Mongiwekhaya's I SEE YOU to Open at Fugard Studio in May

Hot off its premiere at The Royal Court, London and a Market Theatre run, South African Mongiwekhaya's latest play, I SEE YOU will open at the Fugard Studio Theatre this May. Presented by Eric Abraham and The Fugard Theatre, the production is based on a true story and movingly addresses the questions of a new generation of South Africans encountering their country's traumatised past.

It's post-Apartheid South Africa, after dark. Ben meets Skinn for a night out. But the party is interrupted by the police. Ben, a young student who does not know his own history, is accused of a crime he did not commit. And Officer Buthelezi, a former freedom fighter, cannot let it go.

Written by writer, actor and director Mongiwekhaya (UBU AND THE TRUTH COMMISSION; THE FEATHER COLLECTOR), the play marks the directorial debut of Olivier award winner Noma Dumezweni, who was last seen in the Fugard Theatre's production of A HUMAN BEING DIED THAT NIGHT (in Cape Town, Johannesburg, London and New York) and who will play Hermione Granger in the forthcoming HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD in London's West End.

I SEE YOU features popular actor and singer Desmond Dube (The THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY; HOTEL RWANDA; Dube on Mondays), in the role of Buthelezi; Bayo Gbadamosi (LITTLE REVOLUTION; MAD ABOUT THE BOY) as Ben; Jordan Baker (EASTENDERS) as Skinn; Lunga Radebe (ANTIGONE: IN THE WORLD; TOUCH MY BLOOD) as Shabangu; Austin Hardiman (WISH; THE FIRST MAN) as James and Sibusiso Mamba (SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD; NONGOGO) as Masinga.

With design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Richard Howell, I SEE YOU features sound design and music composed by Giles Thomas. The production team is rounded out by Luyanda Sidiya as movement director, Zabarjad Salam as voice and dialect coach and John Haidar as assistant director.

I SEE YOU (English) / NGIYAKUBONA (Zulu) / EK SIEN JOU (Afrikaans) / NDIYAKUBONA (Xhosa) was Mongiwekhaya's Royal Court debut play and was presented as part of International Playwrights, a Genesis Foundation Project. It was developed during the Royal Court`s new writing project in South Africa which began in 2013 and which was supported by the British Council and Connect ZA. Eric Abraham, founding producer and owner of the Fugard Theatre, comments:

The Fugard Theatre is committed to putting on great theatre and occasionally providing a space to showcase the next generation of South African voices. We felt it essential to introduce Mongiwekhaya's I SEE YOU to a Cape Town audience. The play is a deeply moving and poignant exploration of the struggles of a new generation and of issues around identity and disconnection of language, across race, class and age. We are especially thrilled to host Noma Dumezweni's directorial debut.

I SEE YOU will run at the Fugard Studio Theatre from 5 - 28 May 2016, on Tuesdays through Saturdays at 20:00 with Saturday matinees at 16:00. The Fugard Theatre is situated in the heart of District Six, on the corner of Harrington and Caledon Streets in Cape Town. The nearby Harrington Street car park is available for the use of theatre patrons. The cosy ground-floor bar at the theatre opens two hours before all scheduled show times and stays open until last rounds are called and if the weather is fine, then the bar on the fantastic rooftop terrace, with its panoramic views of the city, is opened. Both bars offer a range of wines from some of the Cape's top estates.

Tickets, ranging from R120 to R170 are now available, and can be booked through Computicket online, by phone on 0861 915 8000 or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. Bookings can also be made at the Fugard Theatre box office on 021 461 4554. A 15% discount is available for the Friends of The Fugard members.

To post a comment, you must register and login.