By Avuyile Conjwa
The best theatre leaves you with more questions than answers, and Ben van der Walt’s Caldera does exactly that. The production encourages the audience to participate in constructing meaning within its absurd world.
Caldera was showcased at Première Teaterfees at the Adam Small theatre in Stellenbosch, on 21 July. The play follows the lives of residents living on the banks of Caldera, whose world descends into chaos and madness with the arrival of a mysterious deity. Rather than providing straightforward answers, the production refuses to settle on a single interpretation. Its ambiguity not only invites the audience to bear witness to the madness, but demands that they participate in deciphering it.
Before a single word is uttered, the stage does the talking. With a porta-potty, an overflowing dustbin, a box television and a cluster of suitcases, the audience is immediately transported into Caldera’s satirical and unravelling world.
The audience responded to every spoken word, gesture and movement.
The world of Caldera extended itself past the stage, ensnaring the audience as they laughed at the absurdities while watching its residents spiral towards madness.
The progression into madness was gradual, unfolding through subtle shifts in performance, the use of sound effects and escalating tension before erupting into chaos. The satire embraced discomfort, using humour to criticise and expose humanity’s dependence on the very systems and creations it ultimately fears, without ever delivering a sermon.
The characters embodied the different responses to uncertainty.
Aidan Davies portrays Sam, who finds comfort and solitude within a dustbin. Chaz Young portrays God, who, despite having a name associated with absolute power and authority, is reduced to a flawed alcoholic finding truth only in newspapers. Elijah, played by Buhle Funani, desires knowledge to impress Edith, portrayed by Jessica Milne, but the very thing he seeks destroys him.
The deity, portrayed by Nicola Janse van Rensburg, emerges as the harbinger of chaos and madness that descends upon the town.
One of the most memorable moments arrived when the stage fell into complete darkness and the television became the sole source of light. Various images flashed across the screen, and as Elijah descended into complete madness, the production transformed information into the absolute source of terror.
Audience interpretations varied. Some audience members interpreted the deity as a reflection of artificial intelligence, while others saw broader themes of religion, industry and humanity’s relationship with its own creations. Audience member Belinda Mabaso remarked, “I think what makes it better is the fact that people can have multiple interpretations of it. I feel like that is real art.”
The success of Caldera cannot be attributed solely to the riveting performances, staging or beautiful dialogue, but rather lies in its refusal to provide certainty. The production leaves the audience questioning the gods they have created and the systems they trust. In this, Caldera demonstrates that ambiguity is not a barrier to understanding, but an invitation to create meaning.
