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Woza Shakespeare!: Titus Andronicus in South Africa
An account of Anthony Sher and Gregory Doran's experiences producing Titus Andronicus for Johannesburg's Market Thearte. It provides an insight into how a director and actor approach a classic play and a portrait of theatre in post-apartheid South Africa. Originally published in 1996.
- GenresTheatreNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 11, 1996
40 people want to read
About the author
Antony Sher
25 books24 followersSir Antony Sher, born in Cape Town, South Africa on June 14th, 1949, was an actor, memoirist, playwright, painter, and novelist, best known for his performances of Shakespearean characters like Richard III, Macbeth, and Sir John Falstaff. He has performed in plays by such writers as Molière, Chekhov, Brecht, Arthur Miller, Mike Leigh, and Harvey Fierstein, and has portrayed historical figures as diverse as Primo Levi and Adolf Hitler, Benjamin Disraeli and Ringo Starr. In 1985 he received the Laurence Olivier Award for his work as Richard III, and again in 1997 for Stanley.
His writings include novels, plays, and memoirs, including Year of the King: An Actor's Diary and Sketchbook, his account of playing Richard III for the Royal Shakespeare Company, called by actor Simon Callow "the most wonderfully authentic account of the experience of creating a performance."
He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000.
In 2005, Sher and his partner – director Gregory Doran, with whom he frequently collaborates professionally – became one of the first gay couples to enter into a civil partnership in the UK.
His writings include novels, plays, and memoirs, including Year of the King: An Actor's Diary and Sketchbook, his account of playing Richard III for the Royal Shakespeare Company, called by actor Simon Callow "the most wonderfully authentic account of the experience of creating a performance."
He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000.
In 2005, Sher and his partner – director Gregory Doran, with whom he frequently collaborates professionally – became one of the first gay couples to enter into a civil partnership in the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 3, 2016
Woza Shakespeare is the story of a production of Titus Andronicus. Uniquely it is the story of a production staged at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg by Gregory Doran and partner Anthony Sher. It is the story of that production touring Leeds, London and Spain. Crucially it took place just after the end of apartheid in South Africa.
With that background it is a book in which much can be found. Its central theme is the relevance of what is probably Shakespeare's most spectacularly violent play, in a society damaged by the years of apartheid. Many of the answers are quite shocking in the ways that seemingly horrendous acts seem almost everyday to some of the South African actors. By playing the villains as underdogs fighting for a position in society, the production created sympathy with often vilified characters. It has parallels with the later RSC/Market Theatre production of the Tempest.
Previously I have read and thoroughly enjoyed works by Anthony Sher about the craft of building a performance. Here there is the added dimension of alternate chapters being written by Doran. This means that Sher talks mainly about the other actors and about the personal emotions of his homecoming to South Africa. It is Doran who excellently portrays the mechanics of building a production. In one moment which will be familiar to anyone who has directed anything, from the humblest am-dram to the world's greatest theatre companies, he describes the sense of powerlessness felt by a director on opening night, when he has last all control over events.
Some of the challenges faced by the company are manifest today in theatre across the world. Lacking a marketing budget, Titus plays to houses less than half full, while as one person puts it "If you were putting on 'Me and my Girl, we could fill the place twice over. Whither serious theatre in the face of populist musicals?
Critics bring a surprising angle to the play. In South Africa it is heavily slated for using South African accents rather than RP. One explanation for this is that after the cultural boycott some audience members were not yet ready for anything setting a toe outside accepted norms. This is another issue raised, the effect of the cultural boycott on the arts in South Africa, and whether it should have happened at all. (The answer is a pretty unequivocal "yes"). While the British press is a lot more positive, surprisingly there is one national paper, in the 1990s, which criticised the absence of plummy diction. Or maybe it wasn't surprising, it was the Telegraph after all.
A final joy to note is the cast of characters, brought to life in both words and, as ever, Sher's fabulous drawings.
So this, like any theatrical book by Anthony Sher, is an utterly compelling piece of writing, given extra breadth by the writing of Greg Doran, and extra depth by its social and political setting.
With that background it is a book in which much can be found. Its central theme is the relevance of what is probably Shakespeare's most spectacularly violent play, in a society damaged by the years of apartheid. Many of the answers are quite shocking in the ways that seemingly horrendous acts seem almost everyday to some of the South African actors. By playing the villains as underdogs fighting for a position in society, the production created sympathy with often vilified characters. It has parallels with the later RSC/Market Theatre production of the Tempest.
