Sizwe Banzi Is Dead | Literary Criticism & Book Review

Sizwe Banzi Is Dead Critical Overview

The initial audiences of Sizwe Bansi is Dead were the black audiences who saw the production at the Space in Cape Town, South Africa. Although the play was popular, many audience members left during the opening monologue when they discovered the subject matter they feared the police would raid the theater.

When Sizwe Bansi made its American debut on Broadway in 1974, critics generally praised the play and its exploration of controversial topics. For example, Jack Kroll of Newsweek contended: "What Fugard, 42, and his astonishing collaborators have created is theater of unique dramatic impact and crucial significance in its relationship to reality the Kafkaesque reality of South Africa."

On Broadway, the play was performed with another Fugard one-act piece, The Island. Many reviewers compared the two plays. Harold Clurman of The Nation maintained that" Athol Fugard's two one-act plays Sizwe Bansi Is Dead and The Island are...
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