The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek

Overview

Athol Fugard’s new play – The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek – opened at the Fugard Theatre Studio on 23 August 2016 and was written and directed by Athol Fugard and co-directed by Paula Fourie. A story inspired by the life of a farmworker called Nukain Mabuza, a self-taught artist, living in segregated pre-liberation South Africa. The play enjoyed a highly acclaimed debut season in New York in 2015, which was extended several times.

Ageing Nukain has spent his life transforming the rocks on a koppie at Revolver Creek into a vibrant garden of painted flowers. Aided by his young companion Bokkie, we now find Nukain confronting his last challenge — to paint the massive boulder at the summit. Yet before long, the landowner’s wife, Elmarie Kleynhans, arrives and makes demands about the painting, laying bare the profound rifts of a country hurtling towards the end of apartheid. When Bokkie – now known as Jonathan Sejake – returns years later, it is to confront the legacy of Revolver Creek left to him as a young man trying to find his place in the new South Africa.

Details

First performance
23 August 2016

Final performance
24 September 2016

Venue
The Fugard Studio

Cast

Elmarie Kleynhan
Anna-Mart van der Merwe

Nukain
Tshamano Sebe

Jonathan Sejake
Sne Dladla

Bokkie
Likho Mango
Siya Jantjie

Creative team

Producer
Eric Abraham

Co-Producer
Daniel Galloway

Associate Producers
Lamees Albertus
Greg Karvellas

Writer, Director
Athol Fugard

Co-Director
Paula Fourie

Set Design
Saul Radomsky

Costume Design
Birrie le Roux

Lighting Design
Mannie Manim

Sound Design
Charl-Johan Lingenfelder

Associate Set Designer
Rocco Poole

Wardorbe Supervisor
Widaad Albertus

Production team

Production Manager
Roberto Grove

Technical Manager
Ben du Plessis

Stage Manager
Juanita van Wyk

Assistant Stage Manager
Shawn Crow

Sound Supplier
Eastern Acoustics

Set Construction
Gerhard Morkel,
Carl Gersbach (for CHG Engineering)

Scenic Painting, Production assistant
Koos Marais

Pre Production photography
Daniel Rutland Manners

Production Photography
Jesse Kate Kramer

Publicity
Allison Foat

Reviews

★★★★

Die Burger

“Fugard as brave as ever in his latest work”

Artslink

Painted Rocks’ ticks all the boxese”

Cape Times

Video