The Dam is a radio drama reworked for the stage by the playwright from his play with the same title.
Six people are stranded in Gerry’s general store near the river in a semi-desert region of South Africa. It is raining like never before; the water has flooded the valley and the bridge over the river has been washed away. Three farmers are confronted by three city construction workers about the future dam that will be constructed in the area. A solution has to be found, and not without conflict.
Keywords: environment, rain, stuck, desert, dam, construction workers, general store, South Africa
Produced by Radio Suid-Africa, in Afrikaans, 1987
Genre: Drama
Acts: 2
Run time: 60 minutes
Suitable for students 16+
Content note: Contains mild swearing, which is rebuked in the play. There is a fight between two characters.
Cast size: 6 actors
Male roles: 4
Female roles: 2
Casting breakdown:
1. Ms. Gertrude, single, independent farmer, Afrikaans (64)
2. Jan Spit, aggressive, farmer, Afrikaans (45)
3. Niekie, a local farm boy, (16) Afrikaans
4. Gerry, owner of the general store,(50) Afrikaans
5. Sharp, a mysterious man from the city, English (30’s)
6. Sara, a construction worker, feisty woman, (48)
7. Piet, a construction worker, deep voice man( 40) Afrikaans
Afrikaans characters could have a slight South African accent. Niekie is a 16 year old.