Tin Bucket Drum
Standard Bank Young Artist award winner for 2011 Neil Coppen’s whimsical allegory Tin Bucket Drum weaves together elements of magical realism, shadow puppetry, Kabuki theatre and live percussion. Tin Bucket Drum offers a fresh twist to the traditional conventions of African story telling. Masterfully told by Mpume Mthombeni alternating the role with Thuli Zuma and with the percussive support of Wake Mahlobo the play follows the story of Nomvula, a spirited child born with a revolutionary heart-beat into a cruel and silent dictatorship.
Tin Bucket Drum in its close and minutely explored world, takes a broad swipe at age old global systems of restriction enforced for personal gain by those in power, and the way these restrictions affect the man or woman on the ground. Above all it looks, rather optimistically at the power of creativity.
Critically acclaimed with standing ovations at the Grahamstown and Hilton Arts festivals, Tin Bucket Drum won the Audience Vote Award for Best Production at MUSHO 2007, A Durban Theatre Award for best actress and best new South African script 2007, and a Standard Bank Ovation award at the Grahamstown 2010 festival. It was was featured as The Star, Pretoria Times, The Herald and Witnesses Newspapers pick of the Grahamstown Fringe in 2007.
“So cohesive in artistic vision is this piece that it is decidedly difficult to parse out responsibility for its success.”
The New York Theatre Review
“In a theater world full of high-flying superheroes and next-level spectacles, Tin Bucket Drum charmingly reminds us that, ultimately, what matters most is the story.”
The Village Voice
“While the piece is composed of simple and clearly defined elements, they are integrated in such a seamless and natural way that the whole is by far greater than the individual parts. And as such, it’s actually hard to do the piece justice by describing the elements that when interweaved make it so brilliant.”
Theatre is Easy
“Multi-award winning Peter and the Starcatcher could have some competition in ticket sales of this off Broadway production at $18 gives you the same heartfelt journey of any multi- Tony award winning storytelling piece of theatre. Tin Bucket Drum is a mesmerizing piece of Kabuki style African storytelling.”
The Examiner
“Thekweni Brilliance!”
The Star
“Pure theatrical magic.”
The Witness Weekend
“Mesmerizing! Undoubtedly it’s the hidden gem of this year’s festival”
The Witness
“Wonderfully crafted, Brilliantly executed. A standing ovation at its close was certainly deserved for such a fully rounded, disciplined and animated performance by Cele.”
The Herald
“A twinkling gem, delightful and thought provoking.”
Mercury ‘Good Life’
‘Tin Bucket Drum’ is a production as uncomplicated and beautiful as the idea that inspires it. Ingenious and infectious!”
Daily News, Tonight
“Cele is Awesome, The lighting and manipulation of props-inspired. A simply magical, utterly engaging production. Coppen has a real gift for creating a universe in a tea cup; a daunting sense of the value of microcosmic perception.”
Tonight
“Sometimes you can achieve miracles with a simple but potent idea, a small budget and a pocket full of creativity. Such is the case with Neil Coppen’s Tin Bucket Drum, a wonderful mythical fable that returns to the festival to weave its mythical magic anew.”
Cue. National Arts Festival Newspaper