Cannibal Country

4.06 (16)

Cannibal Country

6 performances between Feb. 15, 2016 and Feb. 20, 2016
Drama | Physical Theatre
Written and directed by Alex McCarthy • Starring Dustin Beck and Amelia Vernede
60mins
2 CANNIBAL COUNTRY DUSTIN BECK AMELIA VERNEDE PHOTO CREDIT MAGGIE GERICKE.jpg DSC_0530.jpg 3 CANNIBAL COUNTRY DUSTIN BECK AMELIA VERNEDE PHOTO CREDIT MAGGIE GERICKE.jpg
When a young man comes face to face with the nation’s first legal eater of people, it confirms what everyone feared: the new law legalising cannibalism isn’t supposed to alleviate poverty at all. It has some other purpose. But what? To find out the young man must survive, escape and uncover the true source of his pursuer’s, his own and his country’s dark impulses. 

Embark on a journey of justice, revenge, and self-worth with a young company of formidable talent.
Cannibal Country is an epic action-adventure two hander, that spirals from the derelict skyscrapers of urban South Africa, down into its Protea guarded valley’s and back towards the cufflink wearing horror at its heart. Told through text and physical theatre, Cannibal Country is a new play, opening for the first time at the Alexander Upstairs performed by young and exciting rising talents Dustin Beck and Amelia Vernede. 

Cannibal Country examines the violence capitalism inflicts on the minds’ of both the privileged, and the under-privileged. A visceral, thrilling and dynamic performance, Cannibal Country examines the base impulse behind South Africans’ lives: consume. As citizens operating in a free market environment, without fulfilling this action, the country as we know it would collapse. How does this subtle but constant action affect our ways of being, our ways of seeing others, and our ways of seeing ourselves?   “[Alex McCarthy]’s writing is sharp and witty and carries a deep thread of sardonic irony and cynical social critique.” – Tracey Saunders for the Cape Times.

Alex McCarthy graduated from UCT’s Theatre and Performance program in 2014, receiving the Mavis Taylor award for theatre-making. With Callum Tilbury, he won the Best Writing award for UHM (2014) at the National Arts Festival Student Festival, later performed at Artscape and at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK). Alex was Resident Playwright at the Baxter Theatre Centre in 2015. As part of his residency, he was dramaturge on Most Honest Man (2015) at the Flipside theatre. Also as part of his residency, he wrote and directed The White Man’s Guide to Sacrifice (2015) at the Golden Arrow Studio. In 2015 he wrote and directed Fog Ducking (2015) for AFDA Cape Town’s live performance department. For their graduating students he directed Neil McCarthy’s Rainshark (2015). 

Amelia Vernede, actress.  Amelia graduated from Theatre and Performance at UCT in 2014. In 2014 she performed in A lie of the Mind, Mephisto, 12th Night at the Macbeth’s, Lion on the Path and Whale Nation. Nicolas Ellenbogen and Hilda Crone’s Ebola. She spent 2015 in London where she performed in No Man’s Time Automatics’ Dido and Aeneas (2015). She played Juliet Romeo and Juliet and Cordelia in King Lear for Bards Theatre Company. 

Dustin Beck, actor.   Graduated from UCT’s Perfomance Diploma progam in 2015. During this period he performed in Jacque Singer’s The Seagull (2015), Amy Jephta’s Begeerte (2015), Mdu Kweyama’s The Dead Wait (2014) and Amy Jephta’s Die Kortstondige Raklewe v. Annastacia W. (2014). He has also worked with Alfred Hinkle on My Country South Africa (2010) and Dancescape (2008). In 2015 Jason Jacobs directed Dustin in Kalahari Swaan. Dustin is also the co-founder of KleiSand Theatre Company, which focuses on uplifting communities through theatre and movement workshops and performances. 

Media & Reviews

Review of Cannibal Country by David Fick

Press listing of Cannibal Country on Broadway World

Audience Responses

Incredible just incredible !

Trent • Attended Feb. 15, 2016, 9 p.m.
5.0

I was rather disappointed with Cannibal Country, the more so because I came to it perhaps expecting too much after seeing White Man's Guide to Sacrifice last year. Indeed so impressed was I with last year's show that I brought another 5 people with me. But Cannibal Country lacked the wit and humour of the previous offering. The physical theatre was not clever enough or indeed physical enough to engage us, and I felt that Amelia's different characters lacked real definition. Dustin Beck was better. I think I understood the underlying premise of the piece to be something like "the world is such an unequal place where the rich as good as devour the poor so that we may as well legitimise it by legalising cannibalism". I also really think that Alex McCarthy is potentially an extraordinary talent, so I would like this criticism to be taken as positive rather than negative comment!

Charles • Attended Feb. 19, 2016, 9 p.m.
2.0

We enjoyed the play. Quite physical, actors had great strength and intensity.

Laurence • Attended Feb. 18, 2016, 9 p.m.
4.0

Charistmatic performances drove the play and instilled intrigue within the audience.

Petrus • Attended Feb. 18, 2016, 9 p.m.
4.0

Had a lovely evening also with dinner. Really enjoyed the play but I am obviously biased as Amelia is my daughter. Aside from this to encourage local writers and actors and to see such a high standard is encouraging. Alexander Bar plays an important role here. Many thanks for an enjoyable play and evening. Scip

Scip • Attended Feb. 17, 2016, 9 p.m.
4.0

I attended with staff and students from the International School of Hout Bay - all thoroughly enjoyed the energy, physicality and multiple characters performed by this two fabulous young actors.

Judi • Attended Feb. 17, 2016, 9 p.m.
4.0

The show was INTENSE. With very minimalistic stage-prop and costumes the actors told a very moving story about South Africa. The flawless interaction of the actors showed how well prepared this play must have been. Different slangs, dialects and even wrestling moves left me astonished and fascinated. It was a conceptually smart, artistically high-quality and very demanding play that I can just recommend to anyone who is not sure about his/her plans for a Thursday evening. Big thanks to the actors again for their dedicative show - it goes very appreciated!

Randolf • Attended Feb. 18, 2016, 9 p.m.
5.0

Great performances, fabulous energy, physicality and creativity. Lovely direction. I had problems with the script and concept. It's an idea that is so big, the stakes are so high, and it is almost impossible to resolve without de-escalating it. If it's about cannibals someone has got to be eaten. Loved the opening chase scene the most.

Megan • Attended Feb. 17, 2016, 9 p.m.
3.0

I really enjoyed the show last night, it was funny, thought provoking and interesting with a great use of props and lighting. I would be very interested in coming to see more shows like it.

Gayle • Attended Feb. 18, 2016, 9 p.m.
5.0

It was well acted, brilliantly directed. However there was something in the story that felt ... deja vu ish.

Peter • Attended Feb. 17, 2016, 9 p.m.
4.0

Enjoyed this. McCarthy is a shining talent. And his actors did a pretty good job of his satirical, futuristic political thriller in comic book/graphic novel style. The physical theatre action was impressive! Wished we'd had a bit more of the comedy of the kind we saw in Beck's hilariously out-of-shape cop. Can do with some tightening and I hope he's given the opportunity to develop this further - as he did with WHITE MAN'S GUIDE. As in that play, CANNIBAL COUNTRY makes some astute social/political comment, once or twice maybe too explicit. Great use of Cape Town backdrop.

Nigel • Attended Feb. 15, 2016, 9 p.m.

Great evening out, with more work excellent

Clare • Attended Feb. 19, 2016, 9 p.m.
4.0

one of the better ones