Enemy!

Enemy! is a 1969 play by Robin Maugham.

The original text

Set in the Western Desert during World War II, describing a kind of camaraderie that exists between a young British trooper and a German gunner who find themselves thrown together and fighting for survival. Published in in "Plays Of The Year Vol.39", Elek, London (Plays & Players, March 1970).

Translations and adaptations

Adapted as Enemy – An Anti-War Collage, a combination of two plays devised by Donald Howarth in 1972 for production at the Space Theatre.

Mees Xteen made an Afrikaans translation entitled Vyand! in 1983.

Performance history in South Africa

1972: First performed in adapted form as part of Enemy - An Anti-War Collage by Donald Howarth, and opened at The Space in Cape Town on 23 August, directed and designed by Donald Howarth. It had a very good run and also became quite notorious for probably being the first play to contain a scene with mass male nudity on the South African stage. The cast consisted of Bill Flynn, Bob Kirsner, Alex Petersen, Paul Slabolepszy and Michael Swinton. Lighting by Brian Astbury, sound by Alastair Johnstone and stage management by Bee Berman.

1973: PACT Drama staged a production of the original play as Enemy! in the Arena Theatre, directed by John Hussey, starring Eckard Rabe (Paul), Richard Haines (Ken), Nigel Vermaas (Decker) and Lindsay Reardon (Narrator).

1974: Robert Mohr directed the play for PACT at the Alexander Theatre

1983: The Afrikaans translation Vyand!, directed by Johann van Heerden, with Mees Xteen and Dawid Minnaar was staged by SWARUK in Windhoek [1] in the Windhoek Civic Theatre and in Swakopmund [2].

2000: Presented by the Department of Drama Studies at Technikon Natal at the Courtyard Theatre, directed by Jacky Vermaas, from 1 to 7 March 2000.