Amajuba, The Dove Mountain, was the site of the first Boer War and a fitting National monument for the rock-hard strength of those forced to live in and live through the violence of apartheid. In the factual accounts of history and politics, we so often lose the individual stories of women and of men which humanise and force us to realise the atrocities of 'distance lands'. Amujaba tells the story of just five individuals, yet conveys the clear impression that such stories are 'too often heard in South Africa'. Over an hour and half, we become intimately familiar with the histories of two women and three men through a mixture of speech, song and movement. We are told tales of fifteen-year-olds fighting in the army; of the Xhosa gangs who kill for a beer; of the struggle to fit into those categories of 'black', 'white' or 'coloured'; of abandoned families and of the continual need to run and hide. But amongst the horror, there is celebration: of the strength of the mother (played with great attitude by Bongeka Mpongwana), the tenacity of the philosphical son, and of the eight-year-old who sings in chorus with her drunken grandfather, 'did you ever see a soul that sours like this soul soars?'. Not an even a thoroughly hardened individual could deny the emotional effect of these five harmonised voices filling the auditorium, or miss the genius of choreography that can make a man look as if he is really swimming on a bone dry stage. Furthermore, the cast's ability to switch between dialogue, song and a range of wildlife noises makes any vocal cord envious. The songs are sung in different langages, from Afrikaans to Xhosa, yet their message is still understandable. Especially understandable, it seemed, to the three tuneful South African men who sat behind me creating a perfect 'surround sound'! The set is minimal, but just enough to let the imagination complete the scene - and seeing a fire on stage always makes you check for exits.

Go and see it, live through it, and at the end try to see the truth of what has just passed. You will be captivated, you will laugh and then you will then be jarred by the reality of many lines. The programme explains the politics, but it is the actors who create the poetics that inspired many in the audience to give Yael Farber's play a standing ovation.

RL, 30.06.04