The Royal Court Theatre present a Celebration of the Life and Work of Athol Fugard on 11 May 2025.

"The Royal Court’s relationship with Fugard began over half a century ago, in the early 1970s, when the theatre proudly presented the international premieres of his groundbreaking anti-apartheid plays — Boesman and Lena (1971), Sizwe Banzi is Dead (1973), The Island (1973), and Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (1974). Sizwe Banzi and The Island later transferred to Broadway, where co-creators and performers John Kani OBE and Winston Ntshona were awarded Best Actor Tony Awards".

The event is hosted by David Byrne, Artistic Director of the Royal Court, and curated by Greg Karvellas, former Artistic Director of The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town (2010–2021).  The celebration will feature John Kani, Janet Suzman, and others on stage, with reflections, live performance extracts, and recorded excerpts from Athol Fugard himself.

Tickets include a post-show toast with a glass of South African wine and- for meat-eaters- biltong, two of Athol’s favourites.

For the theatre website click here
https://royalcourttheatre.com/
For more on Athol Fugard click here
https://iainfisher.com/fugard/athol-fugard.html

"The man in my life brings me Black Magic chocolates".  An advert, 65 seconds and black and white, for Rowntree's Black Magic chocolates made in 1966.  A chic woman walking through a stately building and the man she walks to has chocolates for her.
For more see
https://www.iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-tv-video.html

Metrostage Theatre present a Tribute to Athol Fugard with a reading of The Island.  It is on 16 April 2025.  The performers are Doug Brown and Bill Grimmette.

"Since Mr. Fugard died this past February, MetroStage is honored to pay tribute to his body of work and present a reading of this extraordinary play. By depicting the labor required of the political prisoners, their bond, and their commitment to telling the classic story of “Antigone” for their fellow prisoners, Fugard has created a dramatic, and historic masterpiece. As MetroStage director Thomas W. Jones II described in a 2015 interview, the play depicts “themes of solidarity, endurance, perseverance (that) are timeless”, and a “celebration of human dignity and freedom in the face of insurmountable oppression".

For the theatre website click here
https://www.metrostage.org/
For more on the play click here
https://iainfisher.com/fugard/athol-fugard-statements.html

the book is now available in paperback

Hi, Iain,

Richard Chamberlain was an amazing acting talent.

Ken (Russell) made me a gift of many of his own films on DVD. A friend of mine, a visual effects supervisor who had just come off "Perfume" (2006), had never seen any of Ken's movies. I gave him a bunch of them. I told him "Dance Of The Seven Veils" was amongst the best things Ken ever done. It was Ken at his best. My friend went off and reported back that what he really dug was Ken's "The Music Lovers" with Chamberlain. He was hooked and converted, and my friend was due to make a documentary about Ken and I hanging out together. It did'nt happen. Then Ken died.

But all this reminds me of the incredible films and other film-makers we had. Seeing that Chamberlain had died I was prompted to go hunting for the now very rare "Lady Caroline Lamb" (1972), made by Robert Bolt and starring Chamberlain as Lord Byron. A film full of siginificant philosophies for me personally, I have a copy winging its' way to me as I write this. Boy, we had a golden age in which Ken, John Boorman, Stanley Kubrick and Robert Fuest and others were, to me, the bedrock. We have been lucky to have lived when we have lived.

Thanks for all your great work. Stay well, Iain. Keep flying the flag.

Jon
www.jonsorensencreative.com