Play tackles discrimination

The critically acclaimed play, The Fall, which reflects on the recent University of Cape Town’s #RhodesMustFall movement, will be headlining the 10th Annual Youth Expression Festival to commemorate Youth Month [June] at the State Theatre.

The production tackles social categorisations such as race, class and gender, as well as the ideologies of patriarchy and sexism.

These issues are at the core of global conversations and tragedies pervasive in today’s societies and The Fall seeks to unpack discrimination in all its various forms.

State theatre spokesperson Thakgatso Setseta described it as a vital new production from seven University of Cape Town drama graduates.

It’s based on their personal experiences during the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall movements that rocked the country in 2015 and 2016.

Setseta said that given the current climate at tertiary institutions throughout South Africa, the production could not be more relevant and topical as it highlighted issues that were begging to be addressed.

“The mass student movement provoked worldwide discourse and action.

“The Fall provides a point of reference for what motivated these students to act and why they found the statue of Rhodes offensive.

“The play aims to bridge the gap between the current genera- tion’s outlook, attitudes and motivations and the older generations’ perspective on issues such as colonisation, sexuality and racial discrimination,” Setseta said.

He said the playwrights hoped the production would create dialogues on intersectional and institutionalised discrimination against the marginalised.

The play was performed at the Edinburgh Assembly Fringe Festival in Scotland recently where it bagged the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First and The Stage cast awards.

It has also amassed five-star reviews and received the 2017 Fleur du Cap Special Encore Award.