‘The Dungeons’ heads to the stage

Stories from a controversial chapter in Namibia’s struggle for independence will take centre stage in Mervin Claasen’s ‘The Dungeons’ at Windhoek’s Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre on 20 March.

The one-man production was developed and directed by Keamogetsi Molapong and features a live score by Chris Eiseb.

“‘The Dungeons’ is about stories that are untold. Not just stories, but the lives and the testimonies of people who were in the Lubango dungeons,” says Claasen, who wrote and stars in the production.

Described as confronting “the cruelty and harsh realities inflicted by Namibians upon their own countrymen in the exile camps of Lubango, Angola, during the pre-independence liberation struggle” in its promotional material, ‘The Dungeons’ is based on diverse source material.

“Most of the information in ‘The Dungeons’ is from testimony from books that have been published, ‘The Agony of Truth’ and ‘Breaking the Wall of Silence’. We also had interviews with some of the detainees who gave testimony,” Claasen says.

Intent on bringing these stories to life, Claasen suggests the stage can be a site on which to provide context, foster empathy, take accountability, bear witness and begin healing.

“The story is told from different angles. A gentleman called #Goseb represents everyone who was part of the dungeons and he tells the story from the dungeons itself. But there is a reason why people left Namibia in the first place,” Claasen says.

“So, it also tells the story of why people had to leave. What was the reason? Who were they fleeing from? What vision and mission did they have?” Claasen says.

“There are a lot of characters within this one character. There is a story behind the youthfulness of the people before they were there. The dreams that they had. The aspirations that they had. Everything comes alive from the dungeons until they’re released into the public.”

The production will be staged the evening before Namibia commemorates its 36th Independence Day and, according to Claasen, the timing is significant.

“We all know that gaining independence was not just a story of sweetness. There is bitter truth behind it. This is the time to talk about it because the detainees are also heroes,” Claasen says.

“They fought here within Namibia. They went. They fought on different levels. We need to tell these stories so that independence can be celebrated by those who also suffered and endured harsh realities before independence.”

In his bid to encourage further dialogue about this difficult chapter of Namibian history, Claasen says theatre can be a particularly effective tool.

“Within theatre, you don’t just see things from one perspective. You see different characters coming alive and creating a whole image for you in terms of what really happened,” says Claasen.

“I always say human beings have a very short concentration span. I feel like theatre can captivate the mind long enough to convey messages. In vernacular and in a way that people are entertained, but also educated at the same time.”

‘The Dungeons’ will be showing at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre on 20 March and has an age restriction of 16. Tickets are limited to 60 patrons and the show begins at 19h00.

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram.

COMING SOON … Director Keamogetsi Molapong and playwright and lead actor Mervin Claasen will stage ‘The Dungeons’ at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre on Friday. Photo: Martha Mukaiwa

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