Rustlers

A play by Geraldine Aron.

The original play
A multi-layered play about a middle-aged woman facing the trauma of placing her mother in an aged home, and the mother's growing relationship with a young Xhosa employee of the old-age home. The title "Rustlers" was inspired by anecdotes of prisoners of Robben Island. Forbidden to clap their hands, the inmates would instead rub their palms together to create a rustling sound. In this way they managed to communicate appreciation and support for each other

Brent Meersman (2010) claims that according to his records Geraldine Aron’s Rustlers deals with the same incident as Fugard’s play The Traindriver, and that "Aron had ... dedicated her play to Phumla Lolwana and her children Lindani, Andile and Sisanda".

South African performances
2003: First produced from 6 to 29 March 2003 in the Artscape Theatre, directed by Roy Sargeant, with Diane Wilson, Bo Petersen, Dumisame Mbebe, Andrew Brent, Warren Mc Aslan, and Chan Marti. Design by Brian Collins.

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