Master Harold and the boys

by Athol Fugard. (Also written Master Harold ... and the boys or  Master Harold...and the boys) A play based on an incident in the author's youth, dealing with the process of growing up in a racially divided society.

The play was selected as one of the best 100 plays of the 20th Century.

Premiére 1983
First produced in the USA. At Yale Repertory the original cast was Zeljko Ivanek as Hally, Zakes Mokae as Sam, and Danny Glover as Willie. When the production moved to Broadway Lonny Price was Hally. Glover later appeared in the Broadway revival in the role of Sam.

The South African premiére was at the Market Theatre 1983, directed by Athol Fugard, assisted by Suzanne Shepherd with John Kani, Duarte Sylwain and Ramolao Makhene.

1998
Rapulana Seiphemo was selected to direct this play during the Barney Simon Young Directors and Playwrights Festival, 1998. Alastair Dube played Sam, Thulani Nyembe Willie and Johnny Barbuzano Harold.

1999
Revived in 1999, with *** Master Harold & the Boys, Selected as one of the best plays of the 20th century by ** Published by Oxford University Press.

2013
Produced by Eric Abraham and the Fugard Theatre, in the Fugard Studio Theatre, 4th-30th March 2013. Directed by Kim Kerfoot (Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act) and designed by Julia Anastasopoulos (Champ) The troubled teenager, Hally, is played by newcomer Alex Middlebrook, who himself is currently in Grade 11 and comes to the Fugard Theatre by kind agreement with Reddam House. While he has been on stage several times before (Gilbert and Sullivan’s King and I, Fiddler on the Roof and Yeomen of the Guard) Master Harold ... and the Boys marks Alex’s professional debut to the Theatre. Willie is played by UCT graduate Themba Mchunu (Door, Land of the Cranes) while Sam is played by the celebrated, veteran South African Actor Tshamano Sebe (Green Man Flashing, Jesus Hopped the A Train, District Six the Musical, The Piano Player, Stokvel, Generations). Sebe has previously played the character of Sam for which he won the Fleur du Cap Award for Best Actor in 1999. Bookings are now open and tickets can be bought through computicket.com or by dialling the Fugard Theatre’s box office on 021 461 4554. There are excellent discounts for learners, students and pensioners. Friends of the Fugard continue to receive great discounts on all Fugard Theatre productions. There is plenty of safe, secure parking across the road from the main entrance of the Fugard Theatre on Caledon Street.

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