The Fall Reviews
Washington Post- Highly Recommended
"...By the end of their absorbing 90-minute, fact-based account at Studio Theatre of the demonstrations and student occupation that rocked the campus of the University of Cape Town in 2015, you’ll feel as if you’re an enlistee in their quest for an equality of opportunity. Their collective outrage is conveyed in the final words of one of them, Tankiso Mamabolo, who tells us the fight for fair treatment has left her sad and exhausted, and with the scars of a battle no 22-year-old should have to wage."
DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended
"...What gives the performance power is its immediacy. Created and staged by a group of actor/activists (Ameera Conrad, Oarabile Ditsele, Zandile Madliwa, Tankiso Mamabolo, Sizwesandile Mnisi, Shile Mnqwazana, and Cleo Raatus), the play’s feel is not that of a documentary told from a distance but of distilled, lived experience. The cast members are all professional actors and writers with impressive early career resumes, but there is nothing stagey about the work. Stories are told in the minds and hearts and bodies and voices of participants attempting to “decolonize” South African education and society."
MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended
"...The ensemble of actors is made up of Ameera Conrad, Oarabile Ditsele, Zandile Madliwa, Tankiso Mamabolo, Sizwesandile Mnisi, Sihle Mnqwazana, and Cleo Raatus. They start the show off with incredible physical and emotional energy that truly heats up the room. They are electrifying storytellers and also have a knack for movement. Watching the way they worked together with such passion was inspiring."
DCTheatreScene- Highly Recommended
"...The internal debates and dynamics inherent in the early stages of the development of a group of activists is fascinating, but The Fall never feels like a lecture or reading from a text book. The cast makes the most of the spare space and three plain desks, punctuating their discussions with choreography, beautiful vocals, and live footage from the protests. I began the show scribbling notes in a small notebook, and realized after I had the left the theater that I had quickly given up on my transcription, having become enthralled by a group of truly engaging storytellers."
BroadwayWorld- Highly Recommended
"...Every now and then, a show comes along that is an undeniable "must-watch." The reasons for such a status may vary but the final verdict is unmistakable: the performance cannot be missed. With The Fall, Studio Theatre has such a scenario on their hands. This 80-minute performance, brought to D.C. by The Baxter Theatre Centre at the University of Cape Town, flies by so quickly that I didn't want it to end."