Dance Of The La Gumas Celebrates Heritage This Freedom Month

Apartheid carved a hole in the heart of South African literature. Alex La Guma strides into that gap with the force of a Colossus. But who was this literary genius who was hounded, tortured and driven from his home country; who won countless awards all over the world, and who lies buried in the Heroes Acre of a Cuban cemetery having died in Havana while being the ANC's chief representative for Cuba and the Caribbean?

Dance of the La Gumas, Revolution, Rumba & Romance- starring Rehane Abrahams and Elton Landrew - tells the remarkable story of a heritage that the apartheid state tried to bury by imprisonment, banning orders and eventual exile. It tells the story of a dedicated couple - Blanche and Alex La Guma - who committed their lives to the liberation of the oppressed people of South Africa even while they were in exile. Vivid memories, evocative stories and the harrowing experiences depicted in La Guma's writing are brought to life with elegance and style by playwrights Sylvia Vollenhoven and Basil Appollis. Throughout this compelling tale is a powerful love story that combines the gentility of dance, poetry, brutal torture and exotic global adventures with equal ease.

Initiated by the District Six Museum and supported by the National Arts Council, the production runs from 8 to 23 April at Artscape in the Arena theatre. Tickets are available at Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 76 95. Seating is currently limited to lockdown restrictions and all productions at the theatre adhere to COVID-19 protocols.

Rehane Abrahams is a performance artist from Cape Town, South Africa. She has performed several works, from Shakespeare to contemporary productions in South Africa and in America. She was a recipient of the FNB Vita Award for Best Actress in 2001. She is a co-founder of The Mothertongue Project which is a collective of women artists. She has written and performed a number of plays that have appeared in South Africa, San Francisco and London. She has also appeared in numerous television shows.

Elton Landrew is best known for his roles in the David/Kramer/Taliep Pietersen musicals District Six and Kat and the Kings. Born in Namaqualand and raised in Namibia, Landrew has also appeared in several television shows including Huis van Liefde, Arendsvlei and Suidooster.