Play explores human-baboon interactions

Unruly, a one-man play starring Andrew Buckland, explores the experiences of Cape Peninsula baboons’ human neighbours.

Produced by Empatheatre, in collaboration with the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Unruly Natures research project, it asks the question: “How should we, as humans, act towards a nature that doesn’t always behave the way we expect it to?”

Last year, the Unruly Natures research team surveyed residents’ views on baboons in a study area from Constantia in the north to Murdock Valley in the south and Kommetjie in the west (“Researchers to survey public’s views on baboons,” Bulletin, May).

The play draws from anonymous survey data as well as interviews and other research conducted by Empatheatre. A report with findings from the survey was published in January and is available on the Unruly Natures website at unrulynatures.com

From Saturday June 1 to Friday June 7, the play will tour Ocean View, Kommetjie, Constantia, Simon’s Town, Da Gama Park, Welcome Glen, and Capri, and dialogues involving the audience will follow each performance.

“These conversations will contribute valuable insights to the ongoing research of the Unruly Natures project, fostering a deeper understanding of human-wildlife interactions, and help city, community forums, local municipalities and the general public explore new ways of understanding how we might live well together in a rapidly changing world,” said Johan Enqvist, a researcher and project leader for Unruly Natures.

Combining academic research and theatre was a powerful way of talking about complex issues, he said.

“Academic researchers realise more and more that science and information is not enough when it comes to problems that affect people’s daily lives. By working with Empatheatre, we hope to invite the public into our research, to discuss and learn together in an empathetic way,” Dr Enqvist said.

Mr Buckland said he had wanted to work with Empatheatre ever since he had heard of their work.

“I was excited by what I understood to be their driving motivation which seemed to align so exactly with my own in making theatre work. To create spaces in which we humans can exercise and practise the skill of empathy; this seems to me to be at the very heart and core of the act of theatre. The creative process has exceeded my expectations, and I cannot wait to engage with the audience with this material and with the interactions it stimulates.”

Neil Coppen, who wrote the play and directs it, said: “I thought I was writing a play about baboons when we started, but what I’ve learned is this ‘issue’ spans deeper into our relationships as humans and how often we misunderstand each other. It’s more a project about humans and how we navigate our neighbourhoods and grapple with our own entangled histories to a place.”

You can watch Unruly at Ocean View Secondary School on Saturday June 1, from 2.30pm to 5pm; Kommetjie St Joseph’s Church on Sunday June 2, from 2.30pm to 5pm; Constantia Alphen Hall on Monday June 3, from 5.30pm to 8pm; Simon’s Town Town Hall on Tuesday June 4, from 5.30pm to 8pm; Da Gama Park Educare Preschool on Wednesday June 5, from 5.30pm to 8pm; Welcome Glen Rotary Camp conference hall on Thursday June 6, from 5.30pm to 8pm; and Living Hope in Capri on Friday June 7, from 5.30pm to 8pm.

Fifty to 80 tickets are being made available for each performance. Contact Johan Enqvist at johan.enqvist@su.se or Kinga Psiuk at kingapsiuk@gmail.com to reserve your spot.