Working Class Hero

There appear to be two South African productions called Working Class Hero

= A 1976 protest play by Kessie Govender = Sometimes referred to as A Working Class Hero.

The original text
Set on a building construction site the play explores the tensions between black, white and Indian individuals. The characters include Siva, a bricklayer, Jitsen, the bricklayer's charge hand, Frank, the bricklayer's labourer, Devan (or Anand), a college student, and the building inspector.

Published in Beyond Bollywood and Broadway : plays from the South Asian diaspora, edited by Neilesh Bose. Bloomington : Indiana University Press, c2009.

Performance history in South Africa
1976: First staged by the Stable Theatre Company in the Stable Theatre in Durban in 1976 in a production, directed by Kessie Govender, which ran for three weeks before being shut down by the South African security police for political reasons.

2001: Staged in August 2001 in the Little Theatre at The Playhouse in Durban, directed by Kessie Govender (Frank), with Kessie Govender, Rajesh Maharaj (Siva), Thirugasen Govender (Jitsen), Santiran Moonsamy (Anand), and Gavin Goveir (the inspector).

= A 1991 musical revue by David Nissen =

The original text
A musical tribute to John Lennon, devised by David Nissen, encompassing the Lennon songs and a song of his own composing.

Performance history in South Africa
1990-1: Performed in the Nico Arena, directed, arranged and performed by David Nissen (as band leader and singer) with Chris Hudson (guitar), Adam Goodman (keyboard), Jem Stephenson (base), Dan Darlow (drums) en Ina Vermeulen (as Yoko Ono).

= Sources =

Sunday Tribune, 19 August 2001.

CV supplied by David Nissen (July 2015)

Review by Gawie Botma, Die Burger, 19 December 1990

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