Robben Island Museum

ABOUT THE PLAY

Robben Island Youth Speak – Celebrates; Honor; and acknowledges the role played by all the freedom fighters who have compromised their life, their youth, their families for South Africa to be free today.  This is a theatrical production that tells the story of political imprisonment on Robben Island through the eyes of the youth of South Africa today.  It takes a different approach in re-telling the story of political imprisonment on Robben Island.  Using South African Music, rituals, narration theatre form, chorus (taking from Greek Theatre form), and storytelling, to tell the story. 

The play provides a brief overview of the Political Imprisonment Landscape, focusing on the notorious prison for anti-apartheid activists, how it was transformed by the political prisoners to be a memorial and learning centre symbolizing the political struggle for freedom and justice. 

This production is an edutainment piece which provides a complex, and rich interpretation of Robben Island National Museum; and the World Heritage Site. The play takes us through activities and processes that transformed Robben Island from the maximum security prison into a memorial and spiritual site that symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit against the forces of evil.    

The play examines the following what if’s:-

What if the nature was to share with us, the pain, the suffering, the hatred, the wisdom that they’ve witnessed over the years on Robben Island?

What If the walls of the Robben Island Maximum Security Prison were to share the brutality, the trauma, the hardship, the suffering, the wisdom, the triumph, and the joy that they’ve witnessed over the years?

What If the stone quarry, the lime quarry, and the Jan van Riebeeck quarries were to share the stories, the songs, the suffering, the plans, and the thinking of the ex-political prisoners who worked on them?

What If the deep blue ocean overlooking the Robben Island, and was crossed over decades, by all those who went to the island both willingly an unwillingly, were to tell their story?

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