Previously I have read and thoroughly enjoyed works by Anthony Sher about the craft of building a performance. Here there is the added dimension of alternate chapters being written by Doran. This means that Sher talks mainly about the other actors and about the personal emotions of his homecoming to South Africa. It is Doran who excellently portrays the mechanics of building a production. In one moment which will be familiar to anyone who has directed anything, from the humblest am-dram to the world's greatest theatre companies, he describes the sense of powerlessness felt by a director on opening night, when he has last all control over events.
Some of the challenges faced by the company are manifest today in theatre across the world. Lacking a marketing budget, Titus plays to houses less than half full, while as one person puts it "If you were putting on 'Me and my Girl, we could fill the place twice over. Whither serious theatre in the face of populist musicals?
Critics bring a surprising angle to the play. In South Africa it is heavily slated for using South African accents rather than RP. One explanation for this is that after the cultural boycott some audience members were not yet ready for anything setting a toe outside accepted norms. This is another issue raised, the effect of the cultural boycott on the arts in South Africa, and whether it should have happened at all. (The answer is a pretty unequivocal "yes"). While the British press is a lot more positive, surprisingly there is one national paper, in the 1990s, which criticised the absence of plummy diction. Or maybe it wasn't surprising, it was the Telegraph after all.
A final joy to note is the cast of characters, brought to life in both words and, as ever, Sher's fabulous drawings.
So this, like any theatrical book by Anthony Sher, is an utterly compelling piece of writing, given extra breadth by the writing of Greg Doran, and extra depth by its social and political setting.
May 9, 2020
This was fascinating.
Obviously, this is, as the title suggests, about how Greg Doran and Tony Sher put on a production of Titus Andronicus in the new South Africa in 1994, but it is about so much more, too.
The authors jump from topic to topic but instead of feeling disjointed, the jumping around makes total sense, and some of the asides really make me laugh.
It's not the jokes that keep me reading, tho. It's the insights to how they approach interpreting play(s), how they find relevance in the context of current affairs, how they teach, direct, and interact with the other cast members.
It was pretty fab. And I haven't even touched on the way that they give a picture of South Africa past and present (in 1994) that seems very realistic.
Woza Shakespeare! won't make me love Titus Andronicus, or even like the play, not even a little bit, but I love reading about how Greg, Tony, and the rest of the cast are approaching the play and interpreting the characters. I don't have to agree with everything - I don't have to agree with anything in their approach but even thinking about their different view is eye-opening.
It is such a great example of how when plays - or poetry, or any work of literature, art, music - are taught in a classroom setting, it should encourage people to seek out different performances, adaptations, etc.
Obviously, this is, as the title suggests, about how Greg Doran and Tony Sher put on a production of Titus Andronicus in the new South Africa in 1994, but it is about so much more, too.
The authors jump from topic to topic but instead of feeling disjointed, the jumping around makes total sense, and some of the asides really make me laugh.
It's not the jokes that keep me reading, tho. It's the insights to how they approach interpreting play(s), how they find relevance in the context of current affairs, how they teach, direct, and interact with the other cast members.
It was pretty fab. And I haven't even touched on the way that they give a picture of South Africa past and present (in 1994) that seems very realistic.
Woza Shakespeare! won't make me love Titus Andronicus, or even like the play, not even a little bit, but I love reading about how Greg, Tony, and the rest of the cast are approaching the play and interpreting the characters. I don't have to agree with everything - I don't have to agree with anything in their approach but even thinking about their different view is eye-opening.
It is such a great example of how when plays - or poetry, or any work of literature, art, music - are taught in a classroom setting, it should encourage people to seek out different performances, adaptations, etc.
November 14, 2012
Wonderful account of mounting TITUS ANDRONICUS in South Africa and what was learned by the English-based/South African-born star and his partner, the director, and what was learned by the South African actors who participated. This is more than an account of mounting a play, but a look into the soul of South African society and the people in this production.
July 9, 2023
I do not know much about the times or place where the majority of this book takes place so it was a very interesting read. As always there are some great anecdotes and interesting comments but I did find it hard having more than one person's point of view and I feel it could have been structured so that it was easier to read.
April 22, 2013
30.5B Degrees of separation
August 16, 2007
Enjoyable and insightful account of Anthony Sher and Greg Doran's bringing 'Titus' to South Africa.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews