Following its acclaimed success at the World Psychiatry International Congress and its once-off performance at the Baxter in December 2016, respected psychiatrist Dr Sean Baumann’s cantata Madness: Songs of Hope and Despair, returns for this limited season.
Madness: Songs of Hope and Despair, bring mental illness and psychotic experiences into the spotlight using a combination of music (both live and recorded), song and imagery in an attempt to portray the complexities and also the wonder of these strange and ultimately unknowable worlds.
John Maytham from Cape Talk was most encouraging, “Absolutely brilliant. One of the most powerful and compassionate evenings I’ve had in the theatre for a while.” Bronwyn Knox for WhatsoninCapeTown wrote, “… enthrallingly beautiful, a unique and artistically exquisite portrayal of mental illness, neither glamorized nor falsified, with beauty resonating in the raw truth of it all … the elements seamlessly coalesce as a deeply stirring whole.” Tracey Saunders for Heart of Theatre wrote, “… this is a production which begins a neglected conversation which is so desperately needed … Magnificent cast with noteworthy performances …”
Libretto by Sean Baumann
Directed by Lara Foot
Composition by Galina Juritz with Dizu Plaatjies
Conducted by Chad Hendricks
Artwork by Fiona Moodie
Video design by Koeka Stander
Lighting design by Patrick Curtis
