Again, another busy day for the ProjectExplorer gang. We had two official locations to work with and a few errands to run.

We started our adventuring at the Market Theatre in the Newtown area of Jozi. The Market Theatre has a really interesting history. It derives its name from the fact that it used to be a marketplace - an Indian Fruit Market to be exact! It became the home of the Market Theatre in 1976, the same year as the Soweto Uprising.

Christopher spoke with Malcolm Purkey, the Market Theatre’s Artistic Director, about the importance of this theatre both during the time of apartheid and in a post-apartheid South Africa. Under apartheid, many poignant works were staged in this theatre by performers and playwrights who used theatre to address important political and social issues. Because the theatre was often used as venue for political expression it earned the nickname the ‘Theatre of Struggle’.

Many of the plays, playwrights, and actors that used the Market Theatre to push the boundaries during the time of resistance are now known the world over. John Kani was one of the performers known for appearing in politically significant pieces during apartheid. Athol Fugard and Mbongeni Ngema are playwrights well-known for attempting to give an honest account of South African oppression.

Today, the Market Theatre continues to spotlight political truths and messages in its works and it remains a safe haven for those performers and writers who believe in truth, honest representation, and not being censored.   

Seize the Play!

Part I: History of the Market Theatre	Part II: Theatre of Struggle

Go to our second stop on day 9 >

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