Elizabeth Grace Is a priviledged young girl growing up in Johannesburg. After her nanny, Salamina, gives birth to a daughter, Elizabeth and her family are responsible for keeping the baby hidden. As the story progresses, she begins to learn the harsh realities of the country in which she lives - a shocking repulsion from the innocence of childhood to the cruelty of growing up.  Spanning several decades, The Syringa Tree tells the dramatic, heartbreaking and inspiring tale of a young woman's journey into adulthood. In this show, 6 year old Grace and 23 other characters are all played by one actor. Nancy Rademeyer.

 Info: The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien was first performed in 1999, is set in 1963, and now finds its revival in 2019. Yet, despite years of separation, it remains as relevant on its twentieth anniversary as it was when it was written. Performed at the National Arts Festival this year, it received a Standard Bank Ovation Award and was heralded in the Spotlight newspaper as "fast paced and well polished." 

Bios: Nancy Rademeyer (actress). Nancy Rademeyer’s love for performance started at the age of five when she played the singing and acting role as Mary Magdalene in a nativity play. Following her passion, she was in various productions throughout high school. In 2016, she performed the lead role in The Reason, participated in The Artscape High School Theatre Competition, and she was nominated for Best Actress. In the same year, she received distinction in level 7 LAMDA external examination and performed the role of Verruca Salt in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Nancy has just completed her second year at UCT, studying a BA Theatre and Performance. Jeff Brooker (director). Jeff Brooker loves plays that make realism exciting for a 21st century audience. He practices his belief that detail can be used to give meaning to beauty. He has previously directed a production of Pamela Gien’s The Syringa Tree in the USA, and can't wait to give it a home again in its home country. He can also be found taking a peaceful morning run, watching re-runs of The Bachelor SA, or enjoying a good cup of tea. Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/SyringaTreeSA/

Audience Responses

A truly amazing performance - this young woman was totally believable in each characterisation and she made it really easy to visualise each scene. It was a very moving performance, too. Nancy has a rare talent! The script was really clever in the switching and language and mood - beautifully done. For me personally, I'm not convinced that following the full story to the bitter end was the best choice, although it tied it up neatly and was very heartfelt.

Fantastic acting - it quite blew my mind. It was a real tour de force to

Incredible!

Thank you Nancy and Jeff for a captivating night at the theatre. Proves once again that one doesn't need a million dollar budget to create a masterpiece. Thank you Drama Factory for encouraging young talent, and for consistently staging such top class and varied productions! Raymond

Full 5 - emotions so well expressed

Venue was a bit chilly. Perhaps the aircon could be adjusted?