The Soapbox | Where South Africans Speak Out

BY TANIA COLYN

After my first encounter with Athol Fugard’s work during my grade 11 year at school, I have been a dedicated fan. The Road to Mecca, Sorrows and Rejoicings, Coming Home and the earlier works, People are Living There and Master Harold… and the Boys are some of my favourites. Fugard’s plays have constantly gripped me with their extraordinary characterisation, the gritty sketches of the lives of everyday people and the use of the South African landscape.

It was with great excitement then that I made my way to the new Fugard Theatre to see the premiere piece for the opening of the theatre, The Train Driver. The theatre is located in the city bowl (in District Six) in the historic Sacks Futeran building, and as you enter you are faced with stills from Fugard’s plays throughout the years. The foyer is welcoming, with comfortable seating and a range of books and DVD’s for sale, as well as a bar offering hot or cold and alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks. Parts of the original building have been left exposed, giving you a sense of the history of the place.

The theatre has three levels – one ground-floor seating area, where the audience directly faces the stage and two balcony areas. My friend and I sat on the first floor balcony, where we had an excellent view of the stage. The seats are very comfortable and, although we were initially worried about not being able to hear properly, the acoustics and sound were well worked out.

Photos courtesy of author.

The play itself was classic Fugard – telling the story of a train driver (played by Sean Taylor) who struggles with the guilt of having inadvertently caused the death of a mother who stood on the train tracks with her baby tied to her back. As the driver of the train, there was nothing he could do to save her, and yet he is tortured by the image of her and her baby standing on the track. He goes to the graveyard hoping to find where she and her baby are buried, and there he meets the local gravedigger (played by Owen Sejake). An uneasy relationship forms between the two men as they both try to reconcile themselves with their current situations.

All in all it was a wonderful evening out. The play was excellent and the theatre itself was amazing. The actors were highly professional and both gave smooth performances. The theatre will be showing a variety of plays from now and I highly recommend this experience for every culture lover out there.

Tania Colyn has a Masters degree in Afrikaans literature and is interested in all things involving the Arts. She has dabbled as a writer and journalist and is currently a language practitioner.