Ten years after students demanded change, The Fall is back on stage, bringing the unfinished fight for free, decolonised education back under the spotlight.
- The play returns to The Market Theatre, features three original cast members and new talent.
- Performances ignite the stage from April 9 to May 4.
- A post-performance dialogue raised the uncomfortable question “was it worth it?”, as students continue to face barriers to decolonised and accessible education.
A powerful reimagining of The Fall, an internationally acclaimed protest play, opened at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg on Wednesday, April 9. The award-winning production challenges systemic oppression by spotlighting the voices and experiences of students who, in 2015, took to the streets demanding that the government make good on its promise to open the doors of learning and culture.
The play was originally created by eight University of Cape Town students in the aftermath of the #RhodesMustFall movement and the toppling of the statue of colonialist Cecil John Rhodes. Running until May 4, the new production is being presented by theatre company, The Theatre Duo, and Wits Drama for Life. It reunites three of the original student creators with a fresh cast, reworking the script and staging for a new generation of audiences still grappling with access and transformation at universities.
Opening night’s post-performance dialogue brought these issues to life. Wits University student Mzizi Khulu said, “We’re inheriting the same mentality of our forefathers. We’re still complaining, striking, and protesting. Do we really feel that Fees Must Fall mattered at all?”
Conversely, University of Johannesburg student Mpho Moilwa said, “We’ve been trying, we’ve been striking, we’ve been putting our bodies on the line for this movement, and nothing is changing.”
Students have their say on the impact of the Fees Must Fall movement. Photo: Mbali Khumalo
The Fall’s raw, collaborative format brings authenticity to the stage, blending personal testimony with performance. Sizwesandile Mnisi, original writer and cast member said, “When we first wrote this play, we inserted a lot of ourselves, along with research and archetypes that we saw in the movement. Doing this play ten years later, I too feel a sense of hopelessness that it can still speak so loudly. It’s beautiful that it resonates, but it’s also a problem that it does.”
Audience member Philadelphia Sithole emphasised the importance of theatre in recording our history. “We almost forgot Fees Must Fall. This piece is so powerful because it forces us to question what kind of society we want to have,” she said.
The Fall is a powerful reminder that the fight for access and decolonisation in higher education is still unfinished.
FEATURED IMAGE: Drama for Life Creative Research Hub Director, Hamish Mabala Neill, facilitates the post-performance dialogue. Photo: Mbali Khumalo
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