A gripping story of male sexual assault and hook-up culture is brought to life in a brand new and thought-provoking show called ‘This bra’s a psycho’.
Written by Bo-Kaap playwright Zubayr Charles, the production tackles taboo topics in the male community.
Charles, 29, who holds a UCT Masters Degree in Creative Writing, has been teaching English at local high schools for the past seven years.
He has received nominations and awards at the Zabalaza Festival this year, and has participated in writing workshops of theatre giants such as David Kramer and Professor Imraan Coovadia to name a few.
He hopes to finish his first poetry collection this year, get his novel ‘Haram’ published and break into South Africa's theatre industry.
His latest creation which was showcased as a reading at the Artscape and Suidoosterfees New Voices programme on Thursday, is called ‘This bra’s a psycho’, and tells the story of a man who wakes up deurmekaar in an unknown warehouse, only to realise he had been sexually assaulted.
He tries to build connections with men on dating apps to make sense of his trauma, but after being triggered, he goes on a killing spree.
Little does he know that he is being followed undercover cops.
Charles says: “The topic of male sexual assault is often presented in mainstream film and media from a comedic perspective.
“This feeds into toxic masculinity and sadly does not create an open dialogue for victims to share their stories, as they are afraid that they will be made fun of.
“I wrote this script to address male sexual assault whilst also tackling the traditional cat-and-mouse thriller genre by adding a local Cape Town twist.”
He adds: “The crime thriller genre has been extremely popular on streaming platforms and in film and media.
“It is important for us as South Africans to see ourselves represented. We need to push for our own stories to be told. I’m excited for people to see this story.”
‘This Bra’s a Psycho’ features the talents of actors James Stoffberg and Anzio September.
Stoffberg is ‘The Bra’, while September plays the cop and various other characters.
Charles concludes: “The production is set to be a gripping and emotional experience that will stay with audiences long after the final scene.
“We hope our reading proves to be successful and that the play will be officially picked up by both Artscape and The Suidoosterfees in 2025."
venecia.america@inl.co.za