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 Xhosa girl. A 15 year old girl that radically changed the history of the Xhosa people. One day Nongqawuse comes back from the river. She says the ancestors appeared to her with the prophecy that the dead will arise, the white people and unbelievers will be driven into the sea and the once powerful Xhosa people will be as strong as before. To make this all happen they have to kill all their cattle and burn all their grain. This prophecy brings hope to the people. They are 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. Everyone points at Nongqawuse. But was she really the bad genius behind all this?
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Creators
Saskia Janse, playwright

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

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