The Market Theatre joins the world in mourning the passing of Athol Fugard, a titan of South African and world theatre whose voice and vision shaped the landscape of storytelling both at home and abroad.
Fugard’s unflinching commitment to truth, justice, and the act of witnessing through theatre resonated deeply within the Market Theatre’s walls, where his plays found a natural home and a passionate audience. His long list of remarkable works – Boesman and Lena, “Master Harold”… and the Boys, The Road to Mecca, People are Living There, Hello & Goodbye, Nongogo among many others – confronted what it is to be human in an imperfect world, and offered a study of relationships that are unsurpassed. His collaborative plays, with the likes of John Kani and Winston Ntshona, like Sizwe Bansi is Dead and The Island challenged injustice and held a mirror to our society that was recognised globally.
As an artist, his words carried the weight of history and the depth of lived experience. As a playwright, his legacy continues to inspire generations of playwrights who strive to tell stories with courage and conviction.