The Emperors New Clothes

I often try and imagine a world in which separate cultures stayed separate.

A world of which the past leaders and civilizations they lead, had the vision not to educate and convert other smaller cultures into their own. So that every cultures heritage could remain pure in its traditional ways for the world and the rest of humanity to experience in its truest, most beautiful form. The indigenous people carry the secrets of the land… and in the end everything is about the land. When culture and heritage dies, the knowledge of the land dies.

There is no sense in lingering on the past, even if it holds the map to the future, especially if no one else seems to be bothered! It’s all there, written down, re-written and analyzed in the archives of history.

Reality and the truth is that - even if everybody pretends they can see the Emperors clothes and you join them because you are scared of the emperor or because you think you might be the only one who can see he is naked, the truth and reality is: He is naked.

I agree with Frederik van Zyl Slabbert when he writes: “If you make yourself and others hostage to a racist past, you can budget generously for a racist future.” The Other Side of History (Published 2006)

This Saturday, 30 January we will be taking our very first publicity photographs. The idea brooding in my mind is: stark black and white close-ups of the two actors, both with incredibly expressive faces, behind bars.

The story found me

I have always been of the opinion that a book finds me, when I am ready to read it. It has been proven over and over again in my life. Sometimes I will buy a book and it will sit in my bookshelf for years, until one day I’ll pick it up to read, realizing how significantly it co-insides with a current journey I am on or how it supports or compliments certain current issues or experiences in my life.

It’s the same with stories. Stories find their writers when they are ready to be told.

This story found me one winters evening last year around my grandparents dinner table, where the best part of the evening always seems to be where Father and Grandfather start remembering “the good old days”. The passion and enthusiasm with which these stories and the Afrikaner’s history are being told, discussed and remembered is always heartwarming and beautiful.

This particular evening’s agenda included the folktale of Dirkie Uys, a Voortrekker hero during the Great Trek. During the Battle of Italeni (1838), Piet Uys was mortally wounded by an assegai while riding to the rescue of two of his cornered men.

Seeing the Zulus closing in on his father, 15 year old Dirkie Uys turned around his horse, shouting "I will die with my father", and charged. He shot three Zulu warriors, briefly forcing them to retreat, but they rushed at him and stabbed him off his horse. Dirkie Uys fell beside his father, where they were both stabbed to death. This version of events is depicted on one of the historical friezes of the Voortrekker Monument. After the Battle of Blood River, Piet Uys' remains were found by a detachment, but Dirkie Uys' never were.

Every Afrikaans child grew up with this story and knew it off by heart. Like most folktales it summarized the bravery of the blood that ran through our vanes and made us proud. My Grandfather added something to the story that I have never heard before. Apparently, the story told amongst the Zulu people, is that Dirkie was captured alive and taken back to Dingaan’s kraal where he ordered his impi’s to remove the boy’s heart and eat it while he was still alive so that they could become as brave as he was.

Today I met Bongani… he is 44 years old, on parole after serving 9 years of a 15 year sentence and also the male lead actor of this production.

Finally

And so it is done! Finally!

I have submitted the registration form for the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. I really feel like somehow the rest of my life has finally started... a bit dramatic, I know, but so true.

I have heard people refer to a human being's 33rd year on this earth as "their watershed year". This could not have been more true. I am only half way through mine and boy have I reached some turning-points in my life. The biggest one undeniably finally getting my act together and submerging myself with what I really love doing... It took me such an incredible long time to muster the courage.

Finally... finally I am writing, directing and acting! It is early days, but I am convinced that the renewal of old desires will not leave me wanting this time.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you (a huge drumroll) : Rattling the Cage!

Not only the name of my very first Grahamstown Production, but also what I continuously intend doing :-)

I've been working on the play since July last year, but here is a 50 word description for now.

Offenders are pronounced enemies of the people, and consigned to institutional confinement, then they are dumped back on society, with every assurance that changes have taken place in them for the worse.

We are keeping our future hostage and we have imprisoned the memory of our national past by not asking "Why?"

Restorative Justice rattling the cage!

Inspired by the movie: "Julie and Julia", I will blog the progress over 159 days, as we count down to the Grahamstown Festival!