Langston Hughes eloquently surfaced the poignant question, "What happens to a dream deferred..." in thinking about the aspirations of a people denied their freedom, humanity and ambitions of a better life.

Tswalo, conceived and birthed by the Theatre Duo (Mahlatsi Mokgonyana and Billy Langa), is in its fifth year of life – a feat seldom achieved by contemporary South African plays. Plays usually do not last longer than their initial runs due to funding, resources, motivation and variety of other reasons.

The actor takes on a sage-like essence, by being so attuned to the moment that the breakage is soothed and manoeuvred into an unforeseen bend on a road that was otherwise without obstacle. This actor guides the enrapt audience further into the unfolding world, which presents itself to them for the first time.

Once he had finished his training, Sbu made it his mission to make and consume as much theatre as humanly possible, but the problem of access to a space posed a great challenge to the former, and in a roundabout way to the latter.

Wake up, go to work, get a salary, knock off. Go to the theatre – or whatever alternative space is available, use the day-job salary to attempt to make theatre, lose the day-job salary (in a myriad way that could be the topic of a follow up article), go home – exhausted, sleep (maybe), wash up and then back to work to earn more money that will soon be lost.