Waarom is dié wat voor toi-toi altyd so vet?

Waarom is dié wat voor toi-toi altyd so vet? ("Why are those who toyi-toyi in the lead always so fat?") is a political tragic-comedy by Antjie Krog.

The original text

The play tells of two mothers, one Afrikaans and white, the other black, are painting a mural for the primary school their two sons attend. While creating this visual image of the new South Africa, they talk, in three languages, about themselves and their experiences. They touch on a range of issues relevant to culturally divided South Africans trying to understand themselves and their place in the Rainbow Nation. It emerges that the black woman’s husband, an ex-guerrilla fighter, is now the white woman’s husband’s boss. They discuss their differences, but also discover their similarities and common fears and challenges, this even leading to a violent physical confrontation, but eventually to mutual acceptance and a deeper understanding.

Performances

1999: The play premiered at the Aardklop Festival and the Market Theatre in 1999, subsequently performed at several locations throughout South Africa, including the Oude Libertas Theatre in Stellenbosch in February, 2000. Directed by Marthinus Basson and starred Tess van Staden (who was also the Executive Producer) and Nomsa Xaba. Music by Adriaan Brandt and Bongile Mantsai. It was considered a powerful contribution to South Africa's ongoing political debate about reconciliation.

Sources

Ruphin Coudyzer. 2023. Annotated list of his photographs of Market Theatre productions. (Provided by Coudyzer)

http://www.litnet.co.za/Article/antjie-krog-1952

Van Heerden (2008)[1] pp 108-109

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