Yvonne: When we think of the theatre, many of us simply think about being entertained.

But actress Pauline Moran, explains how a play can often deliver much more

as she tells us about her role in a South African play called “Bones”. That’s all

in today’s Entertainment from bbclearningenglish.com!

I’m Yvonne Archer – hello.

“Bones”, a play that was written and directed by Kay Adshead, is set in postapartheid

South Africa – a time when it became illegal to treat people unfairly

simply because of their colour. In the play, Pieter is a harmless and very ill old

white man, but when he worked as a senior policeman, many of the local black

people he questioned simply disappeared.

Pieter’s wife, Jennifer, loves him very much and believes that he’ll be cured by

magic if she reveals the gruesome secret of what happened to all those people.

But will she? Before we find out, let’s hear from Pauline Moran, who plays

Jennifer. She explains why the audience begins to feel sorry for her…

Pauline Moran

Yes, yes – well you do realise that Jennifer is also a victim – at the end you do, because her

misplaced love has kept her in a loveless marriage for thirty-seven years and she’s been loyal

and she’s kept it a secret. She should never have done such a thing, you know, having

witnessed such an atrocity.

Yvonne: During the play, the entire community watches as the bones of friends and

relatives are dug up from the couple’s beautiful rose garden. But Jennifer

seems to be more upset about her roses and the noise than she is about all those 

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lost lives. Surprisingly, the audience does begin to feel sorry for her because as

Pauline says, she’s ‘a victim’ – someone who’s suffered and has been hurt - in

this case, by Pieter’s cruel and shocking actions. But Jennifer’s also suffered

because despite 37 years of marriage, Pieter hasn’t returned her love. She’s

suffered what Pauline calls ‘a loveless marriage’. As we continue, try to catch

the noun Pauline uses to describe Pieter’s cruel, shocking actions…

Pauline Moran

She’s been loyal and she’s kept it a secret. She should never have done such a thing, you

know, having witnessed such an atrocity. But in the end, she confesses and I think, in a sense,

is redeemed because she’s laid bare all the true facts. But as to whether Pieter is forgiven,

that’s another matter entirely and it’s probably up to each audience member to take away and

form their own opinion.

Yvonne: Did you manage to catch the noun Pauline used to describe Pieter’s cruel and

shocking actions? Yes, she calls them ‘an atrocity’ – a noun that’s often heard

during reports about war - so do listen out for it again after today’s programme.

Jennifer’s love and loyalty to her husband made her feel that she couldn’t tell

anyone about the atrocities she’d ‘witnessed’ – what she’d seen. But as Pauline

put it, she is ‘redeemed’ - forgiven and has put right a serious wrong by telling

the entire truth about what happened… Jennifer has ‘laid bare all the true facts’.

Pauline Moran

In the end, she confesses and I think, in a sense, is redeemed because she’s laid bare all the

true facts.

Yvonne: Of course, the same cannot be said for Pieter so the audience are left to decide

whether he will ever deserve the same consideration. 

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Yvonne: A play like “Bones” can be important in ‘raising awareness’ about the

apartheid years - bringing what happened to the attention of more people and

helping them to understand more about that period of time. But who, in

particular, does Pauline think needs to be more aware of apartheid?

Pauline Moran

It’s definitely raising awareness because it’s surprising how little young people today do

know about the apartheid years. They haven’t any idea – it’s surprised us – even talking to

people after the play. They may have a very superficial knowledge of the things – that the

atrocities that went on. But I don’t think they teach it in schools as part of courses at all so

there’s a great deal of the pit of ignorance about it.

Yvonne: Pauline Moran has been very surprised at the tiny amount of knowledge – the

'superficial knowledge' - that young people have about the apartheid years. As

she put it, ‘there’s a great deal of the pit of ignorance’ about it - but fortunately,

the play is helping to change that.

Do you feel that plays are a good way to help raise awareness of important

issues? Perhaps you think they’re an entertaining way to teach history? Or,

maybe you think they give an audience too much drama and not enough facts.

Why not try to discuss that in English after today’s Entertainment from