Interview: Greg Karvellas of 'MASTER HAROLD'... AND THE BOYS at The Fugard Theatre

Greg Karvellas is back in the director's seat for The Fugard Theatre's production of the poignant "MASTER HAROLD"... AND THE BOYS. Having recently directed the critically-acclaimed STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT, Karvellas reveals to BroadwayWorld what he learnt about Fugard, where he is taking MASTER HAROLD, and why this historical play still resonates today.

BWW: "MASTER HAROLD"... AND THE BOYS" kicks off Fugard's 2020 season. Why did you choose this as your first piece of the season to work with?

Greg: In planning our 2020 season, the first with me being the newly appointed Artistic Director, Eric Abraham our founding producer and I felt that it would be a perfect play to celebrate the Fugard Theatre's 10th birthday which is on the 12th of February. It's a brilliant play which is both moving and horrifying and remains as relevant now as it was in the 1980's when it was first produced.

BWW: Between the lighter and darker moments of MASTER HAROLD, how are you approaching the play from a stylistic point of view?

Greg: Wolf Britz, the set and lighting designer, and I wanted to explore the notion of memory and what is remembered and what isn't. We have opted for a very stripped back but realistic set which is designed to give the total focus to the characters and the words. It is also a structural replica of the real St. George's Tea Room in that we have re-created the footprint of the architecture of the room based on some extraordinary reference pictures and floor plans we managed to source.

BWW: Tell us a bit about your cast. Why did you choose the actors you chose?

Greg: I have been given a truly amazing cast and I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them. Desmond Dube has performed at the Fugard twice in the past (I SEE YOU and KING KONG) and since working with him as a producer I have wanted to find something we could collaborate on. Desmond is a powerhouse of an actor and what he is bringing to the Sam character is breathtaking.

Kai Luke Brummer is another actor I have had my eye on for a while. I have known Kai since he was in university and have watched him develop into a truly remarkable talent. His work on THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME was inspiring and his performance in the soon-to-be-released feature film Moffie, produced by Eric Abraham is gut-wrenching. Though an adult actor, Kai brings a unique intensity and vulnerability to the role of Hally.

Then last but definitely not least is Siya Mayola. Siya is a brilliant performer who just blew me away in his audition. His understanding and connection to Fugard's writing and the sensitivity he is bringing to the character of Willie is a joy to work with.

BWW: The relationship between Hally, Sam and Willie is a tumultuous one. What has been the process of developing that with your actors?

Greg: I collaborate with actors; I have initial reactions and ideas when approaching a text but spend the majority of my rehearsal process unpacking the text and encouraging the actors to show me their takes on the story, then shaping that. What is so beautiful about these characters and all of Fugard's characters is the sheer amount of humanity they contain. Our process has been one of exploring that humanity and finding our own personal connections to it.

BWW: This will be your second Fugard play you've directed in quite a short time since STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT. What did you learn about directing Fugard from STATEMENTS that you can use in MASTER HAROLD?

Greg: I think the greatest lesson I have learnt is the duality of the language and the recurring symbolism in Fugard work; it's an incredibly thing to uncover and explore.

BWW: How is MASTER HAROLD still relevant today?

Greg: MASTER HAROLD is a mirror, framed by the past but shooting our modern day South African society right back at us.

BWW: I always find MASTER HAROLD a bittersweet ending. What do you want audiences to take away from seeing this play?

Greg: I want audiences to look at each of the characters through their own personal lenses - past present and future - and uncover the very important lessons and warnings about South Africa and the world that Athol Fugard, one of the greatest living playwrights, is giving us. As Sam puts it "... Are we never going to get it right? ... Learn to dance life like champions instead of always being just a bunch of beginners at it..."

Photo credit: Claude Barnardo

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"MASTER HAROLD"... AND THE BOYS will be performed in The Fugard Studio Theatre from 4 February on Tuesday to Saturdays at 8pm with matinees on Saturday and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets from R180 to R250 can be booked through The Fugard Theatre box office on 021 461 4554 or through The Fugard Theatre's website at www.thefugard.com