My Children! My Africa! in Illinois, USA

My Children! My Africa! is on at the John and Angeline Oremus Theater, Illinois.  The dates are 26, 27 April and 3, 4 May 2024.

The play is directed by Dr. Craig Rosen.

"The great South African playwright confronts the tragedy of apartheid in his native land in this compelling tale about the efforts of a humble and humane black teacher in a segregated township to persuade just one young person that education, not violence, is the answer to South Africa's problems".

For the theatre website click here.

My Children! My Africa! in Cape Town, South Africa

My Children! My Africa! is on at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town from 4- 19 April 2024.

"In a township classroom in the Eastern Cape in 1984, an idealistic teacher attempts to instill a love of learning in his gifted pupil, but political unrest and the generational divide soon culminate in an explosive conflict with tragic consequences. Athol Fugard’s seminal 1989 play, My Children! My Africa! presents a candid and moving portrait of a country on the verge of revolution. This modern classic is Fugard’s hymn to the power of youth, education, hope and ideas".

For the theatre website click here.
For more on the play click here.

Auditions for My Children! My Africa! in Illinois, USA

There are auditions for My Children! My Africa!

You are required to familiarise yourself with the play and the specific character requirements, then prepare a short monologue.  The auditions are on 4 March 2024 at 9000 College Pkwy, Palos Hills, IL, United States, Illinois

For details of the audition and how to register click here.

For details of the performances of the play see above.

For more on the play click here.

Master Harold... and the Boys in Buffalo, USA

The Irish Classical Theatre Company in Buffalo present Master Harold... and the Boys from 16 Nov- 3 Dec 2023.

The director is Aaron Mays and the performers are Sam Fesmire, Roderick Garr and Gerald Ramsey.

"I think playwright Athol Fugard does something quite remarkable with this play. By acknowledging that some of the difficult moments in this piece are reflections on his own actions as a young man growing up in apartheid South Africa, and his willingness to examine his own role in inheriting and upholding the hate and intolerance of that environment, Fugard opens the door of humility and self-reflection. “Master Harold”…and the Boys centers both a tenderness and an ugliness that we may not otherwise choose to dwell on, particularly because of how vulnerable we might feel if we recognize traces of either in ourselves".

The theatre website is here.

For more on the play click here.

The Island in Ohio, USA

The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona performed by the Ensemble Theatre, Ohio.  Performances are at The Performing Arts Center at Notre Dame College from 27 Oct- 12 Nov 2023.

The director is  Sarah May and the actors are Robert Williams (John) and Nnamdi Okpala (Winston).

"John and Winston are black political prisoners in South Africa, spending their days at hard labor and their evenings rehearsing Sophocles' Antigone. Though the two men are deeply bonded to one another, their friendship is tested when John discovers that his most recent appeal was successful, while Winston is still looking at years of brutal incarceration ahead. A profile on the depth of human resilience in the face of unspeakable injustice and racism".

The ensemble website is here.

More on The Island is here.

A Place with the Pigs in Ireland

Blue Raincoat Theatre Company present A Place with the Pigs at The Factory Performance Space, Sligo, Ireland on 21-25  Nov 2023.  The director is Niall Henry and the performers are John Carty and Sandra O Malley.

"Based on a true story, A Place With the Pigs is a poignant and sometimes farcical tale about a Russian soldier who deserted his post during WWII and spent the next 41 years hiding in his pigsty. The plays begins with Pavel Ivanovitch preparing to rejoin the world by throwing himself at the mercy of his countrymen".

There is a post-show talk on 22 Nov 2023.
The company website is here.

Valley Song in NY, USA

Athol Fugard's Valley Song is on at the Steamer No. 10 Theatre, Albany, NY from 22-24 March 2024.

"A poor yet dignified war veteran who is devoted to his vegetable furrows in a remote South African province, Buks is anxious to shield his dreamy, restless granddaughter Veronica from temptations beyond the valley. She is equally anxious to be a singer in faraway Johannesburg. Her self-made songs brim with the longings of youth, seeking the courage to embrace the future while her grandfather searches for the wisdom to let go of the past".

