Red Earth

Every year a stork migrates from the North to the deep warm South of Africa. He can tell lots of stories. One of them is the true story about Nongqawuse, a 15-year-old Xhosa girl who radically changed the history of the Xhosa people. Her prophecy brings hope to the people who have been tormented by colonial wars and mysterious cattle diseases. But it also brings discord among the Xhosa people, manipulation and betrayal and at the end a terrible famine. All eyes turn to Nongqawuse, but was she really the mastermind behind it all?

Performed in a mix of English and Zulu, Red Earth brilliantly captures the sights and sounds of South Africa. 

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Creators
Saskia Janse, playwright

Details
3 actors/puppeteers
Originally produced by: Speeltheater Holland/Sisonke Arts 2006
Audience recommendation: 11+