Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Glossary and translation
- Images from production
- Ulwembu: the play script
- Prologue: Our story
- Scene 1 Behind the police station
- Scene 2 The police station, captain's office
- Scene 3 The school yard
- Scene 4 Portia's house
- Scene 5 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 6 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 7 The police station
- Scene 8 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 9 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 10 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 11 Portia's house
- Scene 12 Bongani's house
- Scene 13 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 14 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 15 Bongani's house
- Scene 16 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 17 Sipho's room
- Scene 18 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 19 Captain's office
- Scene 20 Behind the police station
- Scene 21 Bongani's house
- Scene 22 Portia's house
- Scene 23 Captain's office
- Scene 24 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 25 On the street
- Epilogue: Our story
- Notes
- The Authors
Scene 20 - Behind the police station
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 May 2019
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Glossary and translation
- Images from production
- Ulwembu: the play script
- Prologue: Our story
- Scene 1 Behind the police station
- Scene 2 The police station, captain's office
- Scene 3 The school yard
- Scene 4 Portia's house
- Scene 5 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 6 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 7 The police station
- Scene 8 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 9 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 10 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 11 Portia's house
- Scene 12 Bongani's house
- Scene 13 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 14 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 15 Bongani's house
- Scene 16 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 17 Sipho's room
- Scene 18 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 19 Captain's office
- Scene 20 Behind the police station
- Scene 21 Bongani's house
- Scene 22 Portia's house
- Scene 23 Captain's office
- Scene 24 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 25 On the street
- Epilogue: Our story
- Notes
- The Authors
Summary
In what seems to be a repeat of the first scene we hear police sirens, see flashing red and blue police lights and the frantic searching of flashlights in the blackout. A boy, his face hidden by a black hoodie, comes running through the audience and onto the stage.
PORTIA [yelling from the audience]: You run, I shoot. Do you hear me? You hear? I will pull this trigger.
Members of the Metro Police force are hot on the criminal's heels. Again, PORTIA leads the chase. The policemen all point their flashlights at the boy. PORTIA, flanked by the rest of her unit [including officers
BULAWAYO and ZIKHALI] form a semi-circle around the figure.
BULAWAYO: Down on the ground! Face down, boy.
The boy tries to dash but is pushed down to the ground by OFFICER ZIKHALI.
PORTIA: On the ground. You hear me?
The officers pin the boy to the ground with his face down.
PORTIA: Empty his pockets … empty them.
The OFFICERS take out two packets of whoonga straws. THE BOY struggles, but they have him firmly in their grip.
PORTIA: Having a busy night, nê? Planning on throwing a big party, eh? You know you could go to prison for a long time for carrying this amount of drugs. [Beat.] You going to tell us where you are getting all this? Even better, you're going to show us where you are getting this. Do you understand?
THE BOY mumbles something into his hoody, his face still pressed into the ground.
PORTIA [to the officers]: I can't hear him. Show me his face.
THE OFFICERS pull THE BOY to his feet and hold him up. All the torch beams focus on his face. BULAWAYO removes his hood and reveals SIPHO. A moment of stunned silence and recognition. PORTIA clocks SIPHO. SIPHO clocks PORTIA.
ZIKHALI: Let's make him eat it, Lieutenant.
BULAWAYO: Ja, Eat it!
PORTIA [intervening]: Wait, wait this one is a first time offender. Let him go. Let his arms go. [She pulls the men off her son.] Give me some time alone with him.
The POLICEMEN reluctantly step back.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- UlwembuEmpatheatre and the Big Brotherhood, pp. 47 - 48Publisher: Wits University PressPrint publication year: 2018