Truth in Translation

Truth in Translation is an extraordinary piece of theatre. Knowing that it was about the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in South Africa, in particular the experiences of the translators who travelled the country with them, I had assumed it would be a sequence of voices reflecting their reminiscences.

Instead I found a piece of high-octane ensemble theatre conveying the chaos of dealing with a constant stream of voices, some with horrendous stories to tell. The interpreters, having to respond instantly to the words but having themselves to show no emotions or attitudes, had an almost impossible job.

That's reflected in the play as off duty they take their pent-up feelings out on each other: bickering, quarrelling, forming unlikely alliances, allowing their prejudices to emerge, joshing each other - sometimes dangerously - and being a microcosm of their troubled country having to learn to work together.

The most unexpected aspect was the music. Knowing it was composed by Hugh Masekela I had expected it to play an important part but the number of times the text broke into song, spine-tinglingly sung by the company, really surprised me.

This is an ensemble piece in the true sense of the word. Voices rise and fall from the crowd, individuals emerge and melt back. It's two hours long but the ebb and flow of words and music, the unexpected lives, the horrors relieved by bitter humour and the sheer quality of the acting makes the time fly by. An emotional roller-coaster ride through a country's recent history.