Somewhere on the Border

Somewhere on the Border is a play by Anthony Akerman. Written in 1982/3, it was banned "as a publication" in South Africa. However, it was a countrywide success when it was performed and was nominated for the DALRO Best Play Award in 1987. The Cape Argus called it "the ultimate anti-war statement in white South African theatre".** Full-length. Cast: men.

The original text

The play is about a unit of whites-only artillery trainees in basic camp before and during their going over the Border in South Africa's invasion of Angola in 1978.

Published in South Africa Plays by Nick Hern Books (1993) and also individually published by Thekwini Theater Amsterdam.

The play opened in The Hague on 11 November 1983, produced by Akerman and with a South African cast: Joss Levine, Joseph Mosikili, Richard Carter, Jon Cartwright, Ian Bruce, Allan Ivan, and Jeroen Kranenburg.

Performance history in South Africa

1986: Presented and directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven at the Grahamstown Festival.

1987: Presented by the Little Theatre, Cape Town, in association with Basil Rubin in January. Directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven, starring Blaise Koch, Timmy Kwebulana, Johann Myburgh, André-Jacques van der Merwe, Hannes Muller, André Lombard, Deon Opperman. Lighting designed by Gerda Kruger.

1987: Staged by PACT, directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven, with Dawid Minnaar (David Levitt), Timmy Kwebulana (Blackman), Johann Myburgh (Trevor Mowbray), André-Jacques van der Merwe (Kpl Kotze), Hannes Muller (Hennie Badenhorst), André Lombard (Paul Marais) and Martin le Maitre (Doug Campbell).

1990: Presented by NAPAC at the Loft Theatre directed by the author, opening 11 September.

2009: Pretoria Boys' High production. It was a powerful production, with the sons on stage never part of that war, while the fathers in the audience represented that lost generation. The playwright attended the production.

2011-2012: André Odendaal directed the play at the Grahamstown Festival, starring Kaz McFadden, Charlie Bouguenon, Dylan Horley, André Lötter, Glen Biderman-Pam, Luan Jacobs, Ndino Ndilula. This production was also staged at the Market Theatre and the Baxter Theatre in 2012. House of Kosie productions, the playwright, director and stage manager have all come together to produce the Market Theatre season and the Cape Town season at the Baxter Theatre.

Sources

PACT theatre programme, 1987.

Theatre programme, 1987.

The Star, 10 January 2012.

Finsncial Mail, 3 February 2012.

Stephen Gray (ed). 1993. South Africa Plays. Nick Hern Books.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to S in Plays I Original SA Plays

Return to South_African_Theatre/Plays

Return to The ESAT Entries