FUGARD@86ful, r e w o p , e l b i d e r c n i An y e n r u o j l eterna
John Kani, who will play Simon the gravedigger in
The Train Driver at the Market Theatre this May, has been working and collaborating with Fugard since the genesis of their careers. Creative Feel spoke to the acclaimed actor, director and playwright.
‘I
met Fugard in 1965 when we were doing Antigone,’ says
leaves it open and does not close it behind him like many
John Kani. He was introduced to the playwright with
white South Africans did. He opens it. He does say before
the words ‘John, this is Athol and Athol, this is John’,
he sits down, “I am not alone”. He does not say to me:
with Fugard extending his hand to shake Kani’s. Kani
“You do understand”.’
waited, confused by this – ‘I was supposed to be introduced
When Ngcobo called about the Fugard@86 season, Kani
this way: “John, this is Mr Fugard”, “Mr Fugard, this is John”.
said, ‘I really want this, I want to be part of this moment for
How the hell do I go on first-name basis with this man like
my friend’, but needed to get his schedule sorted out with
I’ve known him all my life? But then I took his hand and he
Disney, which he is currently under contract with until July
shook mine, very warmly, just like that, and said, “Let’s go in”.
2019 for the upcoming CGI live action film, The Lion King.
‘It was during a very difficult time in my life because we were thinking of leaving the country to go for military
Fortunately, he is only needed after June this year. ‘To pay tribute to Athol Fugard and work together with
training,’ says Kani. ‘But it was impossible because the
the Market Theatre – to really talk about this man, talk about
security had closed all borders. So it was in a frustrated
his work, his role in the South African landscape, I mean
manner that I went to this rehearsal.
socially, dramatically and politically – that is why I am doing
‘In the discussion of the play, we asked: if the state is
The Train Driver.
unjust, do the people have the right to fight and oppose?
‘I grew up with this man, this man is close to me.
This is what made me stay and not leave South Africa. I
Sometimes I say even more than my brothers and close
thought, perhaps this platform could be a different weapon,
cousins. I am even the godfather of his daughter, Lisa, and
that is, the stage for change.’
his daughter is the godmother of my daughter. So I have a
Kani and Fugard’s relationship was ‘built on trust and
long history with him. Instead of having to do research in
the truth, but we both had one desire for a free society.
the rehearsal room, I am present. I can talk about the time,
Our journeys were meeting somewhere and we thought
about what was important when the play was written, about
perhaps we could exploit the given situation. This man
what was happening in his life and where Athol was in his
can go into this door because he is white. Maybe he
life, what he was dealing with,’ says Kani.
24 / Creative Feel / May 2018