The director is Jean-Remy Monnay.

For the Theater Voices website click here.

For more on Valley Song click here.

Master Harold and the Boys in Salisbury, UK

The Road to Mecca is on at the Studio Theatre, Salisbury on 22 Sept 2023.  This is an acted play-reading, directed by Barney Norris.

"Arguably South Africa’s greatest playwright, Fugard set this play in a small village in the Karoo and touches on the artistic urge to be creative in spite of opposition, the friction between the Afrikaans and English speakers of the time (1980s) and a deep and supportive friendship.

It will be a rehearsed reading with props and lighting and is free and open to all. Donations for the upkeep of the theatre in these challenging times will be welcome"

The theatre website is here.

A Place with the Pigs in Persian

A chance to see a Persian version of Athol Fugard's A Place with the Pigs in Iran.

The director is Pedram Azmudeh and Hushang Hesami translated the play into Persian.  The actors include Shahin Pakzad and Sara Fat’hi.

Kaniveya Haadu (Valley Song) in India

Natana School Of Theatre Arts present Kaniveya Haadu, translated by Dr. Meera Murthy and directed by Dr. Sripada Bhat.  It is on 21 May 2023.

My Children! My Africa! in Cape Town, South Africa

Artscape Arena presents My Children! My Africa! from 12 May- 5 Jun 2023.

The actors are Dobs Madotyeni (Mr M), Lungile Lallie (Thami) and Jenny Stead (Isabel).  The director is Marcel Meyer.

"Written during the twilight years of the apartheid regime, Athol Fugard’s seminal 1989 play, My Children! My Africa! presents a candid and moving portrait of a country on the verge of revolution. This modern classic is Fugard’s hymn to the power of youth, education, hope and ideas... In a township classroom in the Eastern Cape in 1984, an idealistic teacher attempts to instil a love of learning in his gifted pupil, but political unrest and the generational divide soon culminate in an explosive conflict with tragic consequences.".

For more details from the Artscape Aren click here.

Master Harold... and the boys in San Francisco

Weathervane Productions presents The Road to Mecca at Z Below from 4- 30 Jun 2023.

The actors are Victor Talmadge, Wendy vanden Heuvel and Kodi Jackman.  The director is Timothy Near.

For more details from the Z site click here.

The Island British Tour

Elysium Theatre Company & Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham present the 50th Anniversary Production of The Island.

The Director is Jake Murray and designed is by Caitlin Mills and Lee Ward.  Ewen Cummins plays John and Daniel Poyser plays Winston.

"South Africa 1973, Robben Island, the top security political prison where Nelson Mandela was held.  John and Winston are sharing a cell. They survive through a mixture of solidarity, laughter and defiance. The two men’s sense of brotherhood has kept them going for years, then John hears that he’s going to be released… The Island is one of the most famous plays of the 20th Century and has been seen all over the world. A rich, boisterous, funny, moving piece of theatre, it is a hymn to the human spirit and a cry for freedom everywhere".

The dates are

15-17 Feb 2023 – Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham
22 Feb – Princess Alexandra Auditorium, Yarm
24 Feb – Whittingham Memorial Institute, Whittingham
25 Feb – Bardon Mill & Henshaw Village Hall
26 Feb – Amble Parish Hall, Amble
1 March – The Witham, Barnard Castle
2 March – Washington Arts Centre, Washington
3 March – the Exchange, North Shields
4 March – Hull Truck Theatre, Hull
7 -8 March Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick
9 March – Hullabaloo Space, Darlington Hippodrome
10 March – the Maltings, Berwick
11-12 March – Luce Theatre, Durham School
15 March – Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond
16-18 March – the Lowry, Manchester

More details are on the Elysium website, click here.

The Island in Kenya

Kenya National Theatre present Athol Fugard's The Island on 14 and 15 Jan 2023.

