By BRUCE DENNILL
Rise ’76: The Story Of June 16th / Directed by Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni / Mannie Manim Theatre, Market Theatre, Newtown, Johannesburg
It’s not a helpful mindset in a world where a willingness to face, challenge and find meaningful pathways through important issues is needed if communities everywhere are going to move forward, but when art of any kind asks audiences to engage with historical themes and events they have had endlessly taught to them or thrust upon them as part of some political agenda, it can be difficult to muster enthusiasm beyond appreciating that the event in question remains important and committing to further involvement at least honours those involved.
Spoiler for the rest of this review: if you have some version of that mindset, get over yourself.
Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni’s Rise ’76, which she also directs, is perhaps the most accessible, yet richly layered, way yet to gain a significant understanding of the events leading up to, occurring on and following June 16th, 1976. By adding genuine craft and attention to detail in every scene of a fairly long play – and benefitting from the extraordinary dedication of a talented cast – Mashifane wa Noni creates a textured tapestry of a tale that leaves its audience a little shattered, in the best possible way.
Initially, an unexpected charm offensive, led by the superb Alex Sono as Bafana, shows representatives of the young people whose impending protest will turn into epoch-defining tragedy to be cheerful, caring and innately funny. The story then expands to take in the youngsters’ school experience, the context in which disquiet about the forced teaching of Afrikaans – the language of the racist National Party, implementers and enforcers of Apartheid – is steadily growing. Other personalities – and archetypes – caught in the momentum include leaders in the Soweto school system, such as the teenagers’ headmaster Mr Ndlovu (Botlhale Mahlangu); Black people seeing serving the government as the only way to earn consistent income to support their family (Sbuja Dywili’s Razor, a police officer); and – a group often, and understandably, ignored in such scenarios – a young white policeman (Ben Albertyn) who is conflicted by his duties even as he understands how his position places him beyond reproach where the law is concerned.
All of these, and a few other beautifully drawn characters, extrapolate details taken from historical records and interviews conducted by Mashifane wa Noni with people who had first-hand experience of the uprisings to channel the narrative towards its inevitable climax – June 16th and the horrors of what took place in Soweto that day.
That, it transpires, is only Act One, and more than once audience member is heard to wonder aloud how the first part of the play can be topped or where the story can go after the interval. Mashifane wa Noni’s perspective on the events, however, is wider than the old history textbooks allow for and Rise ’76 brings into the spotlight not only the personal fallout of the shootings on June 16th but also the fact that the events of that day did not happen in isolation as the ripple effects continued to inspire activism against brutal, damaging legislation.
She does that with affecting, heartbreaking scenes that show the human side of all the characters concerned – grieving family members, medical staff, the police responsible for the shootings and more. Occasional planned breaking of the fourth wall reminds audience members of their complicity in both what has happened and what can happen going forward, and the challenge imposed on both those counts is a huge part of the content of emotional foyer discussions after the show’s end.
Every tiny aspect of the piece is carefully considered – one memorable example sees the leg of the furious father of one of the dead students twitching as a police officer gives his less than compelling explanation of his actions – a period of four or five minutes. It’s a tiny detail, but it powerfully reinforces the man’s tightly wound emotional state. And it’s really difficult to do as an actor – almost like forcing part of the body to shiver by sheer force of will. As such, noting that it’s included by choice and completely convincing underlines how seriously Mashifane wa Noni and her cast are taking this production and how rewarding it is to give a similar level of attention as an audience member.
Sono is a luminous talent and both Dywili and Albertyn add complex shading to their multiple characters, but these are only the standouts in a sublime ensemble performance, shaped and guided by another exceptionally gifted artist in Mashifane wa Noni.
Rise ’76 is required viewing for anyone who knows that nuance, insight and empathy are basic building blocks for understanding history and being able to intelligently consider avoiding not only what happened in the past but the mistakes that have naively been made by generations who have followed since. This won’t make it any easier to market in scenarios where people claim that all they want in entertainment is escapism and undemanding relaxation, but an investment in the time and emotional engagement needed to sit and watch this play will yield luxuriant rewards.