Milestones

Milestones, a play by Arnold Bennett and Edward Knoblock dealing with the fortunes of an English family over a period of fifty years, from the 1860's to the early part of the 20th century. At the basis of the drama is the conflict between industrial progress and conservatism, expressed through the medium of English class-consciousness. Produced by the Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company in collaboration with African Consolidated Theatres Ltd at the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg, and subsequently in Cape Town in 1944 with Ivy Collins, Margaret Inglis, Zo Randall, Jessie Bryant, Wensley Pithey, Siegfried Mynhardt, Alec Bell, Noel Hewett, James Workman. Settings and costumes by John Dronsfield.

Milestones, written by Mandla Langa. Presented by Mannie Manim Productions at the National Arts Festival, 1999. Directed by Jerry Mofokeng, the cast included Owen Sejake, Sibongile Khumalo, Gloria Bosman, Sello Motloung, Mike Huff, Tsepho Desando and Steve Mofokeng. Milestones tells the story of a people who are rallying themselves for a return to their land led by a patriarch, a modern Moses. They perform their rituals in urban areas, observing custom. The subject matter draws on numerous issues affecting the new South Africa, the role of women in society, the juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary lifestyles, land and the conflict between urban and rural lifestyles.

Sources

South African Opinion, 1(7):22, 1944; Trek, 9(4):22; 9(7):22, 1944.

National Arts Festival programme, 1999.

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