The director is Alacoque Ntome and the actors are Emmanuel Shikuku and Sam Adinio.

Master Harold... and the boys staged reading in Texas, USA

Austin Shakespeare present "Master Harold"... and the Boys in a staged reading.  The director is Ann Ciccolella and the actors are Marc Pouhé,  Corey Allen and Justin Duggan.  It runs from 13- 15 Jan 2023 at KMFA Draylen Mason Studio.

"1950, in a small South African tea shop in South Africa, two black men and a white boy joke and dance together, defying the brutalities of apartheid through their joyous love. But festering issues of family, race, and power are not so easy to ignore, and a single phone call can trigger catastrophe".

Details are on the Austin Shakespeare website here.

Theatre blog - click here.

"I sing for beloved Fountain actor Adolphus Ward"

Adolphus Ward who played in Fugard's Coming Home and The Train Driver has passed away aged 88.  There is a moving tribute by Stephen Sachs, Artistic Director of the Fountain Theatre "In Fugard’s The Train Driver, he played a gravedigger overseeing a bleak South African burial site for the unknown and unwanted, who “puts the nameless ones in the grave.” I’ll never forget the moment in the play when Adolphus, as the gravedigger, sang a Xhosa lullaby to the souls in the ground who were “sleeping.” The song floated from Adolphus like smoke on the night air. Haunting, beautiful, quietly transcendent". The link is on Intimate Excellent- the Fountain

My Children My Africa in South Africa

Soweto Theatre Schools Setworks Festival present My Children M Africa from 16- 25 Aug 2022.

"In a classroom of the black Zolile High, Mr. M referees a student debate contesting that women should not receive the same education as men... Outside the classroom, Mr. M’s hopes for Thami are challenged by their generational divide and increasing political unrest under the South African government’s policy of apartheid".

More details are on the Soweto Theatre website click here.

My Children! My Africa! in USA CT plus discussion

HartBeat Ensemble presents My Children! My Africa! from 9 Oct- 9 Sept 2022 at Carriage House Theater, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.

Directed by Melanie Dreyer-Lude and the performers are Brianna Joy Ford, Jelani Pitcher and Godfrey L. Simmons Jr.

Lighting Design is by Jon-Paul LaRocco, Set Design by Norm Johnson Jr., Sound Design by Maritza Ubides and Stage Manager Martha Lorena Preve.

"The great South African playwright Athol Fugard confronts the tragedy of apartheid in this compelling tale set in a segregated township in 1984. In the face of increasing racial tension, a humble and humane black teacher attempts to persuade his best (and most charismatic) student that education, not violence, is the answer to South Africa’s problems".

More details are on the HartBeat Ensemble website here.

As well there is ENCOUNTERS: My Children! My Africa! "a special dialogue event that features small group discussions, on critical questions about the play, as well as specialist feedback and engagement".  It is on 12 Oct 2022 and registration is free, see the website.

Blood Knot in North Carolina, USA

The Black Box Series present Athol Fugard's Blood Knot from 16 Sept- 9 Oct 2022.  It is performed at the Flat Rock Playhouse, North Carolina.

"Relatable and searingly intimate, Blood Knot asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there.

Written by renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard, Blood Knot is about the relationship between two biracial half-brothers: dark-skinned Zach and light-skinned Morris, who has recently returned home after passing as white for many years. The play follows the brothers as they grapple with crippling poverty and lonely isolation—living a strained existence in a one-room shack in apartheid South Africa. The brothers' desperation exposes the complex angles of their relationship in this powerful, revolutionary play.".

It is directed by Vickie Washington and the players are Arusi Santi and Odera Adimorah.

Details are on the Flat Rock website here.

Valley Song in California, USA

ICT present Valley Song from 24 Aug - 11 Sept 2022 at ICT's home in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

The director is caryn desai (she writes her name without capitals) and the two roles are played by Michael A. Shepperd and Belle Guillor.

