The 2014 Suidoosterfees boasts a play, which South African Theatre and Film great John Kani once described as "The first reconciliation production performed in South-Africa". Athol Fugard's powerful two-hander Playland will be performed in Afrikaans with English surtitles at the Fugard Studio Theatre from 23 January to 15 February 2014. The production is sponsored by Naspers.
Saartjie Botha has translated the script, and Albert Maritz will direct the production that features Mbulelo Grootboom and Albert Pretorius.
Athol Fugard is regarded as South Africa's greatest living playwright who, for many decades, has been contributing significantly to the cultural landscape of South African Theatre. A multitude of his works has garnered local and international acclaim. In 2011 Athol Fugard was honoured internationally when he received a Life Time Achievement Award at the Tony's in New York.
Of Athol Fugard, director Albert Maritz says "his work is filled with symbols; a poetic mirror simply dressed as a story, with rich, meaningful characters". Fugard himself describes Playland as "the most emotionally exhausting play I have ever written".
Playland depicts what happens when the two extreme opposites in a bloody war are brought within reach of each other.
It is Old Years Eve in 1990 when Gideon le Roux, played by Albert Pretorius (Long Walk to Freedom, 3 Little Pigs, Balbesit, Thom Pain), an ex-national serviceman who is slightly inebriated, meets Martinus Zoeloe, played by Mbulelo Grootboom (White Wedding, Stokvel, Burnt) at a fairground in the country. Martinus is the security guard at the fair, and an ex-Swapo fighter. His dark secrets were securely locked away, or at least this is what he thought.
Gideon is a damaged man who carries deep hurt. He is a product of his time, with much potential of being a compassionate human being. Martinus is a warrior, a gentleman, a good husband, and a black man during a dark period in South Africa's history. All of this is set during a time in our Country when things were - in a different way than today - not what they should have been.
Maritz grew up in radio studios, behind stages and in his dad's dark room developing rolls of film. He became a teacher, an actor, a director and a producer of progressive work; always with his simple, but effective lighting designs woven into the shows. He involves his unique style to breathe new life into classical Afrikaans works of the past. He appears in films opposite international film stars, but as an actor he is best known as Herman in the TV series' Konings and Torings, and for the TV commercial with the trunk of an elephant around his neck.
Playland tickets, ranging from R120 to R150, are available through the Fugard Theatre box office on +27 (0)21 461 4554 or Computicket.com. Performances run from Tuesdays to Fridays at 8pm and on Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm.
For more, go to www.thefugard.com
