Sizwe Banzi is Dead
The South African theatre classic brought back to life after nearly 30 years by the original 1975 Tony award-winning Best Actor duo John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Set in apartheid South Africa, its truth and humour remains relevant today Created by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Starring John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Directed by Aubrey Sekhabi.
Review: Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Author: Moira de Swardt, 2 October 2006
This Athol Fugard play (with input by John Kani and Winston Ntshona)is one of the triumphs of South African theatre. It is amongst the greatest works of Fugard, a man Time magazine named "the greatest active playwright in the English speaking world". It has been included in lists of "Masterpieces of the Twentieth Century" and "Most Significant Plays of the Twentieth Century". In 1975 its Broadway run earned John Kani and Winston Ntshona the "Best Actors" Award. It was thus a special privilege to be able to see these two actors in this revival, directed by Aubrey Sekhabi at the Arena, State Theatre. Lighting by Mannie Mannim.
It is the simple story of Sizwe Banzi, from Kingwilliamstown, who goes to Port Elizabeth where he finds himself in possession of a dompas that is not in order and how he gets around the problem by assuming the identity of a dead man whose pass is in order. It is a history of the inhumanity of the worst bureaucracy of apartheid, that of the pass system.
In the seventies (it premiered in 1972) the storyline was a revelation to many white people of the indignities heaped on black people, and a political statement to all, regardless of colour. It could rely on its message to carry it to an audience who would have been moved to anger, guilt or perhaps sadness. It would have taken courage to write, perform and, even, to see. Today its power lies in the creation of plausible characters, "people" one can care about, and to whom one can relate. Kani and Ntshona do not disappoint despite the fact that they are now too old to carry the authenticity of characterisation they would have shown thirty years ago. But they do show us why they won their Tony. We can laugh, ruefully, at the absurdity of the system of apartheid, even while we still find the underlying human rights abuse distressing, especially knowing that there are many parts of the world where such abuses still occur.
The advertising featured an age restriction of 16 years and older. They didn't enforce it. Nor, indeed, could I see why the necessity for an age restriction. There was a lot of swearing, including blasphemous language, but no sex, nudity or violence.
It is on at The State Theatre in Pretoria until 17 September, but it will be coming to The Market Theatre later in the year.
good
Author: awele, 3 May 2008
the play was pure discrimination of the white.
shit
Author: nikki, 3 May 2008
pure discrimination of balck...but a gr8 play doe enjoyed d story line
Add a review or comment on Sizwe Banzi is Dead: