Actors including Nicole Kidman, Benedict Cumberbatch, FKA Twigs, Chiwetel Ejiofor and James McAvoy will perform monologues drawn from first-hand accounts of children growing up in the rural township of Rammulotsi, South Africa, in a one-off production directed by Danny Boyle.
“The rawness of the original stories in the Children’s Monologues punches you in the stomach,” said Boyle. “They have that directness that you find with children anywhere. Kids can’t compartmentalise or filter traumatic stuff so they just say it. With that directness comes this terrible heart-wrenching intimacy.”
The children’s testimonies, adapted for the stage by playwrights including David Hare, Laura Wade, Neil LaBute, James Graham and Jack Thorne, share experiences that range from moments of childish discovery to accounts of sexual abuse and the suffering caused by Aids.
The Children’s Monologues will be performed at the Royal Court Theatre on Sunday 25 October.
Full report by HANNAH ELLIS-PETERSEN – see Mail & Guardian
