Well-known director Jerry Pooe has long been a campaigner for more funding of the arts, particularly in KZN. He has many good productions to his credit and these have included Nongogo for the Playhouse Company in 1996 and a production of The Island for the North West Performing Arts Council which appeared at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival in Grahamstown several years back.

Multi-talented Jerry is also a writer and lyricist and his latest creation, Peace in the Valley presented by the Playhouse Company, is running in the Playhouse Drama until March 5. Already staged at PACOFS, BAT Centre and Technikon Natal, the show took him three years to write and a further three years to stage. The programme notes state: “In 1998, after several failed attempts at getting funding for this project, I decided to save money from my own pocket and asked for volunteer actors as I felt very strongly that this project had to be done. It is, after all, about our country, our lives, our history, our present, our future, our hopes, our children, indeed our continent.”

A dedicated team of about 25 people rallied to his cry, among them well-known singer and musician Tu Nokwe who became the show’s musical director, her mother Patti Nokwe who acted as voice coach and multi-award-winning dancer and choreographer Boyzie Cekwana who has created the dance sequences.

Together, they have produced a fast-moving show which features a strong and energetic cast of 19. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and with more than a nod at Leonard Bernstein’s musical version, West Side Story, Peace in the Valley is the story of star-crossed lovers Sputla and Maria. The two young lovers come from different areas of KwaMashu, a section torn apart by political violence. They despairingly declare their feelings for each other and watch their love become battered and eventually crushed in conditions of conflict, revenge and gang warfare.

Dawn King puts in a committed and impassioned performance as Maria particularly in her final scenes. Buyani Shangase is consistently sincere and likeable as Sputla, extracting much gentle humour from his part as the lovelorn young man. Pulling in most of the laughs in their roles as two old men who observed the carryings-ons of the youngsters and bewailed the old times were the imposing Joel Zuma and fiery Mnatha Vika. They also proved they could do a nifty shoe shuffle!

Also notable were Mbheki Mabida as the impulsive Bra Tony, Santo Maphumulo (who alternates the part of Maria) as the drunken woman, Bulelwa Maqungo as Maria’s loyal friend and Sandile Sithebe as her dominating father.

The songs have been written either by Tu Nokwe (notably Awe Awe and Anibongihawukela) or Jerry Pooe (Together and This is Home) as well as Joshua’s time-honoured Mangi Bona Ilanga). The title of the production comes from a well-known American gospel number which Jerry has been fond of for many years.