These in-depth study notes provide a comprehensive analysis of Woza Albert!, the groundbreaking South African political satire by Percy Mtwa, Mbongeni Ngema, and Barney Simon. Through scene summaries and critical analysis, the notes explore the play’s key characters, themes, and symbols, offering...
DRAMA TERM 2 WOZA ALBERT BY PERCY MTWA ET AL
→ there are two prominent anti-Apartheid movements (Styles):
1.Workshop theatre: 2.Protest theatre:
→ uses a workshop approach to create and → theatre organisations that use performance
perform new work. to raise awareness and change attitudes
→ focus in on the process. toward the negative social injustices and
→ allows for a greater degree of collaboration conditions that Apartheid has caused.
between performers and directors. → protest theatre can take many different
→ especially developed as an anti-opposition forms, but it is often characterised by its use
and revolting (revolutionary) form of artistic of satire and irony to highlight the absurdity of
expression. the situation that is being protested.
→ workshopped plays are staged in a smaller → often highly interactive, with the audience
form than a full production with some of its being invited to participate in the action.
elements omitted. For example, costumes, → powerful tool for raising awareness of social
sets, and musical accompaniment may be and political issues, and for inspiring change.
excluded, or a simpler form of recording may
be used.
Structure and flow:
→ the play is an episodic play, meaning each scene can stand alone and shows a different perspective,
idea or view of the overall message of the play.
→ central theme.
→ the audience is presented with many different ideas, perspectives and emotions towards the Apartheid
regime - from both the white and black sides of life.
→ the two actors need to be able to take on many different roles, both male and female (multi-rolling).
→ physical acting to show different locations/happenings.
Themes: White/black man:
→ struggle and → When they are to play white men, the stage
resilience directions clearly indicate the wearing of comic noses.
→ discrimination Each of these is ‘half a squash ball painted pink, a
→ racism clown’s nose.’ We might quibble and argue a clown’s
→ oppression nose should be red, but the point is made that the
white man is a figure of mockery, a buffoon who has
been placed in high authority. This is seen, for example,
in the black men waiting for permits to work and then
for white men in cars to roll up and offer them work on
a daily basis. Even under the apartheid system, not all
Mornena: black people were in low subservient positions, but
many were and the point about the play is that it is
→ Morena means Lord, Master or protesting against the situation in which, for dramatic
Saviour. In this play it is used to name purposes, white man/ black man are stereotypes.
Jesus Christ whose Second Coming is
one of the central tenets of the
Christian faith and who is the subject
of the ‘what if he came to South Africa’
premise of the whole play.
Albert Luthuli :
The play is named after Albert Luthuli. He was a
freedom fighter. He was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize for non-violent activism. He was the leader of
the ANC. He wrote an autobiography called ‘Let my
people go’ Albert is seen as ‘Morena’ the Saviour who
will set his people free from oppression.
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