & Guardian.

 “Ground breaking”

 City Press.

 “I loved Young Artist Award Winner Neil Coppen’s Abnormal loads. I loved it for its unabashed theatricality, its sweeping presentation and most of all for its whacky slices of comedy and farce which turned every melodramatic and sentimental moments on its head. Coppen uses light and shadow, a beautifully arranged stage and mesmerising music to have his characters smoothly morphing from one entity into another. A line of mourning white women becomes a line of housemaids, a troop of tourists turns into soldiers without missing a beat. Yet it remains Coppen’s sense of the absurd, of subtle comedy that captures the attention by masking the deep human tragedies that lie beneath the surface of the story.”

 The Weekend Post.

Innovative and intriguing is the best way to describe Young Artist award winner Neil Coppen’s witty and observant work which has as its fundamental theme the manner in which our current state is heavily influenced by the things, people and events that have gone before—even when talking about a time span of 200 years. Romance, heroics, prejudice, humour, tragedy and fallibility are all thrown into the melting pot to produce a rich theatrical broth.”

 The Herald.

“The genius of this play is in the balance between dark and light. Coppen cunningly navigates the story to a conclusion that is both bleak and promising, while leaving the audience unburdened by the weight of the material. Coppen is a talented scribe who also has a keen visual sensibility that is rare in a playwright. This quality can be traced to some memorable scenes of shadows ascending the mountain and the manner in which he has so artfully and seamlessly interwoven past and present. He has done so in such a way that they appear to run parallel, which in a sense they do, especially for those that can’t escape the past- nor want to. “

The Sunday Independent.

“The strength of Coppen’s production lies in its brilliant writing, passionate acting and great set design. With history and culture posing the risk of being mis-understood in any production, Coppen has ensured the weightiness of issues around black and white (Zulu, Anglo and Boer) is balanced by a cleverly written script – laced with witty and dry humour – that invites the viewer into the depth of the characters and humanness behind each of their stories. The storyline is an honest and transparent reflection of South African cultures and stories, in a manner that both enlightens and entertains. A resounding success.”

Daily News, The Tonight.

“An extraordinary production that places Neil Coppen fairly and squarely as a major force to be reckoned with in South African theatre.”

artSMart.

“This heartbreaking story is about race and family relations, the problems which surround the retelling of history and betrayal. Coppen is an outstanding talent and we wait in suspense for the next masterpiece he brings on stage.”

 LitNet.

 “In this production there is no caricature, just real warm-blooded South Africans. Movement, sound, multimedia, music and shadow-play combine seamlessly with the actors on stage demonstrating just how beautiful history can be when placed in the right hands.”

 Beeld.

“It would be understandable for prospective audiences to think they are coming to some kind of dramatic historical epic more grounded in battlefield academia than theatre. However, they would be way off the mark. Abnormal Loads is extremely funny with delightfully refreshing humour and some clever comedy. There is dramatic input aplenty as well as some beautifully handled scenes of much sensitivity.”

artSMart.