Background notes
I interviewed John Kani on the eve of the premiere of his new play, Missing. We chatted for 50 minutes at the Baxter Theatre. Photographer Jeffrey Abrahams took photos. It was a special moment when he shook hands with John, and introduced himself, saying that he grew up in Veeplaas near Port Elizabeth. "That is my home, where I come from," replied John warmly. Jeffrey said that his father was the local pastor during those turbulent years, and that John Kani was a local hero in their family.
Five minutes into the premiere the following night, the lights went out and the theatre was plunged into darkness. Eish, it was Eskom's blackout due to loadshedding. The audience was silent. Two minutes later the curtain went up again and the stage was lit with the help of a generator. The show went on with no sound effects or music, giving the production a gritty, authentic old-school feel. The cast did a superb job of improvising where necessary, by standing in for the lack of sound effects.
Take a bow, Kani and co..
SA deserves better: John Kani - Cape Times | IOL.co.za
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