The Island comes to the Southwark Playhouse

A new production of The Island comes to London

The Theatre Chipping Norton and The Dukes Lancaster will bring a new production of The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona to the Southwark Playhouse from 31 May to 24 June 2017 with an official opening on 2 June.

Directed by John Terry it will feature design by Samantha Dowson and movement by Diane Alison Mitchell. The cast includes Edward Dede and Mark Springer.

Described as a "powerful drama of defiance and determination" the play is set on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years and is based on the true story of two inmates performing Antigone, the great classical play of political protest. "As John and Winston prepare for the performance with the limited contents of their cell, they debate the merits of their protest and the tension of the uneasy relationship increases when one man finds out he may be granted early release."

The Island was first produced in 1973 under a different title in a small Cape Town theatre. It was later presented at the Royal Court Theatre and on Broadway. Original cast members John Kani and Winston Ntshona were frequently arrested whenever they performed the play in apartheid era South Africa and reunited to perform the show in 2000 for the National Theatre, in 2002 for the Old Vic, and in 2004 for the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Tickets for this new production are now on sale.