How Protest Theatre Originated?

South African protest theater originated in the 70s and was founded by pioneering voices such as Kessie Govender. Protest theater originated in order for actors to express their feelings, often in a satirical way, about a number of problems being suffered in apartheid-ridden South Africa. There has been a number of successful plays to come out of protest theater which include; Woza Albert!, Sizwe Banzi is Dead and Sophia Town.

• Woza Albert!

The most successful of protest theater plays, Woza Albert! Is a political satire that sees the second coming of Christ take place in apartheid-ridden South Africa. Two actors play the roles of a number of black Africans receiving the news that Christ is returning. The arrival causes a crisis and the government launches a nuclear bomb against him. In the ruins a number of great South African leaders are resurrected. The play won over 20 prestigious awards worldwide and has been adapted into a film by the BBC.

• Sizwe Banzi is Dead.

This play tells the story of a man, Sizwe Banzi, who writes to his wife to tell her that 'Sizwe Banzi is dead'. In actual fact, Sizwe is staying with a friend in South Africa. He dictates the story, in letter form, of how he has taken on the identity of a dead man in order to obtain a workers permit so that he can stay in town. The play won a number of Tony and Drama Desk Awards

• Sophia Town.

Named after the suburb of Johannesburg in South Africa, Sophia Town is a protest theater film documentary interviewing musicians and gangsters who relive their time in the suburb throughout the 50s. The interviewees share their memories and join together in a concert to mark the anniversary of the period.

The latter example shows that protest theater is something that is not reserved just for the 70s. Protest theater shows a side of South Africa that many don't see, for both the good and bad.