The past as a powerful presence in the present

Venue: National Theatre of Namibia (NTN)
Date: 14, 15, 16 July 2016
Time: 19:00
Ticket: N$80 (adults), N$60 (senior citizens) & N$40 (children under 12 years)

The National Theatre of Namibia (NTN), through its Premier Project, will be staging a theatre play from 14 to 16 July by widely respected South African actor and playwright, John Kani, titled “Nothing but the Truth”.
The NTN’s Premier Project is aimed at staging commissioned or self-produced works with international themes and standards. These productions bring together the best of Namibia’s actors, directors, producers, designers and technicians to bring to life some of the world’s most challenging concepts through stage plays.
“Nothing but the Truth” tells the unforgettable story of two brothers, Sipho and Themba Makhaya, as they navigate their world through sibling rivalry, exile, memory and reconciliation, as well as the illusive idea of freedom. Sipho Makhaya stayed in South Africa during Apartheid while his brother, Themba, fled to England. Now, at the time of his brother’s death, he is faced with the complex issues of political and social reconciliation through interactions with both his South African-raised daughter and his English-born niece.
Zakes Mda writes in his introduction to the play that one of the greatest lessons of “Nothing but the Truth” is that, “The past will always be a powerful presence in the present… We must never forget it, but this does not mean that we must cling to the past and wrap it around us, and live for it. We only look back to the past to have a better understanding of our present.”
The play is staged under the directorship of David Ndjavera, assisted by young theatre enthusiasts and actor Michelle Namases. The cast features some of Namibia’s top actors: Ashwyn Mberi as Sipho Makhaya, Gloria Shilongoh as Sipho’s daughter, Thando Makhaya, and Tjuna Kauapirura as Mandisa Mackay, daughter of Sipho’s brother, Themba.