Quanita Adams Receives a Standing Ovation for At Her Feet at the Baxter Theatre this Weekend!

On Saturday 1 December 2018, Cultsha Kennis had the extraordinary opportunity to finally see At Her Feet, a long-awaited show which we had been dying to see since first reading the playscript in 2014!

At Her Feet is a one-woman show written and directed by Nadia Davids and is performed by the well-loved Quanita Adams, an artistic collaboration which the 2003 Cape Times referred to as a "triumphant combination", and Cultsha Kennis agrees! The title of the production is derived from a Hadith (record of words and actions of the Prophet of Islam), "Paradise lies at the feet of thy mother" and tells the story of 4 contemporary Muslim women in Cape Town whose lives are affected by the 9/11 happenings and the honour killing of a Jordanian girl, Azra Al-Jamal.  

Using poetry and the scarf as a recurring motif throughout the show, the audiences were shown what makes a Cape Muslim experience. Auspicious rituals were referenced, such as the sehri meal during Ramadaan when "the flicker of several house lights at 4am indicates the presence of a religion".  

A bag of scarves and a rail of outfits were present on stage to assist the lead actress in her character transformations, along with a playlist of selected songs which spoke to the personality of each pending character as they appeared on stage. The 4 characters consisted of Sara, who partly played the role of a narrator and took us through memories of learning how to pray at Moslem School growing up. We learn more about Sara from the perspective of her aunt, Aunty Kariema, as she bakes pies in the kitchen for boeka time while dancing to "Give A Little Love" by Zane Adams ("if you smile while you are cooking, people who eat your food can taste your happiness!"). While not typically representing the progressive kind, Aunty Kariema reveals a cultural consciousness about her when she mentions that Cape Tonian's no longer used the Indonesian-derivative "tramakassie" and now use the Arabic phrases "Shukran" and "Afwan".     

Ayesha, the youngest of the characters, a secular born-free appears on stage wearing a Che Guvara t-shirt which she bought at Truworths in Cavendish, and who bases her Islamic identity on the teachings of Edward Said "mixed with a bit of Steve Biko and Lauryn Hill". Her cousin and nemesis, Tahirah, is a travel agent who navigates herself through the financial responsibilities of a newlywed and the pressures of removing her hijab to accommodate the controversial responses of her customers to her Muslim identity after 9/11.

Only an insider to this community could capture the little moments in the story, such as the notorious youth fashion parade on Labarang eve at the Waterfront - the “triamphant combination" that is Quanita Adams and Nadia Davids!

***At Her Feet is playing until Saturday 8 December. Book your tickets at web-ticket outlets! See more on the show here: http://www.baxter.co.za/shows/at-her-feet/