HOT off its premiere at The Royal Court, London and Market Theatre run, South African Mongiwekhaya’s latest play, I See You will show at the Fugard Studio Theatre from Friday until May 28.
Presented by Eric Abraham and The Fugard Theatre ‑ the production is based on a true story and movingly addresses the questions of a new generation of South Africans encountering their country’s traumatised past.
Ben meets Skinn for a night out. But the party is interrupted by the police. Ben, a young student who doesn’t know his own history, is accused of a crime he didn’t commit.
And Officer Buthelezi, a former freedom fighter, can’t let it go. “I don’t need your sorries white boy. Yes, you heard right. You know white people think we’re the same? We both look black. But only one of us is black.”
Written by writer, actor and director Mongiwekhaya ( Ubu and the Truth Commission; The Feather Collector) who is a residential fellow in theatre at the Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape, the play marks the directorial debut of Olivier award winner Noma Dumezweni, who was last seen in the Fugard Theatre’s production of A Human being Died That Night.
I See You features actor and singer Desmond Dube ( The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency; Hotel Rwanda; Dube on Mondays), in the role of Buthelezi; Bayo Gbadamosi ( Little Revolution; Mad about the Boy) as Ben; Jordan Baker ( Eastenders) as Skinn; Lunga Radebe ( Antigone: In The World; Touch my Blood) as Shabangu; Austin Hardiman ( Wish; The First Man) as James and Sibusiso Mamba ( SizweBanzi is Dead; Nongogo) as Masinga.
Design is by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design is by Richard Howell and sound design and music composed by Giles Thomas. Luyanda Sidiya is movement director, Zabarjad Salam is voice and dialect coach and assistant direction is by John Haidar.
I See You was Mongiwekhaya’s Royal Court debut play and was presented as part of International Playwrights: A Genesis Foundation Project. It was developed during the Royal Court’s new writing project in South Africa which began in 2013 and which was supported by the British Council and Connect ZA.
l There is an age restriction of 14, www.thefugard.com