John is the resonating story of a highly intelligent man. The only thing that makes sense in his life are numbers, until he falls in love and has his first sexual experience. It starts haunting him, and as he grows older he withdraws deeper into himself, struggling to interact with people on a social level. The story focuses on John’s journey as he delves in to the underworld of sex workers in the hope of finding a replacement for his first love, through them.
In essence, this story explores the sex worker industry – it’s not a pretty story and can often make you feel very uncomfortable. “It’s all too easy to forget that behind every sex worker is a story, and a motivationforwhat they do,” says Lombard, “When asked in preschool what she would like to be when grown up, no little girl will ever say she hopes to be a sex worker one day.”
“Sex workers are all too often judged on assumptions and stereotyped. We applaud the attempt to reflect the reality and complexity of sex worker’s lives in this play,” says Ishtar Lakhani of the Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (Sweat).
Seen through the eyes of John,viewers are granted access into the controversial world of the sex workers that live on the periphery of society. When you hire a sex worker, you are dealing with more than just flesh – you are dealing with a person.
Le Cordeur, through Vulture Productions, has made a name for himself for courageously breaking away from the status quo and integrating different mediums, genres and multi-media art forms into his productions. Tannie Dora Goes Bos, seen in 2014 at Arstcape, received high praise from critics for its quirky, high octane take on a murder mystery. John continues this trend, exploring ways to inspire audiences and offering an edgy thought-provoking theatre piece.
Production: John
Dates: Thursday, 21 to Saturday, 30 May
Venue: Artscape Arena, Cape Town
Tickets, which can be purchased through Computicket, cost R100 person. Tickets for students, scholars (16 to 18-years-old), pensioners and block bookings cost R80.