Visual metaphor as tool to stage the ‘Unsayable’ in the verbatim, youth theatre production Wag, ek kry gou my foon [en soos sulke goed]

Abstract

This article explores the process of constructing visual metaphor for a youth verbatim theatre production within the South African, Afrikaans school context. The process of verbatim theatre creation within this context is explored, with examples from both the process and the production Wag, ek kry gou my foon [en soos sulke goed] (2017). The article further examines the aesthetic and thematic applications of visual metaphor and argues that visual metaphor can be used to circumvent problems or restrictions that arise in the data collection phase of the verbatim theatre process. These range from the context wherein the production is created, the length of the production, and especially ethical boundaries, including the responsibility of the verbatim theatre maker to represent both the subjects and material at the intersection between verisimilitude and contextual restrictions The article examines scenes from the production to conclude that visual metaphor can enrich the verbal aspect of the verbatim research to expand, replace or comment on the content generated and explored during the data collection phase.