Sizwe Banzi Is Dead is the second of three Statement plays created by South African writer Athol Fugard. It is essentially a political protest against the system of pass books and the treatment of blacks at the height of the apartheid period. Despite being written 35 years ago, this remarkable play has a great deal to say to a contemporary audience.  

Styles (Habib Dembele) is a black factory worker at Ford who rebels against the chain of command and leaves the factory to pursue his dream of becoming a photographer. Meanwhile, to avoid being caught without a valid pass book Sizwe Banzi (Pitcho Womba Konga) is forced to steal a dead man’s identity in order to stay in town and support his wife and children.

Despite getitng off to a slightly slow start, the production comes into its own when Pitcho Womba Konga joins Dembele on stage half an hour in to the performance. Dembele is enchanting as both Styles and hard-edged realist Buntu, offering a good dose of comic relief from what has the potential to be quite a bleak play. Meanwhile Pitcho Womba Konga’s stage presence is simply remarkable.

This French-language version of the play is directed by Peter Brook, who has created a starkly simple set to compliment the subtly humorous dialogue and powerful subject matter. The stage is almost bare except for a few compacted cardboard boxes, a steel doorframe and portable lighting; making way for both performers to reach their full potential on stage.

Apartheid may have ended, but Siswe Banzi Is Dead communicates a message that will continue to speak to future generations.