2009 News
- News Archive
Actor John Kani to Participate in Staged Reading
John Kani Biography • Interview with John on Mark Griffin's Dram St Mary's Blog
St Mary’s University College in association with the Richmond Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company will be hosting a staged reading of the ‘Robben Island Bible Project’ at Richmond Theatre on March 24 at 3.00pm. The reading will include a performance by Tony Award winning actor John Kani who will be reading excerpts from recently conducted interviews and the chosen Shakespearian texts of political prisoners on Robben Island (time and date of performance are subject to change).
The 'Robben Island Bible' is a copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare and is owned by South African Sonny Venkatrathnam. A political prisoner on Robben Island during the 1970s, Venkatratham smuggled his copy of the Complete Works into the prison by persuading his warders that it was a religious Hindu text. He then surreptitiously passed the book to a number of his fellow political prisoners in the single cells.
Each of them marked his favourite passage in the Complete Works and signed it with the date. The 'Bible' contains thirty-two signatures, including those of Walter Sisulu, Neville Alexander, Billy Nair, Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Andrew Masondo, and Mac Maharaj, all luminaries in the struggle for a democratic South Africa.
These men signed passages within the text which they found particularly moving / meaningful / profound. The selection of texts provides fascinating insight into the minds, thinking and soul of prisoners at that time.
Ahmed Kathrada, Michael Dingake, Saths Cooper, Theo Cholo, Kwede Mkalipi, Sonny Venkatrathnam and Andrew Mlangeni, all former political prisoners on Robben Island and signatories of the ‘bible’, were interviewed as part of the first phase of this research project in October & November 2008. The second phase of the project will begin in the summer of 2009, as David Taylor and Matthew Hahn, a lecturer at St Mary’s, will be working with actors from the Market Theatre, in Johannesburg South Africa to devise a play based on the interviews & chosen Shakespearian texts.
The project has gained the support of many prominent South Africans and international organisations including the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Paul Boateng, South African High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ms Lindiwe Mabuza, John Kani, the British Council in South Africa and St Mary’s University College amongst others.
With experiences of working in the theatre and development fields in the UK, Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa and United States, David and Matthew share a great passion for ensuring access to the performing arts through social change.
For more information and to book tickets for this free event, please call Matthew on 0208 240 4059.
'John Kani is an internationally recognized, multiple award winning actor, director and playwright. His impressive list of theatre credits include Driving Miss Daisy, Othello, The Blood Knot, The Island, Waiting for Godot, Playland, Duet for One, Sizwe Banzi is Dead and My Children! My Africa!
Several of these productions and many others have been performed to audiences across the world. Both Sizxe Banzi is Dead and The Island , which won the Toronto Theatre award in 2001 for Best Production, were co-written by John, ANthol Fugard, and Winston Ntshona. John won the Best Actor Tony award on Broadway for his performances in these plays.
John's many accolades for his contrbution to South Africa and culture include honorary doctorates from the University of Durban, Westville; Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town, as well as the President of South Africa's Order of Ikhamanga.'
