Review: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is Powerful, Political and Poignant

There are, unfortunately, many marginalised individuals in South Africa – people who remain forgotten, despite the immense contributions they have made to this country. Black members of the (then) South African Defence Force, who fought for the country during apartheid, constitute one such group.

Aphiwe Livi and Buhle Qinga seek to remind audiences of this group in their compelling and captivating work THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, which they co-wrote and in which they co-star.

The production, originally conceived during the 2020 lockdown and which was the pair’s first script-writing venture, won the Best Script and Best Director awards at the Baxter Zabalaza Awards in 2021. It was also nominated for two Fleur du Cap awards in 2022: Best New South African Script and Best Performance by an Ensemble.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE comments on the long-term and inter-generational effects of serving in the South African military. This show hones in on the repercussions experienced by one family in modern-day South Africa, in Gugulethu.

Solomon, played by Qinga, served in the military during apartheid. Clearly traumatised and disillusioned, Solomon, now a deteriorating senior, who is left disfigured from his time in combat, continues to suffer from intense flashbacks and PTSD. Solomon is one of many black soldiers who served during apartheid: who sacrificed their physical and psychological wellbeing for a country that has given them very little in return. The piece explores the sentiment of many such military-men: who were ready to return to South Africa to take back their country in battle, but who believe that the leaders of the struggle sold out, and robbed them of the chance to take anything back at all. Where is the recognition for and of these soldiers who fought during apartheid? Where is the compensation in the form of basics like access to healthcare, education, and subsidised public transport?

The other characters weaved into the production include Solomon’s wife, Joyce; the couple’s older son, Vusi, who, like his father, joins the military; and the couple’s youngest son, Simphiwe, who has been engulfed in the flames of gangsterism.

Livi and Qinga adeptly play a multitude of characters, using only their postures, expressions, vocal tones and mannerisms to take on the different parts. They switch to different characters seamlessly, reminiscent of shows like WOZA ALBERT!, and one is able to discern immediately which character the performers are portraying at any given moment

Indeed, one of my favourite parts occurs when Vusi (Livi) is on the phone to his father. Joyce, anxious to speak to her son in Mozambique, grabs the phone – but Qinga plays both parents! Qinga doesn’t skip a beat – his entire demeanour changes as he makes a slight adjustment to the positioning of his beanie and proceeds to slip into the portrayal of Joyce.

This production relies mostly on physical theatre, at which the actors are superb. Director, Bulelani Mabutyana, has done an excellent job of putting together a tight show with great pacing. has Throughout the show the actors sing (they both have beautiful voices), rap, act, dance and use synchronised movements and formations to drive the plot forward. Much of the storytelling is told through movement and the show is physically demanding on the actors. I particularly enjoyed the use of slow-motion movements used in the piece.

In such a short time, and with hardly any props or set, I became heavily invested in each of the characters. There are some truly harrowing and heartbreaking moments – and my breath was caught in my throat.

Both Qinga and Livi’s performances are exquisite – their range displayed in the various characterisations left me inspired.

The show is performed in a mixture of isiXhosa and English, with some English translations projected on the back wall of the stage. Admittedly, I felt like I missed a fair amount of the dialogue from my lack of isi-Xhosa knowledge but enough of the show is translated for one to get the gist of a scene.

This show is an example of the new generation of political theatre in South Africa – thirty years on, theatre makers are asking new questions:  Where are the country’s unsung struggle heroes three decades after the fall of apartheid? Have they been provided with the tools to heal? How much has changed? In posing these questions, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE reminds us of (and, for some, introduces us to) a forgotten group of people: black members of the military who fought for South Africa during the apartheid years.

This production is deeply moving and while often tragic, it is often really humorous and fun (Are we even South Africans if we cannot laugh?). Most of all, this is authentic storytelling. I hope to see many more runs of this production.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE runs from 25 September to 5 October 2024 at the Masambe Theatre at the Baxter Theatre Centre. Tickets are R100 and are available via Webtickets, For discounted school or group block bookings, fundraisers or charities, contact Carmen Kearns at carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za or on 021 680 3993. Alternatively, contact Nontsikelelo Maboza on 021 680 3984 or at nontsikelelo.maboza@uct.ac.za. Additionally, the play has been published by Junkets Publisher and is available for sale from the Baxter. 

Image credit: Star Zwane

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