Playland
by Athol Fugard
What readers are saying
Readers appreciate the strong writing and powerful themes in the play, highlighting the intense interpersonal dynamics. Many note the compelling nature of the second half and draw comparisons to 'The Odd Couple'.
Synopsis
Written by the powerful, dramatic voice of South Africa, Playland is set on New Year's Eve outside a Karoo town where a small, shabby travelling amusement park is encamped in the red clay dust.
Martinus Zoeloe, the black night watchman, is repainting a bumper car when Gideon le Rous wanders in.
He is white, a former army noncom whose car has stalled outside the park.
The park's bright lights will not go up till after dark.
The bumper car is being refurbished; Gideon needs Martinus' help to get his car started.
It's the eve of the century's final decade: the millennium approaches.
Press Reviews
"A metaphor set to the sad and sour music of apartheid."
— The New York Post
"Fugard provides some meaty, at times searing arias for both men."
— The New York Times
Publication
Playland is a play written by Athol Fugard and published by Samuel French (1994).
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Restrictions: Major Markets Only (US) / Standard Restriction (UK)
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