The Guise

The Guise is a play by British playwright David Mowat [1] (1943-2004).

It is a dramatic satire on censorship past and present. Produced at the Birmingham Rep, England, in 1979.

The original text

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1979: First produced in South Africa by The Space (Cape Town) in 1979, directed by Peter Stevenson with Pippa Dyer, Errol Hart, Derek Lyndon, Caroline Newby, Duarte Sylwain, Leslee Udwin and Ralph van Pletzen. Design by Vivienne Cartwright, lighting by Nicholas Fine and stage management by Faruk Hoosain and Denise Newman.

When Brian Astbury and others at The Space (Cape Town) first read this play, they were immediately taken with it. As a result they asked Peter Stevenson to direct the play even though they knew that censorship problems would more than likely arise. After eight performances the play was duly banned.

Brian Astbury, assisted by Yvonne Bryceland, directed this play at the Triplex Theater, Manhatten in November 1991 [2].

1997: Repeated in 1997 at the Nico as part of the 25 year celebration of The Space, directed by Brian Astbury. Though the production company was in fact CAPAB, the history website SAHO [3] wrongly claims that it was staged by CAPAB as heir last production and specifically as an ode to the closing down of CAPAB, since the major theme of the play was the survival of theatre.