Archived: ARCHIVE: The Island

Written by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona
Directed by John Terry
Performed by Edward Dede and Mark Springer

We are delighted to welcome to Bristol and the intimate, in the round setting of our Factory Theatre, a life affirming drama of immense scale and power, set on the island where Mandela was held prisoner.

Two men, unlikely friends, stagger through days of crippling prison work, breaking free in nights of playful escapism and ecstatic, dreamlike joy. With just scraps from their cell, they prepare for a performance of Antigone in front of the prisoners and guards – an act of defiance from people who have lost everything.

With gut-wrenching emotion, soaring beauty and exquisite simplicity, this great drama of defiance and determination draws on the stories that linger from Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner.

Kwisiqithi: a photography exhibition
Photographer Petré Smith spent childhood holidays on Robben Island, gaining a unique insight owing to his father’s employment in the prison service. This exhibition of original pictures of Robben Island in its current state was the result of a recent trip with his own son. The photography exhibition will be on display for the duration of the production’s run, located in The Snug in the Tobacco Factory Cafe Bar.

The Island is performed by special arrangement with Samuel French Ltd