Another One’s Bread

Commissioned by the Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the University of the Western Cape, this all women four-hander dark comedy explores the themes of hunger and food security and their intersection with class, race, gender and apartheid’s spatial legacies. Written during a writer’s residency at the Robert Rauschenberg estate in Florida in August 2017, the play had its first run at the AFDA Theatre in Observatory, Cape Town in December 2017.

Introduction

Commissioned by the Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the University of the Western Cape, Another One’s Bread explores various themes related to hunger in the context of the relationships between four women – a retired teacher, a writer, an estate agent and an unemployed young woman.   What keeps these disparate women from Khayelitsha together is their membership of THE SUBSTITUTES, a group of professional mourners, hired to provide mourning-related services at funerals.  The play takes its title from the Afrikaans expression “een man se dood is ‘n ander man se brood” (one person’s death is another person’s bread”.   

First Production

The play was first performed as a one-off at the District Six Museum on 12 November 2017.

It’s first season was at the AFDA Theatre in Observatory, 1-9 December 2017.

Director

Pamela Nomvete

Cast

Faniswa Yisa

Chuma Sopotela

Motlatji Ditodi

Awethu Hleli

Seasons

AFDA Theatre, Cape Town, 1-9 December 2017

Market Theatre, 12 January to 4 February 2018

What the Critics Said

The razor-sharp text is combined with clever casting of four actresses cunningly individual yet speaking with one voice.  The choice of giving this one to the women is dazzling not only because it’s time, but also because we so seldom see four (especially black) women run the show…

  • Diane de Beer, Business Day

What a wonderful evening of great theatre.  The music of Brenda Fassie serves as a prelude to a humorous play about deaths, funerals, eating and mourning.  If you are a theatre lover, this is a show not to be missed.

  • Sam Mathe, Facebook (writes for the Sunday Independent)

With any new Mike van Graan play, one anticipates being simultaneously entertained and educated.  Another One’s Bread, despite its serious subject (food insecurity), delivers on both fronts.

  • Ayesha Kajee, Artslink

Availability of script and audio-visual material

The script is available on this site. There is no audio-visual material.