Last night’s production of Kunene and the King was masterful! Two seasoned actors presented powerful performances capturing the audience’s full attention. John Kani’s new play presents the deep pent-up emotions of South Africans before and after the end of apartheid 25 years ago. It gets to the heart of things with no holds barred.

Fugard Theatre – Cape Town Magazine

My first visit to South Africa was in 1987 – before the end of apartheid. Since then, I’ve returned often and noted many changes. In reflection, Kani’s play seems a racial and political catharsis. At the end, the sold-out house seemed almost stunned. Some had tears in their eyes in reaction to the honest emotions so vividly portrayed – anger, hatred, fear, compassion, hope….

John Kani and Antony Sher Kunene and the King – Ellie Kurtz

Background

Kunene and the King premiered during April in England at The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The performance last night was a co-production between The Fugard Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. The play reunites “the powerhouse team of director Janice Honeyman, writer, actor, activist, playwright John Kani, and world-renowned classical actor Sir Antony Sher“.

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Kunene and the King “beautifully captures the complex divides of race, class, and politics in a remarkable, moving new play”. Michael Billington, The Guardian

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Janice Honeyman Director – Media Update

Plot

Kani’s play is a “fitting tribute to mark the anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections after apartheid”. In the play Kani and Sher play two elderly men “from contrasting walks of life thrust together to reflect on a quarter century of change”. In Kani’s words – “Their relationship examines the very foundation on which our democracy is built.”

Lungiswa Plaatjies Musician, Singer, Composer – Sarafina Magazine

John Kani is Lunga Kunene, “a headstrong African male nurse contracted to care for cantankerous white actor Jack Morris, Antony Sher”. Jack is coping with terminal liver cancer and determined to play King Lear before he dies. To pass time, Lunga helps Jack practice lines for his role in Shakespeare’s play. During their crass and edgy interactions, they mellow, get to know each other, and develop an unlikely friendship.

Kunene and the King – Royal Shakespeare Company

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Kunene only knows Julius Caesar from his school days, because “it’s about a failed conspiracy, and at the time one play was considered enough Shakespeare for a native child”.

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King Lear – Bookrepublic

As Kunene learns the plot, he shares his disappointment that King Lear failed to “consult ancestors” – something an African would do. Kunene compares the characteristics of King Lear’s three daughters Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia to South African Presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, and Jacob Zuma. True to form, Jack snaps back reminding him that King Lear is an English play, not African.

Fugard Theatre – Jesse Kate Kramer Photography

Talented actors, directors, designers, and managers all contributed to the unforgettable production. Lungiswa Plaatjies‘ on-stage singing in isiXhosa is glorious.

Kunene and the King – facebook

Kani and Sher

John Kani and Anthony Sher share a love of Shakespeare. Like the characters they play, the have vastly different backgrounds. Kani grew up in the Eastern Cape while Sher, the child of an affluent Jewish family, is from Sea Point.

Accomplished Kani began acting in high school. He met fellow activist, actor, playwright, and director Athol Fugard in the 1960s. After touring, teaching, and performing in the US and Australia, Kani returned to South Africa in the 1970s. At that time during the Black Consciousness Movement, he experienced the brutal injustices of apartheid and had a rocky relationship with South African police.

Kunene and the King Antony Sher – rsc.org

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“Kunene and Jack need to shake their habit of treating the other as a specimen: one of ‘you people’, white or black. This isn’t always easy.” TheatreCat Libby Purves

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Sir Anthony Sher Actor – BBC

Kani has received recognition and awards for his work, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Cape Town and a South African Film and Television Lifetime Achievement Award. Today, he’s executive trustee of the Market Theatre Foundation, director of the Market Theatre Laboratory, and Chairman of the National Arts Council of South Africa.

Athol Fugard Playwright, Novelist, Actor, and Director – Richard Corman Photography

At 19, Antony Sher left South Africa and moved to London to begin an acting career. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982. Three years later he won the Laurence Olivier Best Actor award for his performance in the title role of Richard III. In 1997, Sher won a second Olivier for his portrayal of Stanley Spencer in Stanley.

Fugard Theatre Foyer – TravelGround.com

Sher became a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000. He met his partner, Gregory Doran, in London. Doran is Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

John Kani Playwright, Activist, Actor – The South African / Image Zalebs

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“Kani’s writing remains deeply incisive, full of both anger and understanding…” Dave Fargnoli, The Stage

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Kunene and the King John Kani and Antony Sher – The New York Times

I’m privileged to have attended Kunene and the King – there’s much to learn from the play. It was a magnificent performance and memorable evening.