My Children! My Africa!
Trafalgar Studios London SW1
4 stars

The work of Athol Fugard is incessantly personal and his 1989 play My Children! My Africa! is no exception. In fact, the central character in this bittersweet three-hander — the conflicted teacher Mr M (Anthony Ofoegbu) — was described by the celebrated author himself as “Athol Fugard in a black skin and threadbare suit.”  

This is no surprise considering Mr Myalatya’s deep passion for the written word. As he holds aloft a copy of the English dictionary he exclaims to his favourite pupil Thami that “with the words in this little book the greatest souls in the world were able to open the floodgates to their ecstasy, their despair, their joy!”

Much to Mr M’s dismay his potential protege violently slams those gates in his face by rejecting the power of words in favour of direct action in the anti-apartheid struggle which is gathering momentum in his township.

But, as the “well aimed stray bullets” of the SAP begin to fly and the rumours begin to spread Thami’s (Nathan Ives-Moiba) so-called “mad mob” aim their anger in the wrong direction with tragic consequences.

The teachings of the lonely, self-declared “Black Confucian” are not, however, lost on the self-assured Isabel Dyson (Rose Reynolds).

The third generation English settler connects instantly with Thami’s charm and shared passion for knowledge but finds herself trapped between the shifting ideals of two generations in a struggle which her very existence helps perpetuate.

This is spelt out for the audience in her overly sentimental concluding monologue which is the only point where Fugard’s text comes a little unstuck.

Despite its rather formulaic structure the text is deftly balanced and serves as an education in itself.

The masterfully constructed monologues of the first act tantalisingly twist on every line to reveal the complexities of each character, brought to life in flawless performances from all three actors. Ives-Moiba is particularly engrossing, as Thami flits from boyish reticence to righteous fury in the flash of an eye.

After its highly successful run at the Tristan Bates Theatre earlier in the year, Roger Mortimer and Deborah Edgington’s penetrating production more than justifies its transfer and certainly does justice to Fugard’s prophetic work.

Ends August 29. Box Office (0844) 871-7632 and www.atgtickets.com/trafalgarstudios

Mayer Wakefield