Grahamstown — The Table - a play showcased at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown - is spread with delectable dishes of love, jealousy, infidelity and remorse prepared by a dysfunctional Jewish South African family.

The dinner ceremony commences with the unwrapping of Kitka - traditional Jewish bread, marking the beginning of a melodramatic meal that ends with sweets for dessert.

The play is directed by Sylvaine Strike, who creatively combines physical theatre and modern dance to unpack the inner conflict that each character wrestles with.

Throughout the play, a unique sound technique is employed that is cleverly created by the cast themselves to unfold the storyline.

"Memories caught in the wood"

Craig Higginson's writing is garnished with rich and emotive language and this takes viewers on a journey into the minds of each character as the cast enacts dramatic flash-backs of memorable and painful experiences.

The actual dinner table serves more than just dinner, it also serves as a reminder of the family's flaws and secrets, depicted in the table's odd leg. The crux of 'The Table' lies in a late father's infidelity, a mother's memories of the extermination of her family in Poland during the Holocaust, and sibling rivalry.

Karen van de Laag, who stars in local soapie Isidingo and who plays Ruth in this production, said: "It was a fantastic experience being here in Grahamstown." Commending the director, she said working with Slyvaine "was really an awesome experience" as she "creates such an environment where the family actually just becomes a family".

Theatre goers were equally enthralled, Tracy Derrick said: "I really loved the way they all moved together so simply," while Debby Smuts said: "I thought it was fantastic, I thought the staging was absolutely brilliant and all the symbolism and movement ... I loved it."

'The Table' will be performed at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg from August 2 to September 18.