Athol Fugard remembered at National Arts Fest with stellar performance of ‘The Island'
The actors and director of the play said it was an honour to put on the production in memory of Fugard, especially with Kani present in Makhanda.
The festival takes place from 26 June to 6 July 2025 in Makhanda, Eastern Cape.
Fifty years ago, theatre legends Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona were honoured at the prestigious Tony Awards.
Their double-bill The Island and Sizwe Banzi is Dead received nominations for Best Play and Direction of a Play, with Kani and Ntshona jointly winning the Best Actor award.
The Island takes place in a prison inspired by Robben Island. Two cellmates prepare for a performance of Sophocles' Antigone. One cellmate learns that his sentence has been reduced from 10 to 3 years, with only a few months left to go. The other cellmate still has a long sentence ahead of him.
The Island was performed at this year's National Arts Festival with Sizwe Banzi is Dead also on the programme. In light of Fugard's death, this felt like a very necessary programme inclusion, especially since he, Kani and Ntshona all hail from the Eastern Cape.
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Director Xabiso Zweni and actors Fiks Mahola and Anele Penny brilliantly brought Fugard, Kani, and Ntshona's text alive once again and said it was an honour to perform it this year at NAF.
Zweni said they originally wanted to do the play in commemoration of the Tony Award, not for Fugard's death. Kani was also in attendance at this year's arts festival.
'When he passed away, it gave the production such a boost that we wanted to commemorate him, his memory and the work he, John Kani and Winston Ntshona did during apartheid,' Zweni said.
The director praised Fugard for being able to 'go into the township, work with talent and go overseas when the country's laws did not permit it.'
'That's why it's such a great honour to pay tribute to Athol Fugard.'
Joel Ontong/News24
Zweni believes that though The Island is an apartheid-era play, the themes still resonate with modern audiences because of the brilliant storytelling.
'The work is timeless; they've written such a beautiful work. The themes of economy and equality will always resonate with younger people as well.'
Zweni also said that Fugard was foundational to his theatre education, as with many other theatre makers in SA.
'He's always going to be there in the shadows as one of the fathers of South African theatre.'
Actor Anele Penny, who plays Winston in The Island, said, 'Nobody fills anyone's shoes in theatre,' but they wanted to continue the legacy of their artistic predecessors.
'We feel very much honoured to do The Island, as well as Sizwe Banzi Is Dead next week,' he added.
'These doctors [referring to Fugard, Kani and Ntshona] are the pioneers of theatre,' Penny said.
'They represent us even today because some see the change, but others are still in the dark, looking for the change that was promised.'
'So it's a double celebration for the 50 years of the Tony Award and also saying farewell to Doctor Fugard,' Penny added.
Actor Fiks Mahola, who plays John, also said being in the production is more than an honour.
He continued:
'I left the entertainment industry, and I thought I successfully retired. Then someone said to me, 'I know your work ethic, I know your capabilities, I know what you can do, and I think you would be just right for this historic, monumental production'.'
For him, it's particularly special to play John Kani's character.
'To now be portraying the character that he portrayed - it's almost overwhelming for me.'
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