1. South African Theatre -Post 1994 * Background /context: social, political religious economic, artistic, historical, theatrical * Themes and concerns: Theatre for reconciliation Theatre of identity Theatre for development Theatre as social commentary Theatre as political commentary

2. South African Theatre -Post 1994 Examples of playwrights, directors, theatre groups Influence of movements and styles such as satire, physical theatre, rituals, one-person performance, visual theatre, puppetry, community theatre Key features and directions in contemporary theatre Role of the director/theatre maker/designer Audience reception and critical response to text Nothing But The Truth is an exceptional example of Post 1994 Theatre

3. NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH John Kani

4. Content 1. Playwright 2. Genre 3. Characters

5. 1. Playwright Dr John Kani Chairman of the NACSA & Apartheid museum South African, writing during & after the Apartheid era Autobiographical material used Actor, Director & Playwright Outstanding attention to detail Master craftsman

6. 2. Genre Realistic Post Apartheid Family Drama Reconciliation Theatre

7. Realistic Elements of Realism: - Set - Plot - Characters - Themes

8. Elements of new realism Title is symbolic and allegorical Structure Setting Language

9. 3. Characters On Stage Sipho Thando Mandisa Off-stage Themba Sindiswa

10. SIPHO Librarian – Keeper of the past, records, history. Wants to be chief librarian but does not get the job because he is too old (but is not too old to vote) Feels that even in death – his brother, Themba is still taking from him Raised Thando as his own but cannot be sure that he is really her father His revelation of the truth and personal story is representative of the national situation

11. THANDO Interpreter at Truth and Reconciliation Commision – she is a tool for the truth to be told Represents the children of those that stayed behind – those that are living in the post apartheid South Africa Understands that we need to hear the truth and forgive in order to rebuild the society Traditional

12. MANDISA Fashion designer – moves and changes with the trend and takes ideas from various cultures and sources to create something new Grew up in London, modern values and ideals Sees the events in the country from the outside Believes that the perpetrators should be punished and revenge taken Themba’a daughter and now, Sipho’s daughter (after Themba’s death)

13. Off- Stage Characters Themba Sipho’s younger brother Political activist Popular The ‘favoured’ son Had an affair with Sipho’s wife Sindiswa Sipho’s wife and Thando’s mother Betrayed her husband Walked out on her daughter

14. 4. Major Themes please identify quotations from the text to support these themes Sibling Rivalry (jealousy and resentment) Truth and Reconciliation (personal and public) Forgiveness Traditional vs Western culture Exile

15. Sibling Rivalry Sipho’s jealousy of his brother Themba - Parental favouritism - Incidents highlighting this theme: wirebus, blazer, dad paying Themba’s university fees - Sipho supporting Themba while he was at university - Themba’s popularity with the women - Their father’s funeral which became a platform for a political rally. Sipho paid for it yet had no personal input in what happened

16. Truth and Reconciliation Discuss statement: “the whole truth and nothing but the truth” -What is truth? -Whose truth? Do we need to protect others (family members)from the truth ? Do we need to be protected from the truth? Discuss Sipho withholding the truth from his family and its consequences Discuss Reconciliation PUBLIC: Discuss the TRC and its implications PERSONAL: Sipho’s personal reconciliation

17. Forgiveness Sipho Those who lost loved ones in the struggle South Africans Mankind

18. Forgiveness Understood by Thando because of her involvement as a translator for TRC; Shares, teaches Mandisa – ignorant, daughter of an exile, outsider yet family. Listens to her Father giving him a gift to live his life, not spend the rest of it in resentment, anger, bitterness. Sipho’s feelings about the white policeman who killed Vuyo; it will achieve nothing to give him the death penalty; it will not bring Vuyo back. Made his idea of blowing up the Library ridiculous whilst his idea of building “the first African public library in New Brighton” is positive, enriching the lives of others and giving him a positive goal and satisfaction Finally forgives Themba and he can move on with his life

19. Traditional vs Western Culture The importance of knowing one’s culture in order to know one’s identity Mc Kay vs Makhaya Ashes vs corpse Thando vs Mandisa

20. Traditional vs Western Culture THANDO South African Dresses well, traditionally Seeks father’s approval Traditional Mindful of ritual and customs Respects authority Committed to TRC process and structure Believes in amnesty Family & relationships NB MANDISA English Latest fashion, flamboyant Independent Modern Funeral is ceremonial Disregards authority Does not understand TRC process Believes in Justice Believes in her family

21. Exile The view from the outside the country compared to the inside What happens to those left behind? Why did many not come back? Entitlement Patriotism

22. More Discussion topics Post-Apartheid challenges in the new South Africa Age and experience History is told by those who lived it How does the next generation deal with the legacy of the past John Kani’s choice of an ordinary man as protagonist instead of a struggle hero

23. “The play is a family drama about missed opportunities and families addressing the rot that they sometimes refuse to acknowledge. The play says reconcile while there is still time. I found it easy to talk about truth and reconciliation and I went through these issues of reconciliation myself. Forgiveness is the opposite of the revenge. It’s not worth going on the journey unless there is healing. Those who were in exile come home to find that things are not the same; they’ve romanticized it and it shakes them up when they return because things have changed so much.” JOHN KANI www.bbc.co.uk/.../africanarts/19069.shtml