"The Good White" – Good Indeed (Theatre Review)

Production: The Good White

Playwright: Mike Van Graan

Director: Greg Homann

Cast: Vusi Kunene, Renate Stuurman, Shonisani Masutha, Russel Savadier

Venue: The Market Theatre

Dates: Showing until June 1, 2025

Wake Up Call

From the moment "The Good White" begins, the audience is confronted with an aggressive demand to "wake up!" – a powerful call to action that sets the tone for what follows. Set against the backdrop of the turbulent 2016 Fees Must Fall protests at the University of Cape Town, Mike Van Graan's play dives headfirst into South Africa's most uncomfortable conversations about race, privilege, and the nation's ongoing struggle with inequality.

Masterful Complexity

Van Graan once again demonstrates his exceptional talent for presenting politically charged and contentious issues in ways that feel profoundly human and relatable. What distinguishes his writing is his refusal to deal in simple binaries or easy answers. Instead, he creates characters of remarkable complexity – deeply flawed individuals who reflect the contradictions we all embody.

Perhaps most discomforting is how easily one finds oneself relating to each character at different moments, only to find it impossible not to judge or even vilify them in others. This emotional pendulum creates a powerful theatrical experience that refuses to let audiences settle into comfortable positions.

Raw Human Experience

"The Good White" explores how individuals grapple with the weight of politics, privilege, systemic racism, affirmative action, apartheid trauma, and white guilt – all prevailing issues in contemporary South Africa. What elevates the play beyond mere political commentary is its unflinching examination of individual accountability and lived experience in relation to these broader societal concepts.

The four-person cast delivers engaging performances. Vusi Kunene brings conceivability to his role, while Renate Stuurman navigates complex emotional terrain with nuance and precision. Shonisani Masutha brings youthful complexity and nuanced conviction, and Russel Savadier rounds out the ensemble with a performance that carefully explores internal conflict, vulnerability and defensive privilege.

Direction and Design

Greg Homann's direction is both effective and admirably humble, allowing Van Graan's potent dialogue to take precedence. Rather than imposing flashy directorial choices, Homann creates a space where the words and performances can resonate fully with the audience. Similarly, the set design takes a supportive role, creating a visual framework that enhances rather than distracts from the human drama unfolding onstage.

Entertaining Despite the Heaviness

Despite tackling such complex and contentious issues, "The Good White" is remarkably entertaining. The script crackles with juicy drama and intrigue, with conflicts that are both gripping and provocative. During the performance I attended, audience responses were pronounced – gasps, uncomfortable laughter, and palpable tension filled the theatre as viewers became visibly invested in the unfolding story.

Essential Viewing

This kind of work is vitally important in South Africa's current social landscape. It forces a diverse audience to sit together and reflect on the different lived experiences of the country's incredibly varied citizenry. While highlighting these differences, the play simultaneously reveals the universal human characteristics that connect the characters despite their extensive differences.

In a country still working through the legacy of apartheid and ongoing inequality, "The Good White" offers no easy answers or comfortable resolutions. Instead, it creates a space for necessary, if difficult, conversations to begin. Van Graan doesn't presume to solve South Africa's problems in 80 minutes of theatre, but he does insist that we face them honestly.

For anyone interested in thought-provoking theatre that challenges as much as it entertains, "The Good White" is essential viewing. Playing at The Market Theatre until June 1, 2025, this production represents South African theatre at its most relevant and compelling.