During apartheid, the monologue tended to prevail in the best of South African drama. Perhaps this was because theatre saw it as its task to create an opposing voice to the dreary, but clearly effective, monologue of Afrikaner nationalism. To the propaganda of the state, which denied the humanity that runs through all of us, theatre answered with an equally partisan voice of opposition, which affirmed that humanity.
No one represented this kind of theatre-making better than Barney Simon, whose workshopped plays were inspired by the lives of those on the streets. Simon was genuinely blind to the boxes that former prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd handed down to us — and which many of us, both black and white, are yet to free ourselves from. His work and spirit are sorely missed.
Although writer-directors such as Lara Foot Newton have been developing the tradition of Athol Fugard and Simon brilliantly in recent years, much of the best theatre that has emerged in South Africa during this time seems to question the mono-logical mode. Do plays such as Mike van Graan’s Green Man Flashing and Paul Grootboom and Presley Chweneyagae’s Relativity represent a new dialogical form more appropriate to a democracy? It is too early to tell, but it is possible.
Certainly, they tend to question many of our ideas concerning truth, reconciliation, memory, ethical values and social responsibility. Perhaps we need to have our democracy and our complacency tested in a society as troubled as ours. (I am writing this in the week that Brett Goldin, an exceedingly talented and well-loved young actor, was shot in the back of the head for his credit card.)
New South African plays are emerging all the time, but few of them are ever published. When they are, they tend to be too expensive for most students, educators and theatre practitioners to afford. Combining my jobs as literary manager at the Market Theatre and commissioning editor at STE Publishers has created a new imprint called Dung Beetle Drama, which intends to publish the best new South African plays, affordably. The first play we have published is Relativity, which is presently reaching the end of its run at the Market Theatre.
I think it is of fundamental importance to capture the new trends in local theatre and make them available to as wide a range of people as possible. It is not only important for South African theatre, it is important for us if we want, in the words of the Market Theatre’s slogan, to “learn South African”. We are still not free of state propaganda, nor are we free from the divisions and inequalities of apartheid. We are not even free to write about whatever we want to write about without academics and journalists behaving like the thought police.
The plays we intend to publish will be written by anyone and about anything, and in as wide a range of local languages as possible. The number of plays that break new ground, dramatise different perspectives and surprise us with their freshness will depend on the writers, not us.
Relativity runs at the Market Theatre until May 14. The script is sold at the theatre and will soon be available in bookshops. Craig Higginson’s novel, The Hill, is published by Jacana
In print
If publishers are not overly fond of poetry, they are even warier of getting words from stage to page. Nonetheless, this seems to be a rich time for publishing plays: Oshun has released At Her Feet by Nadia Davids and Dung Beetle Drama has put out Relativity by Paul Grootboom and Presley Chweneyagae. Next up is New South African Plays, edited by Charles Fourie, from Aurora Metro Press in London. The collection comprises What the Water Gave Me by Rehane Abrahams, Taxi by Sibusiso Mamba, To House by Aswin Singh, The Playground by Beverley Naidoo, Green Man Flashing by Mike van Graan and Rejoice Burning by James Whyle. — Darryl Accone