More Plays by Richard Kaplan
Selwyn & Gabriel
A magical modern mystery about two strangers with secrets.
Late at night, a young man is confronted in his own home by an enigmatic stranger. Something terrible has happened. What begins as a violent encounter evolves through the night into an intriguing journey of discovery about regret and real estate, flight and friendship, lies and integrity — and love — as Gabriel draws Selwyn toward the truth, a truth that is both tender and terrifying.
Originally staged at the Alexander Bar & Theatre in Cape Town, Selwyn & Gabriel was directed by Tara Notcutt and starred Kai Luke Brummer and Mbulelo Grootboom. The production returned for a second season following sold-out performances and was later presented at the National Arts Festival. It was subsequently presented at several South African arts festivals and adapted for Afrikaans television.
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Mbulelo Grootboom as Gabriel and Kai Luke Brummer as Selwyn
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Reviews
"This is a poignant, tender piece of theatre – wryly observed, skilfully crafted, funny and affirming."
— Robyn Cohen, Cape Times
"Right from the start this simple, yet immensely powerful setting of Selwyn & Gabriel hooks you into a world you can never quite figure out... In the era of predictability and commonality, the text is refreshing."
— B Sharp Entertainment
"Selwyn and Gabriel is a beautifully written piece of new South African writing and is well worth seeing."
— Ashraf Johaardien, LitNet
Additional Plays
Madame Butterfly and the German Plumber
An irrepressible drag artist's life is turned upside down by an HIV diagnosis and a strikingly handsome German plumber.
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| The staged reading of Madame Butterfly and the German Plumber |
Madame Butterfly and the German Plumber is a good-natured, irreverent theatrical comedy that playfully explores the idea that deep within each of us lies something good and beautiful striving to emerge. At its centre is Madame B, an outrageous and exuberant drag artist with an insatiable appetite for life, a unique understanding of the world and a profound love of the arts. When Madame B's flourishing career is interrupted by a new HIV diagnosis and the unexpected arrival of a strikingly handsome German plumber, she faces both crisis and temptation with humour, resilience and remarkable grace.
Beneath its comedy lies a story of transformation. Exploring friendship, love and self-acceptance with warmth and compassion, the play celebrates the joy of queer community, the importance of chosen family and the human capacity to become something more extraordinary than we imagined possible.
A staged reading of Madame Butterfly and the German Plumber was presented at the Alexander Bar & Theatre under the direction of Wessel Pretorius. The cast featured Riaan Visman as Geraldine (Madame Butterfly), Chris Adrian Fisher as James, Kiroshan Naidoo as Dr Ravesh Moodley, and Pascaul Wakefield as the German Plumber.
Heterofuckingsexuals and Other Queer Love Stories
A full-length cycle of four interconnected one-act plays.
Over the course of one extraordinary night and the following morning, the plays follow a chain of queer lives as they intersect in unexpected and often hilarious ways.
A confession between housemates, an accidental discovery on a dating app, a late-night cruising encounter and an argument about public nudity become funny and surprising explorations of intimacy, prejudice, family, friendship and belonging. As the stories unfold, each play expands the world of the last, revealing unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated lives.
Blending outrageous comedy with moments of genuine tenderness, the plays explore sex, love, race, masculinity and the pressures of navigating a predominantly heterosexual world.
Read the Plays
The script for The Finkelsteins are Coming to Dinner is available to download from this website. The other plays are available to read on the New Play Exchange, including Selwyn & Gabriel, Heterofuckingsexuals & Other Queer Love Stories and other plays.
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| Chris Adrian Fisher in the staged reading of Madame Butterfly and the German Plumber |