John Kani

Mark Heywood reviews John Kani and Michael Richard's performance of Kani's play Kunene and the King at the Joburg Theatre.

So it’s perhaps not surprising that in Kunene and the King, the meaning of Lear’s “ O, reason not the need” speech is recalled and debated between the two as Jack explains to Lunga why in his preparation he first has to translate Shakespeare into ‘English-English’. In essence, the play uses Shakespeare as a prop to meditate upon South Africa’s past and present and the unstaunched wounds of micro-racism. Thabo Mbeki. Mbuli, Mbata, Mbethe. Mum, mum, mum, mmmmmm.”) and in still not understanding the hurt and existential disruption that apartheid caused to all black people. Kani puts it this way in his introduction: “Their relationship examines the very foundation on which our democracy is built.” In Kunene and the King this is captured in a wonderful scene where the two men discuss Julius Caesar, with Morris reciting Antony’s funeral speech (“for some reason, I’m into funerals these days”) and Kunene providing a simultaneous translation into Xhosa (as translated long ago by WB Mdledle). For white people in the audience, by contrast, the play must have been more difficult because the racism it depicts comes from the mouth and behaviours of a likeable and humorous “artiste” not a villain. That’s why the play’s climax and bathetic denouement is so powerful. One is thwarted by alcoholism and his own mediocrity; the other by apartheid, racism and ironically the comrades. The duet takes place over three scenes, as Jack prepares haplessly and increasingly hopelessly for one last performance of King Lear that his cancer will not let happen. It has the power to induce reflection on the state we are in — be it personal or political — that is as strong today as it was after Shakespeare had the Globe Theatre constructed on the banks of the River Thames 423 years ago. It was first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and performed in London’s West End to critical acclaim, interrupted by Covid and came home in 2022. Kunene and the King was written by Kani to mark the 25th anniversary of our democracy.