A host of stars are to take part in a charity show this weekend, performing monologues dramatising the true stories of children growing up in South Africa.

Nicole Kidman, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy and Josh Hartnett are among the cast of The Children’s Monologues, directed by Danny Boyle.

Proceeds from the performance will go towards building a new arts centre in the Rammulotsi township.
The one-off show will be at the Royal Court in London on Sunday.

It will also be performed simultaneously in South Africa by the children whose personal experiences are revealed on stage, in their native Sesotho language.
Other stars taking part in London include Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kit Harington, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Thewlis and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

Humanising children
Playwrights from both South Africa and the UK – including David Hare and Laura Wade – have dramatised the true stories, which tackle issues such as HIV, gang rape, murder, the loss of a parent and xenophobia.

Amber Sainsbury, founder of the charity Dramatic Need, which has organised the monologues, began the project in 2010 as a way of giving a voice to children who may not otherwise be heard.

“One of the biggest battles we have is trying to get people to understand why in a continent with great needs you need the arts,” she says.

“Surely food, water and medicine is more important, and in some parts it is – but in recovery and reconciliation, anything that humanises, particularly children, is actually in some cases as important.

“It’s about testimony, standing witness to your stories and asking children to talk about what’s happened to them in a way that’s non-invasive.

“It’s difficult for a nine-year-old child to say ‘I was raped and I am HIV-positive’ in front of her community, but it is easier for her to get up and say ‘my name is such and such a character and this is what happened to me’.
“The community is then forced to recognise what happened, but they can’t direct anger or stigma at the particular child and that’s why theatre is a powerful tool in these communities.”

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