Cissie: the playscript

Nadia Davids’s moving play Cissie evokes the life of an extraordinary woman – Cape Town activist, Cissie Gool. From the early days of her girlhood to her death in 1963, the play allows us to glimpse into her world: the dynamic social and political home of her childhood, the heady years of her public speaking and marriage, and her diffi culty in trying to live a free life under the traumatic shadow of colonialism and apartheid. Through monologue, shadow theatre and poetry, the lost world of Cissie’s home, District Six, is recreated. This edition includes: an introduction by the playwright, vocabulary help on the page, exam-style questions for learners, and information on the play’s historical background.