The Agents heads to KZN

IF YOU'RE looking for laughs, the critically acclaimed theatre production The Agents is heading to KwaZulu-Natal next week for a short run.

Lisa Derryn Overy, Roberto Pombo, and Kyla Davis portray three over-the-top estate agents willing to do and say anything for their next sale as they navigate the cutthroat world of property sales.

Speaking to the Independent on Saturday, Derryn Overy said no one is safe from the trio — rival agents, clueless homebuyers, or even neighbourhood WhatsApp groups.

“On the surface, the show is about three devious estate agents desperate to sell,” she said. “But the real message explores middle-class white South Africans — the fear for safety and finding the right property that can give us security. If you zoom out further, it’s about how we treat the earth, bulldozing space to create lavish estates for comfort and safety, often at the cost of the environment and community.”

The show also follows side stories, including Jacques and Tanya, a young couple chasing the dream but repeatedly forced to move due to issues like load shedding, water crises, and safety concerns.

Derryn Overy said the three performers have worked together for so long that they have been described as a “three-headed beast.” Because of this trust, they are able to improvise on stage, adapting their performance to the audience’s energy, which makes each show slightly unique.

The Agents premiered at the National Arts Festival Fringe in 2023, followed by runs in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and is now coming to KZN for the first time.

“We sort of feel each other out,” Derryn Overy explained. “We know when one of us is low on energy or having a great night. This is an ensemble piece — if one of us couldn’t perform, it wouldn’t work. These characters were built with our bodies, the script from our minds. We improvise, refine, edit, and build together.”

The idea for the show originated during COVID-19, when Derryn Overy and Pombo recognised the comic potential of estate agents. The production explores themes such as capitalism, property development, gentrification, and cultural appropriation.

“What we’re really asking is: when do we stop? Do we destroy the earth in the process, or is there another way to find our space, our community, our safety?” she said.

The performance blends quirky characters, ridiculous clowning, and satire. Using the Buffon clown technique, the cast holds a mirror to the audience: you might laugh at the characters, only to realise you recognise yourself in them.

The show even pokes fun at local life, including WhatsApp group complaints — most notably about the star of the show, Biscuit the dog, who barks relentlessly.

The Agents opens at St Anne’s Diocesan College in Hilton on Thursday, February 5, followed by two shows at Seabrooks Theatre, Durban High School, on Saturday, February 7 (matinee and evening), and concludes on Sunday, February 8. Tickets are available via Quicket, with discounts for block bookings of ten or more.