We were completely unprepared for the brutality of Visigoths, and left before the end.
Louis Viljoen’s new play at the Baxter’s Masambe Theatre, which had been described as “thrilling”, was absolutely brutal, violent and hateful in ways that smashed through our limits of tolerance.
Graphic descriptions of gang rape of a teenaged boy, who has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by four men, induced feelings of panic, and we were compelled to do what the boy could not do for two weeks: escape.
Feeling trapped and forced to bear witness to horrendous, repeated sexual violence against a boy highlighted the horror of his situation. The unrelenting stream of slick, sometimes almost playful dialogue, magnified our own horror and repulsion.
Visigoths should come with a warning.
The production does come with multiple trigger warnings. Wherever it is advertised online and as well in the foyer there are warnings worded as follows: TRIGGER WARNING: PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRODUCTION OF THE VISIGOTHS CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AND STRONG LANGUAGE.
This is a poorly written and misguided ‘review’