I am in the early developmental stages of a first draft of a tribunal
play based on the Rivonia Trial court transcripts. Referred to as "the
trial that changed South Africa,”in Oct 1963, opponents of Apartheid
including Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki & Walter Sisulu went on trial
for sabotage.
A 'tribunal play' is a verbatim play edited from
transcripts of court proceedings. Tribunal theatre offers an immediacy
& proximity to important events that few witnessed originally in
ways that film or print could never do.
Following the completion
of this early draft,there will also be a reading of the play in Cape
Town, South Africa by Educape Trust.
I want to do this project now
because I believe that this internationally significant trial has been
overlooked.The ethical leadership qualities of those defendants are
still relevant. In an era of autocrats & politicians buoyed by
cults of personalities,there is a demand to examine a different type of
leadership – ethical leadership by consensus. These 13 men exemplify a
selflessness that is rarely apparent in today’s politicians.I hope the
play can contribute to the current debate on leadership styles.
