John Kani

Worldwide premiere: 8 October 1972 at the Space Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa, followed by 1973 premiere in UK and 1974 in USA.

The play weaves a story inside of a story - we start with Styles, a photographer in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, reading a newspaper and commenting on what he is reading (including an old story from his previous work in a factory). Until a man named Robert Zwelinzima walks in - and before that man get hist picture taken, we will hear his story.

Once upon a time lived a man called Sizwe Bansi. He came to Port Elizabeth to look for work but things did not go as expected and he was told that he needs to leave. You see, Sizwe is black and this is the Apartheid era in South Africa - if you do not have the correct papers and skin color, you are not welcome in the big city - even looking for work requires a permit. The problem of course is that if he goes back, things will be even worse - there is no work back home for him and he has a family and kids. So he tries to stay, get captured and then is given 3 days to leave. Which he ignores - he does not really have a choice. And one night, he finds a dead body. Robert Zwelinzima may have lost his life but he has something that Sizwe does not have - papers allowing him to look for work. And the fotos on these papers are easily changed and even if you cannot read, you can learn and remember enough if your life depends on it.

In 1972, Athol Fugard is not the household name he will become later - he had won one major award and most of his more popular works are still to be written. This play is not even his completely - it is one of the two plays he develops in a workshop with John Kani and Winston Ntshona. But it does sound like one of his -- shining a light to the Apartheid in South Africa and its nightmares.

I definitely plan to read more of his plays.… (altro)