Read more
This collection of satirical sketches takes readers on a sometimes cynical, sometimes hilarious trip through many of the issues that face democratic South AfricaThe seed of this collection was sown in 2007 when South Africa won the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The debate about huge amounts of public funds being spent on a 'vanity project' instead of being used to improve the lives of the majority of the country's citizens inspired Mike van Graan, one of South Africa's leading contemporary political playwrights, to use sport as an entry point for satirical commentary. Van Graan follows this with piercing attention towards matters of the state. With themes ranging from the World Cup to the political football of land, from the violent abuse of women to state capture, this selection of satirical sketches takes readers on a rollercoaster trip through many of the issues that face democratic South Africa. The sketches come from six one-person revues,
Bafana Republic (2007),
Bafana Republic: Extra Time (2008),
Bafana Republic: Penalty Shootout (2009),
Pay Back the Curry (2016),
State Fracture (2017) and
Land Acts (2018). Van Graan uses a potent mix of comedy, poetry and drama to make points that hit hard at core issues which 21st-century South Africans are struggling with. Readers will laugh and cringe and sometimes cry, but one thing they will not be able to do is remain unaffected.
About the author
Mike van Graan is President of the African Cultural Policy Network and an award-winning playwright. His recent plays include commissioned works
When Swallows Cry (Ibsen International) and
Little Red Riding Hood and the Big, Bad Metaphors.
Summary
Presents a selection of monologues from a series of one-person satirical revues. Using the 2010 FIFA World Cup as an entry point for satirical commentary, the sketches focus on various issues facing democratic South Africa: state “vanity” projects, land issues, abuse of women and state capture.
