Prelims

Half Title Page

Women, Activism and Apartheid South Africa

Title Page

Women, Activism and Apartheid South Africa: Using Play Texts to Document the Herstory of South Africa

By

Bev Orton

University of Hull, UK

United Kingdom – North America – Japan India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2018

Copyright © 2018 Bev Orton. Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78754-526-7 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-78754-525-0 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-78754-716-2 (Epub)

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Fatima Dike, Phyllis Klotz, Vanessa Cooke and Professor Gay Morris for their support towards my research; Peter Orton for proofreading; and all those who contributed in some way or another. Thank you.

Contents

Preface

This work is not an analysis of theatre – it is more than that. It is an insightful perspective of how women have been marginalised by patriarchy, politics, economics, social conditions and customs – that, in spite of these restrictive and oppressive interventions into their lives, women have been at the forefront in the struggle for racial equality and political freedom. As a feminist researcher, I have emailed each woman interviewed in my research a copy for their consideration and approval.

I was very fortunate to spend time at the Space Theatre and the start of the Market Theatre working with Barney Simon and Vanessa Cooke. At the University of Cape Town, I worked with Professor Morris on the first production she directed – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

I wrote and directed a series for South African Broadcasting Company (SABC) television which was filmed in Soweto and spent a wonderful time with the cast and crew, especially the two young lead actresses. I worked on various productions for television which took me to locations in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg. I also worked with SABCTV2 staff on Deaf Story which won an Astera Award.

Presently, I lecture in Criminology, Gender, Restorative Justice, Visual Sociology and Equality and Diversity at the University of Hull. I am also an Associate Lecturer at the Open University. I am now part of a funding project that is researching the decriminalisation of sex workers in South Africa. For this project we will be starting a theatre group and be presenting many productions, I hope. I look forward to working in South Africa again and linking up with friends and colleagues and to be part of the activist group working strategically to lessen the reign of patriarchy.