Master Harold...and the boys

by Athol Fugard. A play based on an incident in the author's youth, dealing with the process of growing up in a racially divided society. Also written Master Harold and the boys or Master Harold ... and the boys.

In 1998 Master Harold...and the boys was among the top 50 nominees in the Royal National Theatre poll of playwrights, actors, directors and other theatre professionals to select the 10 most significant English-language plays from the 20th century.

Stage Productions

Premiére 1983

First produced in the USA. At Yale Repertory the original cast was Zeljko Ivanek as Hally, Zakes Mokae as Sam, and Danny Glover as Willie. When the production moved to Broadway Lonny Price was Hally. Glover later appeared in the Broadway revival in the role of Sam.

The South African premiére was at the Market Theatre 1983, directed by Athol Fugard, with John Kani, Duarte Sylwain and Ramolao Makhene. This production was presented at the Baxter Theatre and the National Arts Festival in the same year.

Awards

1982 Drama Desk Award Outstanding New Play 1983 London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Play 1983 London Evening Standard Award for Best Play Nomination in 1982 Tony Award for Best Play

According to one poll, considered to be one of the 100 best English language plays of the 20th Century.

Other South African productions

1995

Directed by Damon Galgut, starring Jason Ralph (Hally), Makhaola Ndebele (Sam) and Zolanl Cata (Willie). In the Arena on the UCT Campus, Orange Street, Cape Town.

1999

Revived in 1999, with *** Master Harold & the Boys, Selected as one of the best plays of the 20th century by ** Published by Oxford University Press. Hally played by Adam Pike, Willie by Vuyisile Pandle, Sam by Tshamano Sebe. Set and lighting design by Brian Collins, costume design by Phyllis Midlane. Stage manager Koos Marais.

2010

Produced at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square starring Pakamisa Zwedala (Sam), Daniel Buckland (Harold), Nat Ramabulana (Willie).

2013

Produced by Eric Abraham and the Fugard Theatre, in the Fugard Studio Theatre, 4th-30th March 2013. Directed by Kim Kerfoot and designed by Julia Anastasopoulos. Hally played by Alex Middlebrook, Willie by Themba Mchunu, Sam by Tshamano Sebe,

Translations

Translated into Afrikaans by Idil Sheard with the title Master Harold en die Boys.

The first professional presentation in Afrikaans was directed by Zane Meas starring Terence Bridgett, Christo Davids and Hennie Jacobs at Aardklop and the KKNK, 2013.

Filmed versions

1985 film

A television movie produced in 1985, adapted by Athol Fugard, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg with stars, Matthew Broderick, Zakes Mokae, and John Kani.

2010 film

A filmed version of the play was produced in South Africa in 2009, starring Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland) as Hally and Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction, Mission Impossible 1-3) as Sam. The film was directed by Emmy Award-winning director Lonny Price (who played Hally in the original Broadway cast) and produced by Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat, Mike Auret, Nelle Nugent and David Pupkewitz.

Sources

Wikipedia [1]

The Fugard Theatre website[2]

National Arts Festival programme, 1983.

KKNK programme, 29 March-6 April 2013.

Sunday Independent, 15 May 2011.

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

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