By Alan Hustak on February 2, 2013
The North American premiere of Waiting for the Barbarians at Segal Centre until Feb. 17 is a highly stylized, strikingly contrived South African production of a play based on J.M Coetzee’s allegorical novel of the same name. It explores the monstrous aspects of the human psyche, and centres on the abuse of imperial power. The play suggests that nothing really changes when one regime is replaced with another - a persecuted minority, once empowered, finds minorities of its own to tyrannize. Even in democratic and free countries can governments manipulate public opinion to marginalize opponents. Unless you are familiar with Coetzee’s book, the stage adaptation by Alexandre Marine, may be occasionally dense and not easily accessible.
