Lease, Bryce and Davids, Nadia (2023) Staging Memory and Struggle in Contemporary South Africa. In: Staging difficult pasts: transnational memory, theatres, and museums. Routledge, London, pp. 229-241. ISBN 9781003315827

Abstract

Jay Pather has directed two of Nadia Davids’ plays, What Remains (2017) and Hold Still (2022), and in this conversation, they discuss their creative collaboration and the aesthetic and political imaginaries that underpin their work. What Remains, a multidisciplinary work encompassing text, dance, and movement, tells the story of the unexpected uncovering of a slave burial ground in Cape Town. Hold Still, a four-act family drama, focusing on a long-term marriage, generational trauma, and contemporary immigration, is set in London. Though vastly different in style, focus, and place, these plays are connected by a deep commitment to the exploration of political and emotional life of people of colour.