Dinner Talk

A trilogy of two-handers, Happily Ever After, Sisters and Thabo for Thabo by Mike van Graan (1996).

Original text

Happily Ever After

The playlet explores how an activist takes up a senior position in government and loses his zeal for the principles he once fought for.

Sisters

The theme explored in this piece is whether truth necessarily leads to reconciliation or could truth actually result in alienation rather than reconciliation.

Thabo for Thabo

The playlet juxtaposes the violence of apartheid against the violence of crime, and the respective responses of individuals who experience that violence.

Thabo for Thabo has since been extended into a full-length play, Some Mothers' Sons. This came about as the result of Thabo for Thabo being staged as a reading in Rotterdam in 1999, after which the actors requested that the playlet be developed into a full-length piece. Six years later, Van Graan did this and entered it into the NLDTF/PANSA Festival of Reading of New Writing in 2005.

Performance history in South Africa

1996: Premièred on the Fringe of the Grahamstown Festival in July 1996, directed by Jay Pather, with Bheki Mkhwane (Bongi and Vusi), Ashley Dowds (Tony and Steve), Robin Singh (Raj) and Ashleigh Tobias (Sue).

After its premiere at the National Arts Festival, the script was substantially developed.

1997/1998: Played in The Playhouse in Durban in October 1997, at PACOFS in December 1997, the Civic Theatre in Jan/Feb 1998, Western Cape Schools Festival in March 1998 and the KKNK in April 1998, directed by Jay Pather, with Lindelani Buthelezi (Bongi and Vusi), Dan Robbertse (Tony and Steve), Strini Pillay (Raj) and Ashleigh Tobias (Sue).

Translations and adaptations

Awards

Fleur du Cap Award for Best New Script (1998).

Dinner Talk was one of four new South African plays staged as readings at the Young Vic in London from 27 February-13 March 2002. The reading was directed by Charles Fourie.

Thabo for Thabo, the third part of the trilogy, is included in a celebration of Nadine Gordimer, A Writing Life: Celebrating Nadine Gordimer, edited by Andries Oliphant.