Review: ROUND OF APPLAUSE: SOUTH AFRICA STILL STANDING WITH MARIANNE THAMM at the Baxter Theatre Centre Traces Current Affairs with Wit, Intelligence, and Optimism

There are few who can claim to know South African goings-on like veteran investigative journalist, columnist, author, satirist, stand-up comedian, and Associate Editor of the Daily Maverick, Marianne Thamm does. There are even fewer who can remain optimistic while knowing what they know. And yet, somehow, after emerging from Thamm’s hour-long show, which feels like an intimate chat around the campfire, the state of the nation doesn’t seem quite so grim. With her vast knowledge, limitless experience, and off-beat sense of humour, Thamm tracks South African current (and-not-so-current) affairs in a way that urges her audience to become participants in our democracy – and reminds us never to take it for granted.

Her unwavering faith in our Constitution and her showcasing of the media’s power in uncovering corruption and other evils in our country inspires us to remain engaged – and not to forget our agency. Really, this one-woman-show is a call to arms: we need to vote next year – but also to do more than that. We need to show up in our communities and in our country and we need to take advantage of participatory democracy. 

Lest I start to sound a bit preachy, let me dial it back and focus on Thamm’s magnetic stage presence. Her excitement and passion about South Africa are inspiring and her staging echoes this: her chalk-on-the-wall diagrams and flowcharts, as well as the peppering of South African non-fiction books as reference points around the space give credence to every explanation, assertion, and standpoint that she provides. At the core is her ability to weave a narrative: Thamm is a storyteller and she had me, and the rest of the audience, in stitches from start to finish. From the Gupta Leaks to what-the-hell-happened-on-that-ship-in-Simonstown, Thamm recounts, at lightning speed, the highlights and lowlights of recent South African history, ultimately restoring faith in our country through the robustness of our Constitution, our judiciary, and the separation of powers. As an LLB graduate, ROUND of APPLAUSE reminded me how integral freedom of the press is to the protection of our democracy and how crucial journalism and active citizenship are.

Thamm indeed deserves a round of applause for ROUND OF APPLAUSE

Don’t leave the theatre without hearing the Helen Story.

ROUND OF APPLAUSE runs from 17 to 26 August at the Baxter Theatre Centre – an extra show has just been added on 24 August. Tickets are R150 via Webtickets or at Pick ‘n Pay stores.

To post a comment, you must register and login.