Ubu and the Truth Commission

by Jane Taylor

"Ubu and the Truth Commission" is the full play text of a multi-dimensional theatre piece which tries to make sense of the madness which overtook South Africa during apartheid.

Genres: Plays, Africa, Drama, South Africa, Theatre, Read For School, School

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

There are several authors on Goodsreads with this name. This is Jane^Taylor, the default profile.

Reviews

[Aaron Piccirillo]

“Just this- if you spend another night with your bitches, you can sleep in the shed with your dogs!”

this was a really interesting read and definitely need to watch the show because of all of the puppetry and projections. was an interesting take on apartheid as well as south africa’s truth and reconciliation commission. also an interesting use of jarry’s ubu and it works very well this story.

[Justine]

c'est du théâtre contemporain.... du coup j'ai rien compris

[Sinayo ᯓ★ Maneli]

In Jane Taylor and William Kentridge’s Ubu and the Truth Commission, the character of Pa Ubu functions not merely as a portrayal of a perpetrator but as a profoundly complex and controversial lens through which the play interrogates the very nature of accountability, denial, and the possibility of reconciliation within the context of South Africa’s truth commission. The drama argues through his deliberate characterisation, his volatile relationship with Ma Ubu, and his unsettling interactions with the various puppet figures, that Pa Ubu embodies the pervasive denial, self interest, and performativity engagement with truth that complicated the TRC’s ambitious undertaking, highlighting the inherent tensions between justice, amnesty, and reconciliation. Rather than offering a straightforward condemnation, the drama uses Ubu’s absurdity and detachment to interrogate the complex ethical landscape of post apartheid accountability, questioning the possibility of genuine reconciliation when faced with remorseless perpetrators.

[Kārlis]

A great play, especially thanks to its form. The puppets and the animations give this play a whole new level that transforms its atmosphere into something of a mysterious and grotesque nature. Sometimes subtle, other times too on the nose, this performance piece definitely delivers a powerful message about the perpetrators of the apartheid and their actions during and after the events. A joy to read but a greater joy to watch.

[Maia L]

"They were treating people as animals...even a dog, you don't kill it like that, even an ant, a small little ant, you have feelings for an ant, but now, our children, they were not even taken as ants."

[Lainie Vansant]

Look it up on YouTube and watch while you follow along in the script - that way you catch the visuals and the words!

[Natalie Dunlap]

Note to self: read in first semester of freshman year for Theatre + Society

[patricia]

also read for class. the production is quite thought provoking

[Tapley Cronier]

Solid play, good themes, interesting style.

[seraa]

impossible to read but pretty incredible to watch

[anne]

i so badly wish i could see this staged

[Aga Zano]

I actually had to change my rating after seeing the play on stage. It is hard to tell how much it is because of the text and how much thanks to immensely talented Handspring Productions Company team, but the fact remains - it's not a very good play to read and a brilliant stage piece.

If you ever have a chance to see these guys - go, go, go.

http://www.handspringpuppet.co.za/han...

[Alina Colleen]

A play by South African playwright Jane Taylor that explores the effect of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that took place shortly after the African National Congress took office in the mid-90s.

[Vanessa]

I have read some books about South Africa and the Truth Commission/Post-Apartheid time before, but this play is different. It will make you feel uncomfortable about the crimes of Apartheid and how they were dealt with in the aftermath. I wish I could've seen this acted out.

[Ziad]

Reading it only makes you want to watch it. And thus you feel unsatisfied. Almost guilty for having read it.

[Tina]

Thought provoking drama ahead of its time.

[Farzeen Ather]

5.5/10