Overview
Let us not dwell on the past ...I'm an old man, Charles. Old enough to
know the past is only good for one thing - destroying the future. Guy
and Kathleen grow their crops, raise their daughter, and pay their
taxes. But Africa is changing, country by country. White farmers in
Zimbabwe must now answer for history's crimes. When Charles arrives with
a smile and a purchase order, there's more than just land at stake.
With violence threatening to erupt, he will do whatever it takes to
restore their farm to the 'native' population. As truths are revealed
and moralities questioned, are things ever more than simply black and
white? Inspired by real events in Zimbabwe, May Sumbwanyambe's debut
play is an unflinching examination of land ownership, dispossession and
justice in a post-colonial world. After Independence received its world
premiere at the Arcola Theatre, London, on 4 May 2016, in a production
by Papatango Theatre Company.