OUT OF BOUNDS...A One-Person Show on Indians in South Africa... Written and Performed by Johannesburg Actor Rajesh Gopie...
October 8, 2009 10:49:22 AM IST MTG editorial
Set in the 1980s, at the height of Apartheid, OUT OF BOUNDS tells the story of an Indian family in a working-class community on the outskirts of Durban. The play has been written and performed by Johannesburg-based actor Rajesh Gopie and directed by Tina Johnson. Gopie plays 28 characters. At the heart of the drama is the tussle between individuality and duty. On the one hand is Lal, who strives to find his feet in the world, and on the other is his father, who wants to protect him from worldly troubles. "Out of Bounds is regarded as a landmark in lifting the lid,'' Gopie said in a phone interview from Johannesburg. "We don't let people see what's going on inside the family.''
Gopie said he wrote the play because not enough Indian stories are being told. He added that the cultural space in South Africa is dominated by the black and white communities. Gopie wrote the play at a time when he was a struggling actor and was finding it difficult to get roles as he is neither black or white. "Post apartheid, African Indians became sidelined very quickly,'' the 37-year-old said. "You have to remind the majority you're here. You have to take the reins in your hands. That's why the play is so successful.'' Out of Bounds is also Gopie's way of reminding South African Indians of their legacy, which is in danger of being forgotten. "We (as Indians) tend to see ourselves as very successful,'' he explained. "But we forget that our indentured forefathers were little better than slaves.''
One of the admirers of the play is Nelson Mandela, for whom Gopie did a special performance.
OUT OF BOUNDS has been produced by theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan and is being presented by The Times of India Crest Edition. Khan said OUT OF BOUNDS is a way of marking 2010 as the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the first indentured labourer to land in South Africa. "We haven't heard (the South African) voice at all,'' Khan said. "Our connection is very deep as Indians have had an important part to play in the freedom struggle of South Africa. So there's a great connection.''
Date & time: Friday October 9th 2009, 8 pm
Venue: Sophia Bhabha Hall
Collect your free passes from the following Times of India offices between 10am to 4pm: The Times of India building, Ist Floor, Dr DN Road; Trade Avenue, Ground Floor, Suren Road, Andheri (E); Matulya Mills Compound, Lower Parel (W).
*The above information is courtesy The Times of India.
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