The timeless appeal of ‘Sophiatown’

A line in the SA classic play, Sophiatown, currently being revived at the Market Theatre asks, “What kind of SA do you want?” It’s a pertinent question as the country gears up for the national elections in May and celebrates 30 years of democracy in 2024. It was a pertinent question in 1986, when the play was first produced at the Market Theatre — a time of violent resistance against apartheid, when army soldiers occupied black townships, resulting in many apartheid-related deaths and state of emergency declarations.

SA’s tradition of protest theatre was born from the country’s history as playwrights’ reflection of and response to the destructive effects of apartheid. Sophiatown is especially exemplary of another historical quality of SA theatre, that of workshopped plays. It was workshopped and written by members of Junction Avenue Theatre, founded by playwright and theatre maker Malcom Purkey in 1976.

Initially, Junction Avenue Theatre was a concept by a group of white students from Wits University to create historically informed plays about SA society. It became a nonracial company when it was joined by black members such as Arthur Molepo and Ramolao Makhene from Theatre Workshop ’71 — a theatre training workshop founded in 1971 by the SA Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) in Johannesburg.

The members of Junction Theatre Avenue created and scripted their own plays and composed songs that elevated their productions. Sophiatown captures real life occurrences of people in the multiracial suburb of the 1950s where blacks enjoyed freehold rights. It is inspired by events instigated by two celebrated Drum magazine writers: Nat Nakasa and Lewis Nkosi who — living in a house together in Sophiatown — advertised for a Jewish girl to come and live with them. Despite the repressive system of the time, they got one. The play is an imaginary reconstruction of that event.

The premise of the play’s narrative is a novel idea, even now. It offers an opportunity to think critically about race relations in SA; the psychological conditions produced by its oppressive system and nation building. Sophiatown stimulated an incisive essay by Gugu Hlongwane in 2006, which considered the relevance of the play for the “new” SA and how much its focus on reconciliation was a model for the future, for example.

The play also highlights the emotive issues of displacement and dispossession as well as land, which has become a pivotal discourse in recent politics. By offering an opportunity to remember, it creates a space for potential healing and reflection. And it’s worth considering how much some parts of the play may have aged during this time when a mental decolonisation is taking place.  

The critical thinking that the play induces is due to its brilliant and witty script. And the serious subjects it brings about land softly through the vibrance and nostalgia of its setting: Sophiatown in the 1950s. Known as a melting pot of cultures, the birthplace of SA’s pioneering music and dance styles and a “legendary reference for black writers and artists”.

For its return home to the Market Theatre, the play is directed by Aubrey Sekhabi, who also led its State Theatre season with fresh talent in 2023. His long history with the play — from studying it as a student at Wits University to commissioning it as the State Theatre’s artistic director — has allowed him to discover its layers. And there’s plenty to love about his rejuvenated take, from character development to nuance.

Music is a big part of the play, and given what Sophiatown symbolises, it may well be an extended character. Here Sekhabi shines, working with a band and infusing a cappella moments to elevate narrative and emotion. He has become adept at using set choreography to send his messages across. He achieves this with a poignant scene towards the end of the show, whose destructive imagery reveals the impact and pain of human displacement.

Sophiatown is worthy viewing for its entertainment, but especially for its emotive and intellectual value.

Sophiatown runs at the Market Theatre until March 24.