at the courtyard presents Roger Lucey

ABOUT

 “A QUINTESSENTIALLY SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIENCE this Saturday night with Roger Lucey telling his tales of how to build a house in the mountain. 

A solo show, in the form of narrative interspersed with song (or maybe it's the other way round) either way he puts himself under the spotlight as he takes us through his personal initiation rite into manhood by building a house, something he's never done before nor has any aptitude or skills for. Yet the arduous task of building, sandbag by sandbag, has a profoundly healing effect on the deep wound he carries. As he builds, so he also reveals; the higher the walls, the more we discover his story; his yearnings as a young man eager for recognition as a singer/songwriter chronicling the crimes of apartheid, the hidden but ruthless systemic blocking of his music career, his descent into despair. 

There's warmth, honesty and humour in Roger's performance. We get to laugh a lot, at his youthful escapades, at our country’s mad and dangerous absurdities, despite the horror. His songs are compelling powerhouses of emotion. Through his personal story, he documents a piece of South Africa's history, both the shame and the redemption.”

Words (slightly edited) by Nina Gerghty who attended a show by Roger this past weekend. 

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