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Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867614021785485312 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Eeden-Harris, Marguerite |
| author2 | Du Preez, Petrus |
| author_browse | Du Preez, Petrus Van Eeden-Harris, Marguerite |
| author_facet | Du Preez, Petrus Van Eeden-Harris, Marguerite |
| author_sort | Van Eeden-Harris, Marguerite |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135671 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:24.995Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135671 Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance Van Eeden-Harris, Marguerite Du Preez, Petrus Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama. Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Van Eeden-Harris, M. 2026. Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/b74093ec-aa4d-4400-bf3e-f6f0c7c1800f This dissertation investigates how contemporary South African performance practices function as vehicles of social commentary in the post-apartheid era by means of four case studies drawn from distinct yet interconnected domains: theatre (Mike van Graan), stand-up comedy (Schalk Bezuidenhout), rap (Angie Oeh, Early B, and Van Pletzen), and visual art (Berni Searle, Brett Murray, and Steven Cohen). The study explored how artists interrogate questions of identity, inequality, memory and power. Drawing on performance theory and cultural analysis, the research demonstrates that these practitioners do more than entertain. They address social contradictions, contest certain narratives, and work towards reimagining democratic belonging. Methodologically, the dissertation combines close analysis of texts and performances with socio-historical contextualisation. The central argument is that South African performance functions as a repertoire of civic intervention that exposes the limits of post-apartheid South Africa. This dissertation contributes to performance studies and South African cultural scholarship, underscoring the role of art as an essential mode of social commentary in public discourse. Performances do not only take place on the stage or in the gallery. The internet and social media platforms have become key ways of sharing, where clips, recordings, and images reach wider audiences. Works are created for these modern media platforms, but online circulation gives works that were not created for media a second life that spreads their impact, sparking debate, and allowing them to connect with people far beyond the original audience. Doctoral 2026-04-07T10:23:43Z 2026-04-07T10:23:43Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135671 en Stellenbosch University 246 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Van Eeden-Harris, Marguerite Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance |
| title | Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance |
| title_full | Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance |
| title_fullStr | Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance |
| title_short | Investigating contemporary social commentary in South African performance: Theatre, stand-up comedy, rap and visual performance |
| title_sort | investigating contemporary social commentary in south african performance theatre stand up comedy rap and visual performance |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135671 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vaneedenharrismarguerite investigatingcontemporarysocialcommentaryinsouthafricanperformancetheatrestandupcomedyrapandvisualperformance |