Tooth And Nail Poem

This paper will compare and contrast two theatre plays which are “Tooth and Nail” (1989) devised by Junction Avenue Theatre Company directed by Malcolm Purkey and “The Ugly Noo Noo” (1988) written by Andrew Buckland directed by Janet Buckland. Tooth and Nail is using Epic Theatre and the Ugly Noo Noo is using Poor Theatre respectively. Both the performances are different, however they comment on socio-political issues in South Africa. These performances are using the element of protest theatre promoting social change through performance. For example, the performances are meant to highlight racial and class oppression as the key causes of poverty, inequality and a lack of rights for most South Africans. This essay will discuss the conventions …show more content…
During the apartheid time in South Africa the Toyi-Toyi is one of the well-known protest and freedom songs were utilized during the political struggle of South Africa to communicate and raise the concern of black people. On in these Toyi-Toyi, black people were killed, some got severely injured, whereas others got arrested. Tooth and Nail “fragments elements such as song, dance, chant, fiction language, imaginary, obsessional repletion, opera pastiche and puppetry, also political, social and sexual were reflected in the fragmented of the play” (Purkey, 1996:155). The presentation of the fragments is not structured in linearity as in the epic theatre would. Because the intentions are to illustrate how chaotic of South Africa was at the time. According to King “A series of apparently disconnected characters played out the scenes of their lives in realistic, mythical or symbolic patterns telling the story of flood and learning to interpret the signs” (King, 1992). The fragment where Mandla and Letitia are being introduced as a couple caught in antagonism and love whereby they do ritualistically repetition of phrases and sexual gestures: Letitia -It’s a revolution…. and Mandla – It’s veld fire…. during apartheid time because of the racial issue a White girl cannot be seen with Black …show more content…
For example: Tooth and Nail the metaphor of floods refer to the apartheid system of repression and the violence it unleashed (Purkey, 1996: 155). It makes use of heightened and symbolic use of word, object or gesture beyond the literal meaning. The dramatic structure that does not unfold chronologically events move in irregular fragments. The Ugly Noo Noo focusing on the use of body shape, position, movements, gestures and on narrative of character and action. Though it is Poor Theatre some elements of epic theatre can be found for example breaking the forth wall when he addresses the audience from the beginning of the show and Andrew can change and make changes around characters that he