Difference between revisions of "The Dead Wait"
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| − | ''The Dead Wait'' by South African born playwright [[Paul Herzberg]] is based on the story of a young South African athlete who is a conscripted soldier in the Angolan Civil War and was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award in 1997. The story also reflects Herzberg's own experiences as a conscripted soldier before leaving South Africa | + | ''[[The Dead Wait]]'' by South African born playwright [[Paul Herzberg]] is based on the story of a young South African athlete who is a conscripted soldier in the Angolan Civil War and was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award in 1997. The story also reflects Herzberg's own experiences as a conscripted soldier before leaving South Africa. |
| + | == The original text == | ||
| + | The protagonist, as a young (white) conscript during the Angola Civil War in the 70s, was ordered to carry a wounded black enemy soldier on his back for 60 kilometres through the bush to the base where the “terrorist” could be interrogated. Eventually his commanding officer ordered the young man to execute the [[ANC]] operative. He did, and guilt-ridden went into exile abroad and now returns, two decades later, to apply to the [[TRC]] to confess the guilt he had been carrying with him for twenty years, like the actual load ("the dead weight") he was forced to carry all those years earlier. | ||
| − | In 2002 it received its British premiere | + | The play was published by Oberon books. |
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| + | == Performance history in South Africa == | ||
| + | 1997: ''The Dead Wait'' was broadcast on BBC Radio and received its theatrical world premiere at the Barney Simon Theatre at the [[Market Theatre|Market]], in 1997. The play was presented at the [[Standard Bank National Arts Festival]] in the same year, directed by [[Clare Stopford]]. The cast: [[Kurt Wüstmann]], [[James Borthwick]], [[Lindelani Buthelezi]], [[Annie Robinson]], [[Nambitha Mpumlwana]]. Design by [[Nadya Cohen]]; lighting design by [[Michael Maxwell]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Performance history abroad == | ||
| + | 2002: In 2002 it received its British premiere at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, with Herzberg in the role of Captain Papa Louw, where it was nominated for three Manchester Evenings News Awards (best new play, production and actor) winning in the last category. | ||
=Sources= | =Sources= | ||
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Herzberg | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Herzberg | ||
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Grahamstown Festival Programme, 1997. | Grahamstown Festival Programme, 1997. | ||
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| + | [[Ruphin Coudyzer]]. 2023. Annotated list of his photographs of [[Market Theatre]] productions. (Provided by Coudyzer) | ||
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| + | [Van Heerden (2008)][http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscholar.sun.ac.za%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F10019.1%2F1443%2Fvanheerden_theatre_2008.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&ei=_egBU77CNYWJhQeE5oCADQ&usg=AFQjCNEWnD1BzeLnFmOV2tvyGLoMyNeT6Q&bvm=bv.61535280,d.Yms] pp 104-105 | ||
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| + | [[NELM]] catalogue. | ||
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| + | [[ESAT Bibliography Da-Daz|Davis, Geoffrey V.]] 2003. pp. 329-333. | ||
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| + | Return to [[ESAT Plays 1 D|D]] in Plays 1 Original SA Plays | ||
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| + | Return to [[ESAT Plays 2 D|D]] in Plays 2 Foreign Plays | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Plays]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[Main Page]] | ||
Latest revision as of 16:20, 12 February 2024
The Dead Wait by South African born playwright Paul Herzberg is based on the story of a young South African athlete who is a conscripted soldier in the Angolan Civil War and was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award in 1997. The story also reflects Herzberg's own experiences as a conscripted soldier before leaving South Africa.
Contents
The original text
The protagonist, as a young (white) conscript during the Angola Civil War in the 70s, was ordered to carry a wounded black enemy soldier on his back for 60 kilometres through the bush to the base where the “terrorist” could be interrogated. Eventually his commanding officer ordered the young man to execute the ANC operative. He did, and guilt-ridden went into exile abroad and now returns, two decades later, to apply to the TRC to confess the guilt he had been carrying with him for twenty years, like the actual load ("the dead weight") he was forced to carry all those years earlier.
The play was published by Oberon books.
Performance history in South Africa
1997: The Dead Wait was broadcast on BBC Radio and received its theatrical world premiere at the Barney Simon Theatre at the Market, in 1997. The play was presented at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival in the same year, directed by Clare Stopford. The cast: Kurt Wüstmann, James Borthwick, Lindelani Buthelezi, Annie Robinson, Nambitha Mpumlwana. Design by Nadya Cohen; lighting design by Michael Maxwell.
Performance history abroad
2002: In 2002 it received its British premiere at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, with Herzberg in the role of Captain Papa Louw, where it was nominated for three Manchester Evenings News Awards (best new play, production and actor) winning in the last category.
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Herzberg
Grahamstown Festival Programme, 1997.
Ruphin Coudyzer. 2023. Annotated list of his photographs of Market Theatre productions. (Provided by Coudyzer)
[Van Heerden (2008)][1] pp 104-105
NELM catalogue.
Davis, Geoffrey V. 2003. pp. 329-333.
Return to D in Plays 1 Original SA Plays
Return to D in Plays 2 Foreign Plays
Return to South_African_Theatre/Plays
Return to Main Page
