Synopsis:

Rejoice Burning is based on real lives, people I knew and know, but the middle owes a lot to Uys Krige and the end to Robert Frost. It's theme, the weird separation of the worlds of people who live so closely together (African and European, settler and native) is an essential South African theme. It is, perhaps, the crucial post colonial theme world wide.

Although written for radio, the play is stageable. The arena would be divided into areas suggesting Rejoice's room, the White's house and Harmony's room. All actors would remain on stage all the time. Instructions for sound effects would become signals for changes of scene and light state. A coffin and fire would be combined to manifest the title image.

Book Excerpt:

HARMONY. Rejoice!

REJOICE. Harmony!

HARMONY. Oh Rejoice.

REJOICE. (Sings) Won't you kiss me nice, nice...

HARMONY. Oh Rejoice! Rejoice!

REJOICE. Your skin has the taste of milk with chocolate.  When I put my head against you here, you are as warm as a cow that is being milked beneath the hill at Imvula.

HARMONY. Oh Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice!

REJOICE. (Alarmed) Sh, Harmony! Do you want to wake up the whole of Johannesburg?

HARMONY. Oh Rejoice. I love you so much.

REJOICE. Sh, my baby. Not so much noise. This is meant to be secret, what we are doing.

HARMONY. I love you so much.  I want you to buy me a fridge.

REJOICE. Sh, my baby. (Beat) Where do you think I will get money for a fridge?

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Topics/Categories:

AIDS, burial society, Ndebele, Race, South Africa

Genre:

Theater

Type of Work:

Play

Publishers:

Aurora Metro Press

Original Published Source:

1st broadcast on BBC radio

Purchase From:

Aurora Metro Press

ISBNs:

0-9542330-1-8

Publishing Notes:

We are the irrelevant and minute inhabitants of an obscure planet in an infinite mystery. We are fuelled by the sun. We flicker and die. The bravest and the best, rejoice burning.