South African theatre beyond 2000: theatricalising the unspeakable

Abstract

The article examines theatre beyond 2000 – a volatile period (a second interregnum) in South Africa. Playwrights and theatre practitioners explore a range of what would previously have been unspeakable issues and South African theatre is accomplishing important political work. I use ‘unspeakable’ in two ways: firstly, voices from diverse, formerly marginalised South Africans, who were oppressed and silenced, are now giving voice to their experiences. Secondly, the issues that contemporary plays confront are replete with brutality, rape, torture, abuse, and political violence. How has theatre represented, shaped, and sometimes anticipated events and sociopolitical dynamics? How has theatre from South Africa beyond 2000 translated outside of the country and been received on international stages? In a separate section I evaluate some highlights of the National Arts Festival held in Grahamstown in 2009.