A CLASS OF ONE. MY WORD! REDESIGNING BUCKINGHAM PALACE. Written by Sylvia Vollenhoven. Directed by Sandra Temmingh, with Basil Appollis. COLD CASE: REVISITING DULCIE SEPTEMBER. Written by Basil Appollis and Sylvia Vollenhoven. Directed by Basil Appollis, with Denise Newman. At the Baxter until May 30 . TRACEY SAUNDERS reviews
SOUTH Africa’s complex and painful history has fallen prey in the past to a selective remembering which has rendered many personal histories almost invisible. A Class of One is an education in the histories of two extraordinary individuals: Dulcie September and Richard Rive. While both took their place in many classrooms as teachers and lecturers, in South Africa and other countries, this repertory season gives their unique histories a long overdue centre place on stage.
Appollis first brought Rive to life at the Baxter in December 2013. In the intimate space of the Masambe theatre he recreated the streets and sensibilities of District Six and his dulcet tones filled the auditorium. He has resurrected Rive and the authenticity of his performance once again allows the spirit of the acclaimed writer to fill the stage.
The set is simple, a wingback chair surrounded by piles of books and stacks of paper. The lighting design is not overly elaborate either, allowing the beauty of the text to design the space. The recollections of Buckingham Place, the name given to the collection of houses where Rive grew up, are vivid and the smells and sounds of the ‘Big Days’ celebrated by the community are related in a manner which provokes a visceral response.
You can almost taste the sharp bubbles of ginger beer and the sticky rich fruit cake which he is plied with on his round of visits on Christmas Days. Visits to the bioscope and brothels are spoken about with equal reverence, and Mary Brown, the local brothel madam and daughter of a dominee from Saron is accorded as much respect as his Hollywood screen idols.
His anecdotes about Windsor Park, where Tupperware is legal tender and different shades of black determine your position in the social hierarchy are amusing and poignant. What Rive sketched on paper, Appollis colours in on stage and one feels anger and regret for the loss of the vibrancy of District Six. His sonorous tones are mesmerizing and he doesn’t drop the BBC influenced timbre for a moment.
While acknowledging the influence of the Catholic nuns and their elocution classes his attendance at Oxford also left its mark on his accent. As we are led through his life the presence of words and the prevalence of literature are given pride of place. His brutal murder in 1989 robbed the country of a unique literary mind and Revisiting Buckingham Palace makes us all feel that loss more keenly.
In Cold Case both the life and death of Dulcie September are revisited and although no answers about her assassination are provided strands of different theories are left for the audience to explore. Surrounded by boxes, a representation of the limitations others attempted to place on her during her life, Newman does more than just recount the biographical details of the activist’s life. She has a strong affinity with the woman whose life she portrays.
Both grew up in Athlone, attended Athlone High School and share the birth month of August. It is evident that this is no mere acting role for Newman. She seems to channel the character and inhabits the role with a clarity that must have been unsettling for members of the opening night audience who were close to September.
Aside from herself, her friends, neighbours, comrades and family are conjured up on stage. Newman’s strong identification with September impacts on the transitions between characters which are not always clear. A flaw that I am sure will settle during the run. Her strong affinity with Dulcie is not duplicated in the portrayal of the other characters. As her sister, Stephanie, and neighbour, Elizabeth Van Der Heyden speak emotionally about the Dulcie they knew and the huge absence that her death has left in their lives we are made aware that her life had both a personal and political impact.
September’s history is intrinsically knotted with that of South Africa’s and her premature death robbed her of the experiencing the democracy which she had fought for so valiantly.
Dulcie was never going to be confined by the definition of others and as a student, a teacher, an ANC operative and exiled activist her commitment to truth and justice were unwavering. Her strong sense of purpose is a constant thread through the narrative of her life as she traversed across Europe and shouldered the responsibility as the ANC Chief Representative in France, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
The screening of video excerpts at the end of the performance are a brilliant device by Temmingh to remind us that this is no mere fiction. The true details of September’s life and assassination may at last be unveiled with the recent release of documents from the TRC hearings. Until such time, this account of her life and contribution to our fledgling democracy serves as a class in courage and moral fortitude.
While each play stands on its own there are touch points of synchronicity between their lives. They both departed from SA on Union Castle liners for their lives abroad. While Rive’s books were banned, September herself was placed under banning order after she was released from prison and both of their lives were ended violently far too soon. The plays are performed in repertory and while attending both plays is not required each production certainly enhances the appreciation of the other.
This dual celebration of Rive and September is a timely reminder of the true heroes that deserve to be celebrated and remembered. The lack of tangible memorials acknowledging their contribution to South Africa is a travesty and one that will hopefully be remedied in light of renewed discussions about memorialising the country’s history.
Mitch Albom, the American writer, said “Sharing tales of those we’ve lost is how we keep from really losing them”. Vollenhoven, Appollis, Temmingh and Newman are to be congratulated for preserving the life and legacy of these two remarkable individuals.
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