I’m going to be completely honest. I saw this play a few days ago, but I’ve put off writing this review because I wanted to at least try to do it justice.

Run, don’t walk to Sizwe Banzi is Dead at Soulpepper. It’s that good.

This show is excellent, and not just in a hipster theatre afficionado way. It may be the best show I’ve ever seen in Toronto.

Why is this show so good, you may ask? Let me count the ways:

1. The book (i.e. the story). It is enthralling, moving, energetic, bold. Sizwe Banzi is Dead (by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona) is about life in 1950s South Africa during apartheid, except it’s not depressing. In fact, it’s quite funny. I love when plays use humour to tackle serious issues, because it lets the audience sit with the material for longer. I’ve sat thinking about this play every day since I saw it. It’s worthwhile mentioning that Sizwe Banzi is Dead was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play when it was on Broadway in the 70s.

2. The acting. Was insane. Oh my god. It’s a two-person play, which could be terrible if one of them sucks. But wow. Amaka Umeh (she/her & they/them pronouns – I’ll use she/her for this article) was absolutely electric. Fun-fact about Amaka: last year, she became the first female black actress to play Hamlet at the Stratford Festival. She went in auditioning for both Hamlet and Ophelia, and she would’ve crushed either roll. But in this play, she dynamically moved across the stage, physicalizing the various characters she portrayed with nuance and humour. She plays exclusively male characters in this play, but it doesn’t matter in the slightest. Almost the entire first act of the show rests on her shoulders (as the only person on stage), and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I would watch her eat a sandwich. The other lead, Tawiah M’Carthy, was also fantastic. He has the most expressive eyes I’ve ever seen, and can say so much without uttering too many words. The acting is so flawless that you are immersed fully into the world of the show, even with a fairly simple (but beautiful) set.

3. The pacing. This show MOVES. It’s only 1 hour 45 mins (you know I love a show without an intermission), but it goes by very (but not too) quickly.

4. The theatre itself. The fairly intimate theatre is arranged in a U-formation, so the audience sits around a long rectangular stage. The actors would often interact with the audience, and I could also watch everyone’s reactions. I liked feeling connected to those around me. I was also amused when an older woman in the front row audibly snored, woke herself up from said snore, and then chuckled.

If I can be real for a second, I often get uncomfortable interacting with apartheid-themed art, because my family comes from South Africa. Sizwe Banzi is Dead is not preachy, nor is it trying to guilt-trip anyone. It also doesn’t try to sugar-coat anything. It plainly lays out how terrible life was for black Africans, and it made me think about how I can be a more thoughtful citizen today. Ultimately, if theatre is about creating connectivity, empathy, and helping us better understand one another, this play delivers.

Do yourself a favour and see the show before it closes.

Sizwe Banzi is Dead is playing at the Michael Young Theatre (in the Distillery District) until June 18, 2023. You can grab tickets here.

Photo credit: Soulpepper