The Island - Fugard, Kani and Ntshona Southwark Playhouse

First time I have had the chance to see this staged, although I'd studied it in the past. Written by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona, this is not an easy play, set on Robben Island during the apartheid era and performed without staging and the most cursory of props. Two prisoners (John and Winston) are rehearsing a version of Sophocles' "Antigone" to be performed in front of the prison authorities and their fellow prisoners. In the process we learn about their situation, hopes and fears, and about the unbreakable nature of the human spirit. The choice of "Antigone" is no coincidence, by presenting her as an individual oppressed by but rebelling against the power of the state, the prisoners are cleverly criticising the apartheid regime by analogy.

The initial mime, involving the prisoners breaking rocks, carrying and placing them on an invisble wall, was certainly effective in working up a lather for the actors but seemed to last about fifteen minutes - far too long to be dramatically effective. This slow start handicaps the production, which gradually picks up pace and is at its strongest in the "play within a play" where both actors rise to their parts with great dignity and force.