The Train Driver

The Train Driver is a play by the South African playwright Athol Fugard.

The Train Driver
Written byAthol Fugard
Date premiered19 March 2010 (2010-03-19)
Place premieredFugard Theatre, Cape Town
Original languageEnglish

The play revolves around the character of Roelf Visagie, a white train driver who is haunted by having killed a black woman and her baby who had stepped onto the tracks in front of his train.[1] Roelf then travels through a South African shanytown, in search of the identity of the mother and child he had unintentionaly killed.[2]

It was first produced at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, South Africa, where it was directed by Fugard himself. The United States premiere was presented at the Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles, in 2010–2011 to positive reviews.[3] It was restaged at the Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2010.[4]

Production history

The Train Driver was first presented at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town in March 2010.[5] The original production was directed by Fugard and featured Owen Sejake]] and Sean Taylor. The production was designed by Saul Radomsky with lighting by Mannie Manim and sound by John Leonard.

The play was re-staged at the Hampstead Theatre in London where it previewed from 4 November 2010 and opened on 9 November 2010.[4][6][7]

The first United States production of The Train Driver was presented at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles from 16 October 2010 to 30 January 2011.[8] It was directed by Stephen Sachs and featured Morlan Higgins as Roelf Visagie and Adolphus Ward as Simon Hanabe.[9] In 2012 the play was staged at Signature Center in New York City.[10][11][1]

In 2018 it was presented at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of a celebration of Fugard's 86th birthday.[12]

References
  1. Dziemianowicz, Joe. "Theater Review: 'The Train Driver' by Athol Fugard at Signature Center". nydailynews.com.
  2. "Casting Set for Signature Theatre Revival of Athol Fugard's The Train Driver". Broadway.com.
  3. "The Fountain Theatre". web.archive.org. 20 September 2000.
  4. "What's On Main Stage | Hampstead Theatre". web.archive.org. 4 November 2010.
  5. Dugger, Celia W. (13 March 2010). "His Next Act: Driving Out Apartheid's Ghost (Published 2010)". The New York Times.
  6. Billington, Michael (10 November 2010). "The Train Driver – review". the Guardian.
  7. Taylor, Paul (23 October 2011). "The Train Driver, Hampstead Theatre, London". The Independent.
  8. Desk, BWW News. "Photo Flash: Athol Fugard's THE TRAIN DRIVER At The Fountain Theater". BroadwayWorld.com.
  9. Perr, Harvey. "Theater Review: THE TRAIN DRIVER (Fountain Theater in L.A.)". www.stageandcinema.com.
  10. Isherwood, Charles (10 September 2012). "In Tortured Empathy, a Ghost Hovers (Published 2012)". The New York Times.
  11. Brown, Scott. "Theater Review: Athol Fugard's The Train Driver". Vulture.
  12. Stones, Lesley (10 May 2018). "THEATRE: Theatre Review: 'The Train Driver' doesn't take the easy track". Daily Maverick.
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