Some 16 young people collected stories of old Sophiatown from the people who lived there. The stories were turned into a play, being performed in Joburg and London.
THE lives of Sophiatown residents of old are reflected in a play to be performed on Saturday, 25 April in the suburb where the stories unfolded.
Tomorrows Yesterday reflects on the lives of those who lived in Sophiatown before residents were forcefully removed. The play will take place at the NG Kerk in Sophiatown at 4pm.
One of the icons represented in Tomorrows Yesterday is poet and writer Don Mattera
It will be performed by 16 young actors from the Sophiatown Youth Development Programme, who collected the stories. Aged between 18 and 23, they come from disadvantaged backgrounds in Westbury, Newlands, Coronation, Brixton and Sophiatown.
One of the actresses, Makhomo Tsepa, 23, speaks about the process they have undergone. "Since last July we have been busy with the story for the play, and we have been rehearsing it since last November.
"It's all about learning the history of South Africa and taking out all the good experiences."
In the play, an old woman living in Sophiatown narrates her life story to her granddaughter. She tells of her difficult experiences during apartheid and about being forcefully moved from her home. The wonderful life she experienced in Sophiatown is illustrated, as are the stories of her unforgettable romance.
Tomorrows Yesterday spans the years from 1954 to 2009. Icons represented in the play include Archbishop Father Trevor Huddleston, Hugh Masekela, Nelson Mandela and poet and writer Don Mattera.
A member of the Sophiatown community, Huddleston was a much-loved priest. He was an anti-apartheid activist who earned the nickname Makhalipile (dauntless one). Writing about the human misery that accompanied the forced removals brought Huddleston into conflict with the authorities, and he was eventually forced to return to England.
Huddleston was the first person to receive the Isitwalandwe/Seaparankoe, the highest award given by the ANC to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the liberation struggle in South Africa.
He gave Hugh Masekela his first trumpet, when the world famous trumpeter was only 14; he also asked the leader of the Johannesburg Native Municipal Brass Band, Uncle Sauda, to teach Masekela to play.
The teen quickly mastered the instrument and later formed the Huddleston Jazz Band.
Poet and journalist, Mattera, grew up in Sophiatown, when it was the centre of South African urban culture. He became politically active after leaving Sophiatown and was banned from 1973 to 1982.
"The youth who are acting in the play are all interns and the programme not only teaches skills in arts and culture but also skills in the working environment," says Zanele Mzizi-England, the programme co-ordinator at the Sophiatown Youth Development Programme.
"The programme aims to empower the youth [through art] and integrate them into the community ... The play is important as it revives the spirit of Sophiatown and draws on the legacy of all who resided there."
It will be travelling to the United Kingdom, where it will have a two week-run, from 28 April to 10 May. It will be performed at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London, and at Gloucester Theatre in the West Midlands. Both these venues promote a cultural exchange programme.
Tomorrows Yesterday is on at the NG Kerk, on Gold and Edward streets, in Sophiatown on 25 April, at 4pm. Tickets are R20 for adults and R15 for students. For more information and to buy tickets, email
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or visit the Bishop Simeon Trust website, one of the partnership organisations.
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