A last minute ticket on Thursday evening, 15 minute away from my hotel, was more impulse decision to end the work week early. The evening left me quite stunned, moved and in thoughts.
For a nation still healing from apartheid, what happens when two people from opposite sides of that divide come face-to-face? Kunene and the King – a play by South African actor, activist and playwright John Kani – explores that question with humor and heart. Set in 2019 (25 years after apartheid’s end), it follows two different men who must confront South Africa’s past and present.
The two characters couldn’t be more different. Jack Morris is a white actor in his seventies, diagnosed with terminal cancer. Determined not to let illness stop him, he’s set on playing King Lear on stage. To aid him, Jack hires Lunga Kunene – a Black nurse around his age – to move in and care for him.
At first, their interactions are awkward and tense. Jack, used to a life of privilege, is stubborn and gruff, while Lunga, hardened by apartheid, isn’t afraid to speak his mind. In one dramatic moment, Lunga refuses to sleep in Jack’s former servant quarters, insisting on being treated as an equal. But as days pass, conversation flows from family memories to the state of the nation, and they even bond over a shared love of Shakespeare. As they clash and connect, a cold, formal arrangement gradually evolves into a real friendship built on mutual understanding.
Seeing Kani, the author, play himself was surely a treat. Paired with Edward Gero, their growing bond gives one hope for reconciliation while watching their journey toward racial healing that even after decades of division, common ground is possible. Ntebo’s music opening and between the scenes, have the play a very good unique atmosphere.
Apartheid’s shadow hangs over every interaction, as old wounds and inequalities still shape their lives. But it’s unmissable that despite their differences, Jack and Lunga form a genuine human connection, especially by breaking down barriers through their shared love of Shakespeare. Empathy and shared humanity can bridge even the widest divides.
An evening well spent!
StageAficionado 