Athol Fugard remembered at the 2025 National Arts Festival
Considered one of South Africa’s best and most prolific playwrights, Athol Fugard’s body of work was shaped by Apartheid into a form of protest; highlighting its brutal impact through memorable characters and atmospheric stories.
In memory of this South African theatre giant, who passed away in March this year, the National Arts Festival, in collaboration with the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex, will bring two Fugard plays, both co-written with John Kani and Winston Ntshona, to the 2025 Festival. The Island will be staged from 27-29 June and Sizwe Banzi is Dead from 2-4 July. Both will be directed by Gqeberha-based director and playwright, Xabiso Zweni.
Fugard spent much of his life in the Eastern Cape where he not only formed a legendary collaboration with John Kani and Winston Ntshona, but later found the solitude to write some of his solo works.
Mandela Bay Theatre Complex’s CEO, Monde Ngonyama, says
“As we celebrate the life of Athol Fugard, we must not forget that he was a mirror of his time. This helps us to allow playwrights of today to be the mirror of their own time. Mandela Bay Theatre Complex has erected a stained glass window that features Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Furthermore, Mandela Bay Theatre Complex renamed Belmont Terrace to Athol Fugard Terrace. We can also confirm that Mandela Bay Theatre Complex has appointed a Feasibility and Economic Impact Assessment Study for the development of the Kani Ntshona Fugard Performing Arts Precinct within the Nelson Mandela Bay. All these are an indication that Athol Fugard is larger than life. So, we need to make sure that we continue to uphold the legacy of this thespian.”
Fugard travelled a long road with the National Arts Festival; he was among the very first playwrights to present work at the Festival, staging Boesman and Lena to great acclaim at the inaugural National Arts Festival in 1974. He continued to premiere works there over the years and his plays have been reinterpreted and reimagined by a new generation of theatre makers.
Set in an unnamed prison that is evidently based on South Africa’s infamous Robben Island prison, The Island’s characters rehearse the Greek play Antigone in their cells at night, establishing parallels between the circumstances of Antigone and those of the black political prisoners. Young Gqeberha actors Anele Penny and Fiks Mahola play the leading roles at the National Arts Festival’s production.
Sizwe Banzi is Dead tells the story of Styles, an intelligent, capable, and talented man who leaves his job as a factory worker to follow his dream of owning a photography studio. Styles pursues his talent with a camera to preserve the faces and identities of his people, who would otherwise be forgotten by the rest of the world. The play also tells the story of Sizwe Bansi, a man condemned by his government to a life of poverty. Xabiso Zweni will also appear in this production alongside Anele Penny.
Zweni speaks of his process in bringing the works to life for this edition.
“It’s a great honour and privilege for me as a director to be trusted to bring these classical works to life at the National Arts Festival. We are celebrating 50 years since they (Dr’s Kani, Ntshona and Fugard) won a Tony Award on Broadway for these works. I’ll be adding a new spin to both shows with music that speaks to the beat of New Brighton in the Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) of the 70s, while keeping the aesthetic and simplicity of how these two stories were told. These works will also be relevant today, and for as long as South Africans are living against the backdrop of Project Apartheid, with its social, economic, racial and land inequality. It’s all about survival for poor South Africans.”
Says the National Arts Festival’s Artistic Director, Rucera Seethal,
“By focusing on the personal, Fugard’s work has remained timelessly aligned to the struggles of exclusion and persecution faced by many today. Our tribute to Fugard is as much a tribute to the artist and his works as it is to the principles he fought for, and the humanity he insisted on.”
Post-show discussions will take place after each of these productions at the National Arts Festival.
Fugard’s collaborator, Dr John Kani, will also be headlining the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture’s Literature Festival (LitFest), as part of the Eastern Cape Showcase at the National Arts Festival, where he will also pay homage to Fugard and his fellow collaborator, Winston Ntshona.
The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation Arts and Culture joins the National Arts Festival in commemorating Fugard. Says MEC, Sibulele Ngongo:
“When the news of Mr Athol Fugard’s passing reached us, we felt a deep sense of loss, we searched for words and found ‘timeless’ to be appropriate. We found solace and comfort in the knowledge that his body of work has truly served us well and will continue to do so for many years to come. Upon hearing that two of his co-created theatre productions will be performed at this years National Arts Festival in Makhanda was a confirmation that indeed his body of work is ‘timeless’.”
“Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard, was born in Middelburg, in the Eastern Cape. Mr Fugard lived in many eras through his theatre productions and in our hearts. Indeed, he is, and continues to be, revered as one of our proudest East Cape born legends.”
“We are forever indebted and salute Mr Fugard’s immense contribution to the arts and assure his family, followers and lovers of his work that his memory will not die.”
The National Arts Festival takes place from 26 June – 6 July in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape. Further programme announcements will be shared in the weeks to come.
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