A hard-hitting theatre production gave Wedge Gardens residents food for thought recently.

Ulwembu is a poignant show about drug addiction that is touring locally, thanks to funding from the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences. It was brought free of charge to Wedge Gardens on January 27 by the Hillbrow Theatre.

The production is the result of two years of research into Whoonga (low-grade heroin) and it gives its audience the opportunity to walk in the shoes of misunderstood others: be it users, dealers, police officers, social workers or parents of drug users.

Adél Grobbelaar, the head of the Rand Aid-run substance abuse treatment centre, believes that the production helped pave the way for honest dialogue among Wedge Gardens’ residents. “It made them look more closely at their own situation and the impact their abuse has had on their lives and on their loved ones,” she says.

In the audience with Wedge Gardens residents were invited guests, including members of the local SAPS, Grade 11 learners from Sandingham High, Wedge Gardens aftercare patients, NPOs and departmental officials.

“It was extremely educational and a real eye opener,” says Adél.