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Pacific Theatre is proud to present Valley Song by Athol Fugard (originally produced by The Gateway Theatre). When a nation undergoes sweeping reform, it’s not just policy that has to change: it’s people’s lives that get caught in the struggle.

In this inter-generational tale, set in the aftermath of apartheid in South Africa, the tension between old and new makes its way into the relationship between a young woman and her grandfather.

[Sereana Malani, David Adams]

Abraam “Buks” Jonker has been a pumpkin farmer his whole life, working land that never belonged to him. For him, land, tradition and family are everything; the only family he has left is his granddaughter, Veronica.

Having devoted her life to caring for her grandfather, she yearns to take advantage of her new freedom and become a singer in Johannesburg.

Added into the mix is a character of The Playwright, a white man who wants to buy the land where Abraam lives and works, potentially leaving him homeless. 

For actor David Adams, this story is close to his heart: “I was born Klerllnge or Coloured (mixed race) during apartheid in South Africa,” he says. “I’ve always been fascinated by how my people have adapted to the new government structure without institutionalized racism at its core. Now that everyone has the ‘freedom’ to be, how have the old ways and deeply rooted caste system changed – or have they?”

“I am thrilled to be revisiting Valley Song by the great Athol Fugard,” says director and Gateway Theatre Artistic Director, Jovanni Sy. “Pacific Theatre is the perfect second home for this jewel of a play. Though written very specifically at the end of apartheid, Fugard tells a timeless tale of innocence, experience, and the redemptive power of love.”

Directed by Jovanni Sy, Valley Song features David Adams and Sereana Malani.

Valley Song

Dates: March 24 to April 8; Wed. to Sat., 8 pm; Saturdays plus Sunday, April 2, 2 pm matinees
Venue: Pacific Theatre, 1440 West 12th Ave (at Hemlock), Vancouver
Tickets: $23.95 to $34.95 (not incl. taxes or fee); available online and via phoning 604.731.5518

Photos by David Cooper.