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A review by aslireads
The Island by John Kani, Athol Fugard, Winston Ntshona
3.0
3,5 / 5 stars!
The Island is a play that follows two men, John and Winston, while they're imprisoned in Robben Island Prison (the same prison where Nelson Mandela was held) during the Apartheid era. It is based on a true story of prisoners staging Antigone- which is a highly political choice.
I actually finished this last week but waited on it so we could study it in class- I was originally planning on giving The Island a three star rating but now that I know its history -since it was produced and shown to the non-white population during the Apartheid when it would have been absolutely illegal - its bravery is something to be acknowledged for sure, so I upped it half a point.
(quick side note here: my ratings are only about my enjoyment of the book and nothing more. I think this play really was revolutionary, especially when it was first performed by the two black co-authors who improvised most of it. Also, my reading of this play informed me on the Apartheid period in South Africa which I really have been terribly ignorant about up until this point in my life- Had I been informed earlier on I may have had a completely different reaction, but I'm just rambling here. Google the Apartheid if you are as clueless as I was, thanks!)
Overall, I thought it was a short and impactful play but from the videos I have seen online, I gather that seeing it performed live would have been much more poweful. Would recommend seeing it live or reading it-especially if you are interested or want to educate yourself on the topic. Thanks!
The Island is a play that follows two men, John and Winston, while they're imprisoned in Robben Island Prison (the same prison where Nelson Mandela was held) during the Apartheid era. It is based on a true story of prisoners staging Antigone- which is a highly political choice.
I actually finished this last week but waited on it so we could study it in class- I was originally planning on giving The Island a three star rating but now that I know its history -since it was produced and shown to the non-white population during the Apartheid when it would have been absolutely illegal - its bravery is something to be acknowledged for sure, so I upped it half a point.
(quick side note here: my ratings are only about my enjoyment of the book and nothing more. I think this play really was revolutionary, especially when it was first performed by the two black co-authors who improvised most of it. Also, my reading of this play informed me on the Apartheid period in South Africa which I really have been terribly ignorant about up until this point in my life- Had I been informed earlier on I may have had a completely different reaction, but I'm just rambling here. Google the Apartheid if you are as clueless as I was, thanks!)
Overall, I thought it was a short and impactful play but from the videos I have seen online, I gather that seeing it performed live would have been much more poweful. Would recommend seeing it live or reading it-especially if you are interested or want to educate yourself on the topic. Thanks!