Stupid F'ing Bird

The resounding “voetsak” (go away) bellowed during a scene by Awethu Hleli, who plays Emma in this reimagining of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, leaves little doubt that the dark comedy lands squarely in South African territory. 

Now showing at the Baxter Theatre Centre, Aaron Posner's Stupid F'ing Bird proves that Chekhov’s century-old observations about human behaviour remain entirely relatable.

Timeless human desires

Director Maria Weisby’s interpretation emphasises that, while the world has changed dramatically since Chekhov wrote The Seagull in the late 19th century, human longing has not. Everyone in this story is searching for something. Whether it be recognition, success or affection, almost no one finds it where they expect. 

Loneliness, as portrayed in the production, suggests it's not an individual struggle but a shared social condition. In a world increasingly connected, yet emotionally distant, the play lands with surprise immediacy and engagement - even as the audience is directly solicited for ways the scenes should unfold and a delightful turn that somehow personalises the overall experience of watching the play even further. 

A collision of relatable characters

Centred on a young playwright, Con, played by Nirel Sithole, who is desperate to breathe new life into the theatre. Each actor in The Baxter's Fires Burning Company approaches their role with such convincing verve that the inevitable collision of each character's flaws becomes all the more impactful.  

Con's restless ambition is captured perfectly by Sithole. His mother, Emma, played with delicious bite by Hleli, is a theatre diva in every sense as their complicated mother-son relationship plays out. Then there is Trigorin, played by Carlo Daniels, with the easy charm of a successful writer oozing magnetism and creative confidence. Tamzin Daniels plays Nina, an aspiring actress and dreamer in every sense. It's her fixation on a seagull that Con eventually shoots that becomes the emotional anchor of the play’s title, a symbol of something seemingly both ordinary and extraordinary.  

Nolufefe Ntshuntshe's Marsh is so convincing that you can almost see the storm cloud hovering above her, as she stomps through her dry humour of unrequited love.  Then there is Dev, played by Lyle October, who may appear quite simple, but his sincerity makes him the most emotionally honest character. While everyone else chases impossible ideals, Dev simply offers love, willing to risk rejection.  

Carrying the weight of his character Uncle Sorn's weary wisdom, Lwanda Sindaphi's has us nodding in agreement at how a lifetime of love, ambition and regret is rarely tied up with a neat bow, and can have you gasping at how quickly it all goes by in the blink of an eye. 

Why Book?

Under Weisby’s direction, Stupid F'ing Bird is extremely relatable. The play balances humour with heartbreak as fame seduces, while love and ambition bring the second half crashing down around the characters. The play is just over two hours with an intermission. Still, you'd hardly notice, as its message has a mirrored resonance: beneath the chaos of life, everyone is simply searching for love and acceptance in one form or another.