WHAT’S in it for me? At the intersection of family, the company, the party and the union are four self-involved players, obsessed with personal ambitions, each lusting for the best possible outcome. It must serve them, no matter the cost — which is high, paid in full. Does anyone actually win?
Louis Viljoen’s latest play, The Killing Of A Union Leader, is not a fun, cosy night at the theatre. Do we “like” this political thriller? Like is a strong word. It leaves the audience somewhat dazed and unsure what they are supposed to feel. The point is, they are feeling something. They will replay it in their heads perhaps for days, some even coming for a second viewing.
Viljoen regulars will have some idea what to expect, in terms of his writing and direction. For first timers it’s going to be a bit of a shock. The man pulls no punches: “The dark heart of this tale is revealed through a serious of scenes that ratchet up the tension until the play reaches a bloody breaking point,” he says. “It is not a production for the faint-hearted or the marginally sensitive, but it promises to thrill and keep audiences on the edge of their seats.”
John Maytham and Emma Kotze are both Viljoen frequent flyers. He is Burke, a captain of industry beset on all sides by those who would take his power, including his own daughter Margot (Kotze). They played opposite each other in Viljoen’s The sin Drinkers, but their performances here surpass even that. Maytham is phenomenal and commanding, until he’s not…and yet…
Sizwesandile Mnisi makes his Viljoen debut as Gibson, a promising union representative who is steadfast in his ideals, until his world gets upturned by the machinations of merciless people and he is swept along with heartbreaking results. Number four is Dobbs, played by Carl Beukes, an amoral political operator, with manipulative designs on Margot and gaining access to the inner sanctum — hers and her father’s. There’s no one to root for here, so the answer is to become involved with the plot and ride it out. Maybe have a nice stiff drink afterwards.
The plot: “Night falls on a decaying city after a union strike turns deadly. A captain of industry finds himself beset on all sides by enemies and those who wish to see his kingdom shattered into a thousand pieces. The nobleman’s only remaining ally is his daughter, a woman possessed of unrealised ambition. In their desperation they turn to an unscrupulous political operator to set in motion a plan to break the strike and seize back the power they have lost. The only obstacle in their way is a seemingly impenetrable union lead by a champion of the people and a formidable opponent. As a new dawn arrives for the city, battle lines are drawn, and the streets are ready for blood.”
Following their collaborations on The Grass Widow, The Visigoths, The Sin Drinkers, Mrs Mitchell Comes To Town and most recently The Vulgarians, Kieran McGregor is on board as the set and lighting designer of the play, as sparse and trimmed of any fat as the dialogue. “McGregor understands how to create the opaque spaces in which Viljoen’s characters reveal their darkest desires and inhabit a world cloaked in intrigue, as he adds his own exceptional design aesthetic. The Killing Of A Union Leader is McGregor’s seventh project working alongside Viljoen, having also done the design for the Viljoen-penned The Eulogists.”
The Killing Of A Union Leader is at Artscape’s Arena Theatre until 30 May 2026. The play carries an age restriction of 18 for strong language, descriptions of violence, and scenes of a sexual nature. Tickets, R170 to R200, are available through Webtickets.
PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Rutland Manners
