When bulldozers began chewing at the earth at a construction site in Greenpoint, Cape Town, in 2003, they accidently dug up the past: a multitude of bones, belonging to almost 3,000 people who had lain silent for centuries. The discovery of these undocumented graves of slaves, free blacks, washerwomen and other marginalised Cape Town ancestors immediately ignited heated debate: should the bones be disturbed? How should they be honoured? How could they have been forgotten? The dramatic story of Prestwich Place in part inspired What Remains, the new play written and produced by Nadia Davids of At Her Feet (2002) and Cissie (2008) fame. What Remains debuts in Grahamstown before moving to Cape Town. It is directed by Jay Pather, also responsible for its inventive choreography, employing multimedia and dance. Davids returned to Cape Town in October 2016 having been based in London since 2009. Part of coming home was making this new piece of work, she says. While researching Prestwich Pla...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.