We must eat our suckers with the wrappers on... The title is straightforward enough. "We must it our suckers with the wrappers on" is a widespread idiom in the townships of Johannesburg. White South African choreographer Robyn Orlin chose this title for her play dealing with Aids, because the cynical metaphor will do away with hackneyed pathos and reveal the social taboo, the pandemia, the tragedy taking place in her mother-country. Thick lipstick, bright plastic buckets, lots and lots of red lollipops, 77 light bulbs, street games, rhythmical group movements, everyday behaviour, zulu dances and jazzy a-capella songs combine to surrealistic images and bitterly ironic street stories. Her lively humour, Orlin’s trademark at other occasions, is almost completely missing, as the serious nature of the issue, in a country where one out of nine is HIV positive, seems to require. Orlin is considered one of South Africa’s most provocative and controversial artists. The Art Institute of Chicago graduate creates political art combining interventionalist, image and dance theatre, with video projections counterbalancing reality and blurring the gap between audience and actors. Orlin has been creating performances and installations since 20 years, she was awarded several prizes (ao. the Lawrence Olivier Award). In 2007 she collaborated with William Christie for a production for he National Ballet de la Opéra de Paris. Robyn Orlin / City Theatre & Dance Group Johannesburg - "We must eat our suckers with the wrappers on..." at the ImPulsTanz Video Gallery Duration: approx. 50 minutes