Siswe Banzi Is Dead
Director: John Kani
Cast: Atandwa Kani, Mncedisi Shabangu
Venue: Baxter Theatre Flipside
until: September 12
Rating: ****
Forty-three years since its initial première have done nothing to impair the freshness and dramatic impact of this two-hander. The cast may be different, but the script is the same – and so is the calibre of theatre it generates.
Clearly its authenticity and current staging are well served by John Kani’s insightful direction, since in addition to appearing as one of the leads in the original production, he co-authored the work with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona. That said, the quality of performance by the present duo should not be underestimated as a major factor in its success.
They complement one another magnificently: Shabangu as Banzi is engagingly naive with his owl-eyed credulity a perfect foil for the street-wise opportunism and cheesy smile of Styles, played by Atandwa Kani.
The latter is equally impressive in his alternate role as Buntu, the embittered individual with whom Banzi shares both accommodation and a night of binge-drinking, with all that ensues.
This multi-layered play offers a rich brew of satire, comedy and philosophy on the theme of self-respect and personal identity versus survival in 20th-century South Africa, where an invalid passbook meant a life not worth living if you happened to be black.
It is sobering to note how little has changed in the news headlines since the 1970s when, in the opening sequence of the play, Styles the photographer flicks through a copy of the EP Herald while awaiting clients.
Kani’s energetic re-enactment of that character’s experiences in the Ford factory where he worked prior to self-employment is a gem in itself, and could well stand alone as a theatre-sketch, its broad comedy shot through with bursts of articulate venom.
As Banzi grapples with the imperative to change his identity in the face of influx control, conflicting emotions come into play, adding further complexity to what is already dense material. The universality of issues raised in this play makes it a timeless classic of theatre.