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pistachios42's review
2.0
This was quite a short one, and even after two seminars I haven't got that much to say about it.
It's not boring or uninteresting - John and Winston are perfectly capable subjects for the play, and it's constructed very clearly, with some basic setups and payoffs and symbolism. I think really it feels quite minimal in its effect, and would probably need a really exciting performance from the two leads to really captivate me however.
I could talk about the problems with Fugard writing about Apartheid and prisoners on Robben Island as a white South African, but I think the main sin of this play is that it's not very memorable. There have been a large variety of plays on this course, ones that have very different, almost conflicting, messages. But even when I'm being lectured by Mankind on what I need to do to avoid going to hell, I'm still enjoying the slapstick. With this though, I agree with the message: Apartheid is bad, imprisoning those who protest against Apartheid is bad, but I don't think the play communicates this in a very interesting way.
It's not boring or uninteresting - John and Winston are perfectly capable subjects for the play, and it's constructed very clearly, with some basic setups and payoffs and symbolism. I think really it feels quite minimal in its effect, and would probably need a really exciting performance from the two leads to really captivate me however.
I could talk about the problems with Fugard writing about Apartheid and prisoners on Robben Island as a white South African, but I think the main sin of this play is that it's not very memorable. There have been a large variety of plays on this course, ones that have very different, almost conflicting, messages. But even when I'm being lectured by Mankind on what I need to do to avoid going to hell, I'm still enjoying the slapstick. With this though, I agree with the message: Apartheid is bad, imprisoning those who protest against Apartheid is bad, but I don't think the play communicates this in a very interesting way.
chaostalking's review
4.5
Concise, intense, powerful. A wonderful exploration of the cost of standing up for what you believe in.
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