"Written after the collapse of South Africa's system of institutionalized racial oppression known as apartheid, Valley Song reflects Fugard's optimism for a new future as it examines a family's intergenerational dynamics against the backdrop of political change".

Details are on the ICT website here.

The Island in Chicago

Court Theatre, the professional theatre of the University of Chicago, present The Island.  The director is Gabrielle Randle-Bent.  It runs from 11 Nov- 4 Dec 2022.  More details when available.

"John and Winston are political prisoners on South Africa’s infamous Robben Island, spending their days toiling at grueling, futile tasks in the prison’s quarry. At night, they secretly rehearse a two-man version of Antigone and find solace and strength in their burgeoning friendship. The Island is at once a sobering glimpse into the social, physical, and psychological wounds of Apartheid; a lesson in the complex work of liberation; and a testament to the transformative power of theatre".

Details are on the Court Theatre website here.

The Road to Mecca in Ohio, USA

Dayton Theatre Guild in Ohio present The Road to Mecca from 3- 19 Dec 2021.  The director is Scott Madden.

"Helen Martins is a South African woman living in a Christian community. She realizes she is getting older, and her neighbors expect her to move into a nursing home. Pastor Byleveld comes to her house to collect the papers approving her move, but Helen refuses to sign. Her friend, Elsa comes to visit from Cape Town, hoping to help settle the situation, and Helen’s neighbors are concerned about the odd sculptures Helen is creating in her yard."

More details are on the Dayton website click here.

My Children! My Africa! in USA

Washington State Guild present My Children! My Africa! from 11 Nov- 15 Dec 2021.  The director is Gerrad Alex Taylor.

"The great South African playwright’s meditation on education and its role in the struggle for justice, along with its sad limits in a culture of oppression and bigotry. In an Eastern Cape Karoo town in South Africa in 1984, devoted teacher Mr. M seeks to provide a future for his prize pupil Thami by forming a debate team with a bright student from the local white school, Isabel. But Mr. M’s hopes for Thami are challenged by their generational divide and the political violence brewing outside the classroom."

Details are on the Washington State Guild website click here.

The Road to Mecca in NC, USA

Burning Coal Theatre Company are performing The Road to Mecca from 2- 19 Dec 2021.  The director is Jerome Davis.  It is at their theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina.  More details when available.

Blood Knot in South Africa

Craig Palm and Mncedisi Shabangu perform Blood Knot in The Market Theatre, South Africa. It is on from 15 Oct 2021. The director is James Ngcobo.

 
Craig Palm says “Blood Knot is about the bond between two brothers. It is about being frustrated by how their environment limits their dreams… You know why I love this character [Morris]; it was played by white people and I am the first [black] person to play it. Morris is self-taught and reads a lot. He has travelled and seen places more than his brother. He decides to leave his brother for 10 years and explore the world. He returns later to connect with his brother. He wants to involve his brother and show him that he can aspire to have dreams. Because he wants this to happen and he is saving every cent.”

The quotes are from interview by Patience Bambalele, 1 Oct 2021 from Sowetan live click here.

Update: Craig Palm has pulled out citing health reasons.  He is replaced by Francois Jacobs.

Blood Knot in Cape Town, South Africa

Market Theatre's production of Blood Knot comes to the Baxter in Cape Town.  It runs from 11- 28 May 2022.

"Two brothers navigate the intricacies of being stuck in a place that offers them nothing but it's squalor and the poverty they are confronted with every single moment. They are forced to dream. The theme of hope runs through this very delicate conversation with South Africa’s present-day reality"..

Details are on the Baxter website here.

Fugard awarded honorary degree

The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria has conferred the honorary doctorate (honoris causa) in Literature on Fugard.  The virtual ceremony took place on 30 April 2021.

“The Department of English extends its warmest congratulations to Athol Fugard on being awarded an honorary degree by the University of Pretoria,” said Prof David Medalie and Prof Molly Brown, Head of Department. “He is one of the world’s greatest living dramatists and has been a powerful chronicler, for more than six decades, of a wide range of South African experiences.”

