Bloke & His American Bantu at University of Johannesburg Theatre

The stage is designed in such that the feeling you get as an audience member is that of two sides of the world, say an office station in Sophiatown, South Africa and the other in Harlem, United States of America. This is precisely because Bloke (William Bloke Modisane) was a South African writer, journalist and actor born in 1923 and his American Bantu (Langston Hughes) was an American writer, poet, playwright, novelist, social activist and columnist born in 1901.

 Josias Dos Moleele as Langston Hughes and Anele Nene as Bloke William Modisane. Pic Supplied

Bloke & His American Bantu is two-hander written by Siphiwo Mahala, produced and directed by Sello Maake Ka-Ncube. I stars a young talented Anele Nene and versatile Josias Dos Moleele. The duo’s combination is like made in heaven with both Bloke and His American Bantu endorsing them for telling their stories of years long gone. Their chemistry is compellingly commanding and the stage presence authoritative as they dance the script.

This stage production recounts a journey of bromance and intellectual gymnastics through exchange of letters between 1960 and 1967. It titillates you into a friendship that developed between Bloke Modisane and Langston Hughes, cultural workers and activists from Sophiatown, South Africa, and Harlem in New York, respectively. Set in the 1960s, at the height of apartheid regime by white supremacist government, where Modisane had no choice but to be exiled  in London leaving his country of birth. For this expedition he boarded a train first to Botswana and then his last stop was at London Hotel where he met with Langston. He started communicating with Hughes through exchange of letters. Hughes traveled all over the world, encouraged the many young writers he encountered and helped usher in the national literatures of Cuba and Haiti. Though he never traveled to South Africa, Hughes nevertheless helped to accomplish the same thing here through his involvement with Johannesburg-based Drum magazine. While he was judging a short story contest for the Drum magazine in 1954 he made contact with fellow black artists and writers in South Africa including Bloke Modisane, Peter Clarke, Es’kia Mphahlele and others. He personally contributed so much to Modisane’s growth and development as a creative person, sending him latest useful material and including his books and cheques to which Bloke sent him Todd Matshikiza’s King Kong record. They met at the London hotel and it was a meeting of two long lost brothers. “Bloke Modisane!” exclaimed Hughes in American accent when he opened the door to be met by Bloke. “How did you get here man?” asked excitedly to which Bloke answered “Langston Hughes, I am Bantu from Africa. My instincts are still intact. I can sniff and follow the trek of American Bantu where ever there is one in town.” The the story journeys you to the hills and the valleys, rivers and mountains and glades and ever changing seasons of two black men born in different continents but are commonly brought together in their quest of offering the world a human face through their art.

 Josias Dos Moleele as Langston Hughes and Anele Nene as Bloke William Modisane. Pic Supplied

Hughes contributed toward the publication and success of Modisane’s autobiography Blame Me On History in 1963, a book which was subsequently banned by the apartheid government. 

Siphiwo Mahala pens this invigorating important part of history of the black South African writers of 1950s and 1960s of Sophiatown, especially from the Drum generation with poignancy and touches of humor. His sterling work includes that of Can Themba. Through his contacts in the US, Hughes organized a lecture series for Bloke in various states across the US. 

This play is important part of revisiting our history and being in touch with humanity especially in world that is becoming unkind to human beings with depression ravaging too many creatives and cultural workers. It reminds to still be kind to each other knowing that someone’s shine belongs to all the humanity. That each one of us needs lift to achieve our goals and be aware that it comes with accountability and responsibility to pay it forward.

Bloke and His American Bantu is on stage from 16th Feb till the 26th Feb 2022. The shows start at 19:00 every day, except Sunday and Monday. 

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