Rhetorical

Young and reckless

For Rhetorical , the playwright and director Paul Grootboom delves into South Africa’s recent past. He describes the fall of the intellectual president Thabo Mbeki, told through the speeches of the inflammatory young politician Daniel ‘Dada’ Mokone. This fictional character is based on the leader of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema, whom some dismiss as a reckless populist, while others tip him as the future president of South Africa. Through the channel of Dada’s lively persona, Grootboom enables a young generation of South Africans to comment on their country’s political past.

• Paul Grootboom’s successful production Township Stories gained him the nickname ‘Township Tarantino’. He travels the whole world with his work and has twice appeared at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels. He is undoubtedly the most interesting and surprising theatre-maker on the African continent. He is artist in residence at the Pretoria State Theatre and has also made a name for himself with scenarios for film and television productions.