“Fugard’s contribution is of inestimable importance to South African drama, literature and cultural life, and indeed to that of the entire English-speaking world,” added Prof Vasu Reddy, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. “His writing shows the influence of global philosophical traditions such as existentialism, but his penetrating explorations of wider issues of identity and meaning are always firmly rooted in the local. There is little doubt that Fugard’s standing is not just local, but global. Indeed, he stands tall among the greatest playwrights of the 20th century.”

More details are here.

Statements After An Arrest Under the Immorality Act in London

The Orange Tree Theatre present Statements from 28 Aug-  2 Oct 2021.  It will also be streamed on 23, 24 Sept 2021.  The cast are Scarlett Brookes (Frieda Joubert), Richard Sutton (Detective Sergeant du Preez) and Shaq Taylor (Errol Philander) and the director is Diane Page.

More details are on the Orange Tree Theatre website here.

Blood Knot in South Africa

Francois Jacobs and Mncedisi Shabangu perform Blood Knot in The Market Theatre, South Africa. It is on from 15 Oct to 14 Nov 2021. The director is James Ngcobo.

Boesman and Lena at the Lincoln Centre, New York

The 2000 version of the Boesman and Lena film is on at the Lincoln Centre, NY on 6 Dec 2021.
Details are on the Lincoln Centre website click here.

A Place with the Pigs in Wisconsin, USA

The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater present A Place with the Pigs from 5-9 Oct 2021.  It is at the Barnett Theatre in the Greenhill Center of the Arts.

"Based on an absurd but true story and directed by Bruce Cohen, this poignant and sometimes hilarious tale is about a Russian soldier who deserted during World War II and spent ten years hiding in his pigsty. As the play begins, Pavel Ivanovitch is preparing to rejoin the world and throw himself on the mercy of his countrymen… Will Pavel Ivanovitch ever be able to leave the pigsty, or is it his only safe haven?".

Nongogo in South Africa

Nongogo is on at The Playhouse Company, Kwa-Zulu Nataal from 28 Aug- 4 Sept 2021.

"Directed by the legendary Bheki Mkhwane, Nongogo... will hit with shows running... Set in a shebeen outside of Johannesburg in the 1950s, the play focuses on the life of a shebeen queen who was once a prostitute. The production highlights some of the most thought-provoking topics about women".

More details are on The Playhouse Company website here.

Fugard Theatre closes permanently

The Fugard Theatre has been closed for month because of the pandemic, but sadly is now closing permanently.

The theatre website states

"Dear Friends of The Fugard Theatre,  After a year of Covid closure it is with great regret and sadness that I have to confirm that The Fugard Theatre will close permanently with immediate effect.  We are not persuaded that it will be Covid safe or financially viable to reopen as a theatre in the foreseeable future."

Ismail Mahomed writes

"One of the most poignant lines ever to have been spoken on the stages of the theatre was by Athol Fugard. At its opening he said:
We are sitting on the laps of ghosts.
It was a fairly eerie thought but it meant more than just sitting on the laps of the ghosts of the people who lived in District Six.  We were sitting on the laps of Barney Simon, Ramaloa Makhene, Doris Sihula, Matsemela Manaka, Mavis Taylor, Lucille Gillwald and all those deceased artists who had used their creative voices to fight apartheid and censorship through theatre; and whose spirit had come to rejoice in the birth of a new post-apartheid mainstream, independent, free-thinking theatre." (The Conversation,18 Mar 2021, here).

Sad news.

Victory conversation on Zoom

The Provincetown Theater and Capital Classics Theatre Company present a Zoom conversation with performance excerpts from Athol Fugard's one-act play, Victory on 27 Feb 2021.  This is streamed on Zoom and is free-of-charge.

Moderated by directors Jan Mason and Geoff Sheehan, the audience will discuss the play’s themes and their relevance and resemblance to our world today in between excerpts from the play as performed by artists from the Capital Classics Theatre Company.

Click here for details.