Society’s openness to therapy and unshackling themselves from stigmas around seeking help has become commonplace and with art being a reflection of society, this has been palpable in countless artworks throughout the world. For her play Count to Five , South African playwright Zamalisa Mdoda utilised the psychotherapy counting method designed for trauma resolution. “I am a huge advocate for therapy.
I don’t think it solves everything but having tools to combat the difficulties of mental illness has been so important to dealing with my own illnesses and trauma,” Mdoda told The Citizen . The one-woman show Count to Five just wrapped up its run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. In the play, Mdoda portrays fictionalized versions of her younger self, her 20-year-old self, Theodora, God and a personification of her anger as a Black woman, embodied by her present-day self.
“Theodora, the houseless character, is a woman. Her vocal delivery is harsher and probably read as masculine because her voice is worn down by the life she lived,” explains Mdoda. “My only critique was at the end of the show she [Mdoda] apologized saying it was her first performance at the Fringe.
This performance was quite strong and there was no need for any apologies,” averred a reviewer after watching Count to Five . Bravery recognised Count to Five has received favourable reviews for how authentic she has written and her dexterity in her portrayal of the five characters. So moving .