Inmates laugh, cry as play hits home
FEMALE prisoners at the Westville correctional facility were given a treat when the cast of The Game performed their theatrical play to much laughter and some tears yesterday.
Many of the 100 prisoners who watched the play were moved by its message of hardship and hope, which was set around the time of Nelson Mandela’s release.
One of the inmates, Thinathi Plaatjie, 27, said the play had taught her some life lessons and gave her hope about changing her life around.
Plaatjie, who has an 11-yearold child, said: “I learnt a lot from the play about how I should behave myself, how we should love ourselves as women and learn from what we have gone through. I have passed through a lot of things.
“I started doing drugs four years ago. I am now clean from drugs, and one day I would also love to teach people of my age not to go down the same road that I did,” Plaatjie said.
Promise Ntuli, 44, said she had learnt that there was life after prison after watching the play.
“I have learnt that even if you are in jail, you should know that when you come out, there is still life,” she said.
Ntuli, who is serving a sentence for murdering her husband, whom she claimed abused her, said she was touched that the play covered the exact same circumstances she went through.
“My husband abused me in every kind of way you could think of, until I decided to kill him. Right now I regret killing him, but at the time I thought he was going to kill me. The play was fun and sad at the same time,” she said.
Ntuli has 18 months left of her sentence.
The stage play consists of eight famous young women who have also been through different struggles in life, but managed to overcome them.
They were auditioned and selected by Uzalo and Muvhango producer Duma Ndlovu, who wrote The Game.
Sindi Dlathu, famously known as Thandaza on Muvhango, is one of the eight actors who were selected for roles in The Game.
“Today the play just took on a different meaning for me to be here and see there are actually people who are living the reality of the play that we are just portraying,” said Dlathu.
“Most of us just became emotional when we saw them, that they are unable to meet with their loved ones on a daily basis.”
The Game is showcasing at The Playhouse Loft theatre every day at 7pm until December 24.