Set in the present day, The List is a compelling and riveting tour de force of everyday to-do lists in which the essential and the ordinary are inextricably entwined. A housewife who prides herself on never letting anything slip by overlooks an item on her list and is forced to deal with its consequences. She has moved away from the chaos of city living to a simpler, quieter alternative where she can raise her two children. However, the difficulty of adapting to rural life, making friends with other mothers in the neighbourhood and obsessing with mundane to-do lists compound to create a moving and poetic one-person play. When a friend requests a favour from her, she adds it to her list. The difference between remembering to do it, and neglecting to take it seriously, is at the heart of the story. It resonates and reverberates.

Canadian theatre director, Kelly Thornton describes it best: “It is this ranking from insignificant to imperative that fascinates me and speaks volumes to how we overlook our most vital human relationships, while navigating through our busy lives.”

This is Johannesburg-based Henriques’ directorial debut in Cape Town. She is an actor, writer and director. She trained at the Oxford School of Drama and spent two years working in various locations in London, including the Tabard Theatre, which specialises in new writing. On returning to South Africa she joined the innovative Loft Theatre Company in Durban. But it was at the Market Theatre that she did some of her most challenging and exciting work. She has performed in both film and theatre. Together with Irene Stephanou she wrote the book, The World in an Orange - Exploring the work of Barney Simon, which was short-listed for the Alan Paton Award for Non Fiction. Her direction credits include Yerma, Road, and Midwinter, all at the Wits Theatre. In 2012, she directed Mike van Graan’s Iago’s Last Dance and Red Shoes, a collaboration between Wits and New York University.

“The List is a gripping tale with a thriller-like quality but set in a kitchen. As mothers, managing families and our careers can be quite challenging but we manage somehow,” says Henriques, herself a mother of three children. “The time when children are little is so personal and fundamental. This play expresses so many nuances of that fraught beautiful stage. How does a modern woman with so many demands on her for perfection manage her most intimate relationships - make lists?”

Celebrated actress, Susan Danford returns to the Baxter stage for the first time in four years since her acclaimed performance in I, Claudia and before that in 2006, when she won the Fleur du Cap Best Actress Award for her performance in Betrayal, directed by Lara Foot. She received Fleur du Cap nominations for her roles in I, Claudia at the Baxter and Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass, opposite Sir Antony Sher.

With over 40 theatre credits ranging from the classics to new contemporary South African works (most recently in Mike van Graan’s Green Man Flashing), Danford has an impressive list of television credits with feature roles in over 13 South African series. As she is equally adept in Afrikaans, these include Vloeksteen, League of Glory, Land of Thirst, Known Gods, 7de Laan and Onder Draai Die Duiwel Rond. Among her film highlights are Invictus, Catch a Fire (with Tim Robbins), The Adventures of Laurel and Hardy (with F.Murray Abraham), I Dreamed of Africa (with Kim Basinger and Daniel Craig) and most recently, the South African movie, Fynbos.

“For me there was an instant resonance with the character in this story,” says Danford, mother of an nine-year old. “As an actress I have played a broad range of roles - from Southern Belles to the woman from Benoni - but none, for me, so specifically and poetically capturing the contemporary woman - taking the domestic to an epic and majestic level.”

Originally written in French and translated by Shelley Tepperman, The List has earned the Canadian Governor-General’s Literary Award for French Drama, the Prix Michel-Tremblay Award for best new play and the Laurentian Bank of Canada Playwright’s Award, as well as an Edinburgh Festival Fringe First for script. The play has been translated into several languages and produced on stages around the world.

In 2011 Quebec-born Tremblay published a sequel to The List (La Liste) entitled Le Carrousel, as well as an illustrated poetic travel diary entitled De la Ville, il ne me reste que toi. She remains the editor and literary director of Les Éditions de la Bagnole which she co-founded in 2004, and has had short stories published in several magazines. She has penned over one hundred episodes for the Radio Canada children’s television series Les Chatouilles and she has subsequently published a novel, Tout ce qui brille, as well as numerous children’s books.

Tepperman has been praised for her translation of the compelling one-hander. She is one of Canada’s pre-eminent translators, having translated over 30 plays, working from French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Three of her play translations, including The List, have been nominated for the prestigious Governor-General’s Literary Award. She is also a dramaturg and works in documentary film and television as a writer, director, and story editor.

The award-winning Mannie Manim is responsible for lighting, Patrick Curtis, recently nominated for four Fleur du Cap 2013 awards, for design and costumes are by Birrie le Roux.

The Baxter Monday special will apply on 15, 22 and 29 April, where patrons can enjoy a sumptuous buffet meal at the Baxter restaurant, operated by Theresa Peters from the Maharaj, and then go on to the performance at 19:00, for just R110. There will be a Taste, Tweet and Theatre evening on Thursday, 11 April for R110 and then there is a special ‘bring your friend’ performance on Friday, 12 April, where two tickets are available for the price of one. Follow the Baxter on Facebook for updates of other events planned for this production.

The List previews at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio on Thursday, 11 and Friday, 12 April at 18:30, opens on Saturday, 13 April at 19:00 and runs for three weeks until Saturday, 4 May at 19:00 nightly (except on Tuesday, 23 April). Ticket prices are R110 for previews, R130 for Monday to Thursday, and R150 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Booking is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000, online at www.computicket.co.za or at any Shoprite Checkers outlets. For discounted group block-bookings, fundraisers or charities contact Sharon Ward on 021 680 3962 or [email protected] or Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993 or [email protected].