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Quite bizarrely, the first person I thought of while witnessing the theatrical excellence that is the period musical, Sophiatown, was not Drum magazine’s Can Themba, short story writer Nat Nakasa or even singer extraordinaire Dolly Rathebe.
It was a young Eckard Binding.
He is the young (and might I add, white) University of Free State student who last week diplomatically defied protesting EFF members by putting back the litter in the rubbish bin, while the red beret representatives emptied it.
Although some might brush it off as a stunt, Binding will go down in social media history as being brave in the face of hostile confrontation, as he unconditionally did what he knew was right. This is very much along the lines of what happens in Sophiatown, directed by the State Theatre’s Aubrey Sekhabi.
The piece tells the story of an area in Johannesburg in the 1950s that defied the apartheid laws where musicians, journalists, politicians, sportsmen and women, entrepreneurs, hippies and bohemians from all races freely thrived.
This resulted in a never seen before cultural hub and proved to be an annoyance to the authorities of the time.
The tale has been told countless number of times, most notably at The Market theatre, but the Soweto Theatre rendition – made up of a young and vibrant cast – hits home more than previous offerings.
This could be because the audience is witnessing a true story that involved the forced removals of thousands of families from Sophiatown to Meadowlands in Soweto, a stone’s throw from the theatre.
The lead trio – Thabiso Tshabalala (Jakes), Caitlin Clerk (Ruth) and Terrence Ngwila (Mingus) – seem to draw from the fact that giants such as Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu walked the streets of Sophiatown in defiance.
As a member of the audience, one has to actually take a moment that immersing oneself in Sophiatown, in Soweto, is as special as it gets. It would most probably be equivalent to praying in Rome’s Vatican, singing the US anthem in the White House or savouring French fries in France.
When you frequent the Soweto Theatre, it is safe to say that the audience will be less stiff and restrained as in some of Johannesburg’s other theatres.
The establishment has made it its mandate to showcase content that unashamedly resonates with black audiences, but at the same time has international appeal. Not too many other cultural institutions can offer this.
Attending any show at the Soweto Theatre and not expecting the audience to get immersed with what is going on on stage would be like going to a Black Panther screening in a predominantly black neighbourhood and expecting not to hear people clapping for almost every scene and being overcome with various emotions.
It is just part of an experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
- Sophiatown is part of the Soweto Theatre’s double bill offering that runs until next Sunday.
- The second show is Pockets of Knowledge, which explores political topics, such as poor leadership and lack of accountability. For more information, log on to sowetotheatre.com or call 0119307461.
