MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA

by Athol Fugard
Directed 1992, Harrogate Theatre, Yorkshire, England

South Africa. A rural South African city at the height of the troubles. An elderly black schoolteacher forges a bond of affection and respect between a clever young black pupil at his township boys' school, and a bright middle-class teenager at the white girl's school as he trains them together for a national school quiz contest. The bond is burned away in the flames of inter-racial violence, but the resilience of tolerance and friendship live on.

Synopsis

Cast

Notes

Review

Synopsis

In a South African country town, an inter-school debate takes place - its stars. Thami, a teenage boy from a poor black school and Isabel, a teenage girl from the town's middle-class white school.

Inspired by the success of the occasion, Mr. M, the headteacher of the black school, persuades the young pair to join together as a team, coached by himself, for a national school English literature quiz.

In the course of the coaching an intense and uneasy relationship develops amongst the three as they learn to trust each other more. But the political realities of a country in crisis first drives a wedge into this fragile alliance and then shatters it in horror and tragedy. Thami is sucked into the politics of violence and Mr. M is murdered by a lynch mob who believe him to be a police collaborator. Thami escapes from South Africa to join the rebels in the North and Isabel is left alone to pay her respects to the memory of Mr. M.

Cast

Mr M., a black schoolteacher - Willie Jonah

Thami, a teenage black schoolboy - Wilbert Johnson

Isabel, a teenage white schoolgirl - Faith Flint

Running Time - approx. 2 hours.

Notes

My Children! My Africa! was written in 1989 for the Market Theatre of Johannesburg, and performed by them in London, UK, in 1990. The Harrogate production was the UK cast premiere.

The play is both a cry for tolerance and a bitter acceptance of the violence that flares to destroy peace in South Africa. It is not possible to ignore the parallel between Mr. M., and his search for change through peaceful and intelligent intervention, and another Mr. M., now President Nelson Mandela.

Though sometimes clumsy in tone, My Children! My Africa! achieves such a telling intensity that in good performance it easily overcomes its own weaknesses. Fugard does not take easy options; the play is a blow to the gut of black and white audiences alike.

The full text of My Children! My Africa! is generally available.
Please note that the text is copyright - seek permission from the appropriate agent.

Thanks.

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