The Robben Island Shakespeare
During the Apartheid years in South Africa, a copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare was smuggled around the prison on Robben Island. The book's significance resides in the fact that the book's owner, Sonny Venkatratham, passed it to a number of his fellow political prisoners in the single cells, including Nelson Mandela, asking them to mark their favourite passages with a signature and date. Informally known as "the Robben Island Bible", numerous prisoners selected the speeches that meant the most to them and their experience as political prisoners.

In 2008 and 2010, playwright and scholar Matthew Hahn conducted interviews with eight former political prisoners in South Africa. Offering a vivid and startling account of the experience of these political prisoners during Apartheid, this extraordinary verbatim play weaves Shakespeare's words together with first-hand accounts from these men. They offer their reflections on their time as Liberation activists and, twenty years later, on the costs, consequences and whether or not it was all worth it.

The play is published alongside a preface by Sonny Venkatrathnam and an introduction by South African actor, director , playwright and cultural activist John Kani.
"1123243198"
The Robben Island Shakespeare
During the Apartheid years in South Africa, a copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare was smuggled around the prison on Robben Island. The book's significance resides in the fact that the book's owner, Sonny Venkatratham, passed it to a number of his fellow political prisoners in the single cells, including Nelson Mandela, asking them to mark their favourite passages with a signature and date. Informally known as "the Robben Island Bible", numerous prisoners selected the speeches that meant the most to them and their experience as political prisoners.

In 2008 and 2010, playwright and scholar Matthew Hahn conducted interviews with eight former political prisoners in South Africa. Offering a vivid and startling account of the experience of these political prisoners during Apartheid, this extraordinary verbatim play weaves Shakespeare's words together with first-hand accounts from these men. They offer their reflections on their time as Liberation activists and, twenty years later, on the costs, consequences and whether or not it was all worth it.

The play is published alongside a preface by Sonny Venkatrathnam and an introduction by South African actor, director , playwright and cultural activist John Kani.
15.99 In Stock
The Robben Island Shakespeare

The Robben Island Shakespeare

by Matthew Hahn
The Robben Island Shakespeare

The Robben Island Shakespeare

by Matthew Hahn

eBook

$15.99  $17.05 Save 6% Current price is $15.99, Original price is $17.05. You Save 6%.

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers

LEND ME® See Details

Overview

During the Apartheid years in South Africa, a copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare was smuggled around the prison on Robben Island. The book's significance resides in the fact that the book's owner, Sonny Venkatratham, passed it to a number of his fellow political prisoners in the single cells, including Nelson Mandela, asking them to mark their favourite passages with a signature and date. Informally known as "the Robben Island Bible", numerous prisoners selected the speeches that meant the most to them and their experience as political prisoners.

In 2008 and 2010, playwright and scholar Matthew Hahn conducted interviews with eight former political prisoners in South Africa. Offering a vivid and startling account of the experience of these political prisoners during Apartheid, this extraordinary verbatim play weaves Shakespeare's words together with first-hand accounts from these men. They offer their reflections on their time as Liberation activists and, twenty years later, on the costs, consequences and whether or not it was all worth it.

The play is published alongside a preface by Sonny Venkatrathnam and an introduction by South African actor, director , playwright and cultural activist John Kani.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781474283892
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date: 01/12/2017
Series: Modern Plays
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 80
File size: 478 KB

About the Author

Matthew Hahn lectures at St Mary's University, Twickenham on the Applied Theatre and Physical Theatre programmes. His main area of research is in Theatre for Development. He has worked as a theatre director and workshop leader in the United States, Africa and the United Kingdom. He also works with Theatre for a Change, a UK charity which trains teachers and youth workers in Malawi and Ghana.
Matthew Hahn lectures at St Mary's University, Twickenham on the Applied Theatre and Physical Theatre programmes. His main area of research is in Theatre for Development. He has worked as a theatre director and workshop leader in the United States, Africa and the United Kingdom. He also works with Theatre for a Change, a UK charity which trains teachers and youth workers in Malawi and Ghana.
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews