Nothing But The Truth - The Lowry - 15/05/07 by Kashif Naveed

I sometimes feel like a prospector in the good old days of the gold rush, sifting through all manner of things hoping to come across that one nugget of gold. For that is exactly what has transpired of late after catching the much vaunted and celebrated play, Nothing But The Truth, which is currently on tour at the Lowry.

Having witnessed several productions in the course of my rocky relationship with Entertainment Manchester, I can testify to the breadth of quality that the ordinary theatregoer has been subjected to (and some of it's not been very pretty believe you me dear reader). However, just occasionally something comes along that glistens in the Manchester rain like that very nugget of gold - and that is exactly what 'Nothing But The Truth' turned out to be.

John Kani's play has some billing. It has won a clutch of awards in its homeland in South Africa and there is not a bad word that is said against it, which includes a plethora of plaudits.

At heart ‘Nothing But The Truth" is an emotional tale of the struggle and conflict in one family set against the same backdrop of struggle and conflict that tore South Africa apart during the Apartheid regime. These two conflicts are subtly intertwined as the characters confront secrets as well as the recriminations of what happened in the past, and how they ultimately set themselves on the road of forgiveness, albeit on different paths to salvation. How they arrive at their respective destinations is ultimately the real story oh Kani's complex layered take on South African politics and domestic melodrama.

The play boasts only three characters. Kani plays the irascible Sipho Makhaya, whose life has been turned upside down with the death of his estranged brother. It is a majestic centralising performance that has the audience in laughter and in tears, as he brings to life the curmudgeonly traits of an old man that is finally made to confront his own demons.

It is not just only the bold aspects to his character that he does so remarkably well, but also the little nuances, the finer details, which illuminates his presence on stage. This can be equally said of his co-stars, Motshabi Tyelele, who plays his daughter Thando, and Rosie Motene, who plays his niece Mandisa Mackay. Both are admirable in their parts as they lift the lid on South Africa's political machinations and their own family turmoil.

It is not the only risk that was taken by Kani, making it a performance in one continuous sitting, something of a novelty in theatre where the norm is for intervals to split up the production in manageable helpings. The duration of the play is not long either lasting 90 or so minutes.

Such aspects should not be ignored to the reason why this play has been such a great success. It would have been so easy for Kani to turn the subject matter he takes into one of epic proportions, that he did not should be applauded and as a consequence the pace and balance of the production is greatly enhanced.

Balance is something of key to Kani's play and one that he manages to accommodate quite well in parts. He resists to delve to heavily into the political aspects of South Africa's in the post apartheid era, but neither does he conveniently gloss over the issues. Likewise, he does not feel pressured into jumping into the burdensome issues as soon as the play begins. Indeed, despite being a relatively short play, Kani builds up the tension and drama very gradually, which finally releases into a climatic crescendo of a conclusion.