‘Statements’ @ The Fugard

On Friday 3 February Ms Orpen and her Grade 12 English class went to the Fugard Theatre to see the play: Statements After an Arrest under the Immorality Act . The show started at 8pm, but we thought that it would be fun to meet for dinner before the show. About nineteen of us met at the Thai Cafe, before proceeding to the Theatre at 7pm for a short tour prior to the show itself.

The play – written by South African playwright, Athol Fugard (the man after whom the theatre was named) – is the story of a love affair between a white woman, Frieda Joubert (played by Bo Peterson), and a younger coloured man, Errol Philander (played by Malefane Mosuhli). It is set during Apartheid. Frieda is a librarian who meets Errol, a school principal with a wife and children, when he comes to the library looking for books to help him further his studies. A secret relationship develops between the two, but a neighbour notices the strange comings and goings of a coloured man through the back entrance of the library and reports this to the police who them monitor the library.

Harrowing… brutal… raw… extremely powerful are some of the words that spring to mind when thinking of this play. It is difficult for anyone to remain indifferent to the horror and shame Apartheid imposed on ordinary South Africans.

Following the play, the three actors together with the director returned to the stage to answer questions put to them by the audience. What an extraordinary opportunity we were given to listen to them talk of the way in which the past, the present and performance work to inform current lives.

The evening was a truly educational experience that was thoroughly appreciated by all. A big thank you to Ms Orpen for encouraging and inspiring us all to embrace opportunities such as this one.