By Hannah Boxall
“Boisterous, bold and absolutely hilarious” was just one way that audience members like Buhle Funani described Nicola Janse van Rensburg’s production, Chérie, after its premiere in the Adam Small Theatre on Thursday 23 July.
One church service, three levels of enthusiasm. Sam’s mother, Batholomew and Sam – although all united in their faith – were not united in their interest in the Sunday prayers! The dynamic of this trio was wildly entertaining to watch in the Première Theatre Festival production, Chérie. These characters are played by Jaziel Burrows, Chaz Young and Maia Crockett (left to right). Photo: Nardus Engelbrecht
Sam, a slightly disturbed teenage girl played by Maia Crockett, attempts to search for the meaning of life, confiding in the members of her church’s congregation. However, amidst her search, it becomes clear that this “holy” setting is harbouring some not-so-holy characters, each with a dirty secret.
The storyline is driven by tensions and contradictions that complicate its narrative. This is most clearly shown with Sam’s initial portrayal as being “crazy” for having suicidal thoughts, an imaginary friend and for having tried weed once. Later, Sam is shown as being the most normal, having clear morals about steering clear from hard drugs, murder and earnestly pursuing a Christian life brimming with purpose, unlike those around her. It appears Sam isn’t crazy, like the other characters proclaim – she is just reacting to the crazy world around her!
When the church service becomes a business meeting… Sam (Maia Crockett), encouraged by her rebellious imaginary friend, is tempted to make a drug deal with one of the members of the congregation in the Première Theatre Festival production, Chérie. Photo: Nardus Engelbrecht
The play also upends what it means to be a good Christian. For example, while Sam’s mother is excessively trying to perform as a good Christian – arriving to church early, praying loudly and passionately and organising the tea service for the congregation – her morals are ultimately skewed.
While these acts may appear like those of a selfless and dedicated woman of God, she is neglecting her true Christian duties by leaving her daughter’s cries for help unanswered. Her and the other members of the church are all using their Christianity as a guise to hide their ill-doings – all prime examples of “plastic Christianity”, as described by Funani.
The tea was hot. Her murder allegations were not. During the church tea service, Sam (Maia Crockett) tries to warn her mother (Jaziel Burrows) and the pastor (Sebastian Van Niekerk) of a murder that took place amongst the congregation, however they are both too focused on having tea and pay her no mind. Bizarre and hilarious interactions like these were plentiful in the production, Chérie. Photo: Nardus Engelbrecht
A modern element of the play was the inclusion of a character acting as ChatGPT who attempts to answer Sam’s existential questions about morality and the meaning of life. Dressed in a glittery, silver monochromatic outfit, this character was excellently played and added comic relief with its robotic mannerisms.
On a deeper note, its inclusion in the plot demonstrates the outcry of today’s young generation as lacking a morally sound figure of authority. In their desperation, young people like Sam turn to ChatGPT to ask it the same questions one might ask God, giving artificial intelligence (AI) a god-like status. The unhelpfulness of the answers, however, disproved this.
This is indicative of the deceptive nature of moral soundness in this day and age. This storyline resonates with the growing difficulty in differentiating between real and fake in a world of social media and AI. “Good acts” as Funani described often have ulterior motives such as gaining popularity or protecting your image online instead of truly caring about doing good.
Resisting temptation one drink at a time. Sam’s pastor (Sebastian Van Niekerk) tries to resist his alcoholism, posing him as a twisted authority figure in the Première Theatre Festival production, Chérie. Photo: Nardus Engelbrecht
Thus, everywhere the audience looks is a contradiction between how things appear and their true nature. By the end of the play, nobody was able to answer Sam’s questions. Perhaps because they too were unable to find meaning in our modern world. Perhaps it is the lack of transparency due to social media which causes everyone to hide the fact that they are struggling.
This deep message was cleverly embedded amidst Chérie’s delightfully flamboyant and entertaining characters. Their performances were enthusiastic and interactive with the audience (by including them as part of the church congregation), while still delivering a thought-provoking message. Its universal themes resonated in today’s AI-ridden world and stressed the urgent need for authentic relationships.
