A Girl Called Owl

Performed by: Pink Rabbit Productions

No director listed

No playwright listed

Note: This production is no longer being performed.

A Girl Called Owl charts a friendship that starts in the heat of the Overberg summer between two ten-year-old girls, finding them again six years later. Olivia arrives in the town with her Dad; she is the new girl, the quiet girl, the weird girl. Then she meets Kay, the girl with the scar. Horwitz performs over ten characters, from the two young girls and their teenage counterparts to both their fathers and a group of boisterous men. Owl is a story about climbing trees, punching boys and kissing girls, touching sensitively, and not without humour, on issues including: coming of age – identity and choice; teen sexuality; homosexuality; domestic abuse; being/feeling different; friendship; love; violence – physical/implicit; changing relationships with authority figures/parents/teachers. The lead character is a girl so the play may be classed under ‘women’s issues’. However, the way in which she relates to the men in her environment, and they to her, makes this play important for men as well.

Written and directed by Jon Keevy, performed by Briony Horwitz, with staging by Fiona du Plooy and music composed for the show by Brydon Bolton, A Girl Called Owl premiered as Owl in 2012, receiving praise such as ‘Horwitz delivers an enchanting performance. Her versatility as an actress is astonishing…moving and evocative.” (Cape Times); “… beautifully observed…totally delicious …” (Megan’s Head) and four stars from the Cape Argus. Since then it has travelled all over SA and at the 2012 National Arts Festival it was invited to the Brighton and Prague Fringe festivals. At Brighton it gathered more praise, including two 5-star reviews and a nomination by Latest magazine as Best International Performance.

Details

Duration:
55 minutes
Recommended Age:
15 years – Adult
Recommended Grade:
Grade 10 – Grade 12
Language(s):
English (first language) No second language listed.
Curriculum Connection:
Creative Arts, Dramatic Arts, Life Orientation/Life Skills
Themes Covered:
Abuse, Change, Choices, Family dynamics, Gender roles, Group dynamics (peer pressure), Heroes, Identity, Intra/interpersonal conflicts, Life skills, Morality, Relationships, Self-efficacy, Self-image, Sexuality, Violence

Photo Gallery

Highlights

Awards won: Nominated for Best International Performance (Latest magazine)
Festivals attended: National Arts Festival 2012, Arts Alive (Johannesburg), Nieu Bethesda Festival, Brighton Fringe Festival