Whose story, do we choose to keep silent, a new powerful play at Theatre on the Square asks

Words &Nightmares July 21-26 atTheatre on the Square in Sandton, is a multi-layered production that looks at the devastation of wars through the eyes of a battle-hardened war correspondent.

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

At the beginning, there is a man stirring a stick on stage, and then you will also not fail to see another man, who plays accompanying music – his instruments being a thumb piano and a small drum. The music nicely complements the acting by this solo figure, without intruding. In fact, the music is very part of this play, and yet, it is not invasive, but rather amplifies the acting.

And so, at the beginning, an audience member will be lulled into believing that Words & Nightmares is light theatre that combines acting and music.

But soon, you get plunged into an emotional journey that transports you, while you are in tears and all, to the villages of death, mayhem and total chaos in Rwanda of 1994. That is when members of mainly the Hutu ethnic group went on a killing spree of their neighbours, mainly members of the Tutsi ethnic group that they had suddenly declared cockroaches whose life was not worth more that this domestic menace of an insect, and therefore had to be eliminated.

That orgy of killings was declared a genocide. In that moment of madness, a Hutu man turns against his Tutsi friend, slashing both the man and his wife into pieces of dead flash in the most brutal fashion. No warning or signs that the friends were harbouring anger against each other, and this is what makes such ethnic fuelled violence hard to rationalise.

Here, actor Seiphemo Motswari, who is also the writer of Words& Nightmares shows his superior acting skills. The ability to bring the violence that befell Rwanda in 1994 into the imagination of the audience.

The main character is a journalist named Rapula, whose professional life is entwined to this violence, cleverly seen through the eyes of two siblings, a girl of 12 and his brother of 15 years, who witnessed their parents being decapitated.

But then, just as you are enmeshed in this mass murderous spree, you are then transported into another region- a war zone of Ukraine where Russia has invaded its neighbour.

This segment of the play starts off light hearted – a love at first sight between war journalist Rapula and a local women called Katrina. No sooner had they engaged than their drum of enjoying their love and hopefully starting a family, is plunged into turmoil, just as soon as they engaged. The war drives them to run around looking for a safe place. Bomb shelters are either full or only taking in women, making it impossible for the lovers to enjoy both safety and being together as a family.

Then you also start to notice racism whereby those fleeing war in Poland have to deal with discriminatory practices of the border guards, who keep on pushing Africans to the back of the queue. All this is being written and reported about by the journalist Rapula. However, his perspective on the war does not impress his editor, who wants him to report the situation ia certain way to appease and “win awards”. Problem is what the boss is asking this ethical journalist to do has no relationship to what is happening on the ground.

And here again, Motswiri demonstrates his ability to flawlessly move out of a character into another one convincingly. I like especially the bit about a Rastafarian character who sings songs of motivation to those camped at the border, trying to flee the war into Poland. His philosophical approach to the war situation is quite interesting, and even humorous.

Just as you get used to lingering on this particular segment of Words &Nightmares, you are quickly jilted into another war situation –between Israel and Hamas after the October 8 attack and kidnappings of Jews by Hamas.

Again civilians are caught up in the retaliation that Israel triggers. Homes are razed. Hospitals became war zones and those injured are not getting the medical care that they need from their doctors as the Israel army orders that those hospitals be emptied of patients. A painful trail of destruction is depicted.

What makes this particular segment of the play especially interesting, is the centering of children as narrators of the war story.

The lives of two friends Aisha, who is Arab and Deliah, who is Jewish are the window through which this war is seen. It is in fact a powerful way of showing the devastation of war and how it is affecting communities on both sides, tearing them apart.

The message being sent here about the tragedy of war is that it affects everyone, including innocent children who do not need to witness this destruction of one another by adults, who are unable to solve their differences without resorting to violence.

And so Words &Nightmares, is a multi-layered story of wars that tear communities apart, and in their wake, leave traumatised communities where trust is hard to rebuild among neighbours.

This is a powerful play that will pique your intellect and test the strength of your emotional resilience.

By the time Motswiri bows off the stage with Rapula rhetorically asking whose story do we choose to keep silent, he has gained many fans in the theatre.

Word &Nightmares is on at Theatre on the Square at Mandela Square, Sandton, till July 26, 2026. Seriously consider seeing this play before it closes.

Words& Nightmares is written and edited by Seiphemo Motswiri, directed by Themba Mkhoma and music is performed by Kenny Rakotsoane.