The Fall - Review

The Fall

All Rhodes Lead to Decolonisation

Cast 

Ameera Conrad, Oarabile Ditsele, Zandile Madiwa, Tankiso Mamabolo, Sizwesandile Mnisi, Sihle Mngwazana, Dleo Raatus

Cast Curators - Ameera Conrad and Thando Mangcu

Facilitator - Clare Stopford

Set Design - Marisa Steenkamp

Executive Producer - Lara Foot

Arts Centre Melbourne

Fairfax Theatre

August 28 to September 2

Coming to us from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and presented by students who were directly involved in the action; The Fall is vital, vibrant, massively relevant to our multi-cultural modern world and totally worth catching.

It is a rousing, honest and reflective work of ‘docu drama’ by a group of young people, about a student revolution at Cape Town University that aimed to remove a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes – rhodesmustfall movement.  This campaign also sparked debate about removing a statue of Cecil Rhodes in Oxford.

The opening night in Melbourne was enthusiastically rewarded with a heartfelt, jubilant standing ovation.  

The clever, focused and energetic team of seven performers – through stirring and uplifting song, percussive sound, spoken word and enactment - describe how the lives of Black Africans are atrociously undervalued in Cape Town and presumably South Africa generally.  Even in the Tertiary Education System these young capable hardworking intellectual elite do not have the same social standing as their white counterparts.

The subtitle of this work  ‘All Rhodes lead to Decolonisation’, is a witty clever word play on the subject matter and a relevant call to action.   So hoping that many from our African communities get to catch this one.

The Fallis the perfect fare for VCE Drama Students and those working towards a collaborative style of making Verbatim Theatre.  It reminds us all of just how accessible, relevant and appealing political theatre can be if well handled.

Suzanne Sandow

(For Stage Whispers)