The Things You Left Behind
An accident.
Who was there?
What did they see?
What really happened?
A white car-guard,
a mother hooked on therapy,
an American who came to South Africa and decided to stay,
a paramedic bored with life,
a struggling drag artist and lover of all things French.
Five people’s experiences of a life. The Things You Left Behind isn’t a love story. It’s the story around a love story. It’s the story of all the heartbreaks, little and large, that affect others on the periphery of the lovers’ grand narrative. In a series of five charming, moving and intensely human monologues shared by two actors, it takes on the unexpected, the unexplored perspectives on the age-old tale of relationship break ups.
From the perspective of Delores, the drag queen from Delft, to Erwin, the only white car guard in the city, the characters are drawn simultaneously closer to the love story and a car accident that connect them. Also caught up in the unfolding events are a would-be philosopher paramedic, an ex-lover about to get married and a mother hooked on therapy.
The Things You Left Behind reveals the subtle, profound bonds that life forges between complete strangers, the hundreds of coincidences and connections that happen each day without us realising it.
Audience Responses
Original, confidently executed and well-observed vignettes with a satisfying linkage add up to a moving Cape Town story. Acting and directing superb. My first outing to the Alexander Upstairs will not be my last.
Well written, great acting and we enjoyed the intimate venue. The meal of the day after the show was hot, tasty and we were served by staff who enjoyed their job and cared about our enjoyment.
I went with a group of five friends and everyone really enjoyed it plus we were discussing and debating about it afterwards for quiet a while, something a good play should do, it should stay with you.
Great play, great venue. Thanks!
Nice piece of writing: five different viewpoints on the same incident, told in five independent monologues. Played well by two actors: Jason Potgieter and Alicia McCormack. Potgieter’s white car guard was verbally and vocally well-captured; his gay/bi/dunno middle character was for me the least interesting (I couldn’t even remember what it was the next day); his tranny Doleré was excellent: speech and gestures spot-on. McCormack was great as the mother of the gay boy who came out: speech and nervous tics well observed and integrated; she was more-or-less miscast as the lesbo paramedic – I wasn’t convinced, though it was a nice try. Kerfoot held it all together well.
Awesome! Excellent acting.
Very sweet show. Well acted. Ideal for the venue.....
We loved the show - best theater we've seen for a long time. My husband knew nothing about it and couldn't believe there were only 2 actors. When they took their bows he was waiting for the other 3 ! - and we loved the venue. We'll be back for more! Thanks Joanna Hardie
Brilliant show, had dinner afterwards, really enjoyable evening.
Thank you, I thought it was a really good show and a nice experience. The actors both did an amazing job.
Exceeded expectations - strong performances, a compelling storyline, and an intimate yet comfortable venue. Note: not all Americans are fat! Thanks for a wonderful evening!
Enjoyed the play. Also impressed by the direct marketing, the efficient ticketing system, the service on arrival and the follow up like this - other theatres can learn much from this!
5 out of 5 We thought it was excellent. Very poignant and moving. Outstanding acting. Well done to all.
Thank you very much for an excellent show. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thought the show was very good. I liked the themed monologues, each of which was beautifully written, and sensitively performed. A great night out.
Lovely and touching performances. Really liked it. Felt it could do with 1 extra scene - possible with both actors together.. Congratulations x
We loved it! The actors were real, the script was credible and poetic - revealing people that we could easily recognize and for whom we had empathy - under subtle direction. The characters drew you in - we wanted to know their stories. Well done - great production
Very good show, great characters and acting
loved the show. And I love this small little intimate and good vibey theatre where I can sip my drink, sit back & just enjoy. Have been to a few shows here now and haven't been disappointed.
This was a wonderful wonderful show - amazing! Thank you.
This was the second time I've seen this play and I enjoyed it even more this time. It is beautifully crafted and sensitively acted by two outstanding actors. Intelligent, moving, hilarious and wrenching by turns, it is an exceptional piece of theatre. GO AND SEE IT!!
Very well written play, brilliant acting Thank you!
Definitely top-end theatre - we loved it because it edu-tianed. Keep them coming at this quality please!
Brilliant show, had dinner afterwards, really enjoyable evening.
Love this type of intimate bare-bones production, entirely local. Although set in CT with amusing local flavour this gentle little tragedy could occur anywhere. Skilfully and movingly written and acted - well done everyone involved!
We thoroughly enjoyed the show, well acted, finely nuanced, and keenly directed. Staff before and after gave hospitable, friendly service. It was a first visit -we'll definitely be back.
Outstanding acting - moving, amusing, intelligent and thought-provoking. Well done! Possibly the writer tried to tackle too many different issues in the play, but it was an outstanding evening's theatre.
I thoroughly enjoyed it - flawless acting - loved the script, it was raw,simple and honest. Was very clever without trying to be clever - worth watching, even a second time. First time I've stood to applaud in a long time.
Excellent acting & clever premise; Highly recommendable
Very good performance, deserves a bigger coverage and recognition... Enjoyed it !!!
Good acting and direction but the writing leant too heavily on stereotypes. In the end what was left behind wasn't interesting enough nor was the dead man's motivation. Tired two-dimensional 'coming out' story in old SAn context. Good drama is more nuanced and surprising.
excellent play and excellent cast
Superbly scripted and stunningly acted. A rare treat that focuses on important issues surrounding margins and mainstream. It's handled with scalpel precsion, sharp insight and warm wit. See http://mapmyway.co.za/things-left-behind-alexander-upstairs/. Best. MapMyWay
heavier than i expected but superb acting and excellently written ! thoroughly enjoyed
As a fellow artist and (ex) director myself, I couldn't fault the overall experience. I felt at home from the moment i walked in. Superb, hands on and friendly service in the bar...really felt looked after. And the show was superb. It's not easy performing in such an intimate venue, the risk always to be either ott or too small in your performance. One of the best two handers i've seen in a long time. The characters were all so well formed and authentic. Really impressed. Good luck in Grahamstown and i look forward to Love & Prozac! Thanks again for a really great evening! Regards Sue Lloyd-Roberts
Brilliant acting and a lots to reflect on about life and consequences.
This was a wonderful wonderful show - amazing! Thank you.
Outstanding production. Sincerest congratulations and applause to the writer of the play--it was sensitive, raw, beautiful. Thank you!
The second time I've seen it at Alexander Bar. Both times it moved me. Great acting and excellent production. I'll watch it a third and fourth time at Alexander Bar.
Excellent, incredible, superb. Fine acting. Brilliant material.
5 out of 5: powerfully, succinctly written, moving, funny (in parts). Top-class acting.
Thoroughly enjoyable and incredibly immersive, which given the tiny stage and relative lack of decor is a compliment to the actors and director! Suggestion: A better method for the actors to enter and exit the stage would help sustain the immersion factor. The curtain seemed a bit awkward.
Brilliant!!!!!
Thanks - Great production in an everyday life situation with thought provoking dialogue & performance(s).