Hate Radio

7-9 Feb. Hate Radio is a re-enactment of the hate broadcasting by RTML (Radio Television Libre des Milles Collines) during the three months of the Rwanda genocide in 1994. The broadcasts of the presenters – three Hutu extremists and the white Italian-Belgian Georges Ruggio – became required listening for both the Hutu militia and Tutsis (Hutus to find out where to attack next and Tutsi to be able to avoid potential massacres). The hate and the violence instigated by the RTML show was largely responsible for the deaths of an estimated one million people.

This piece of political theatre is the second by Swiss director and scriptwriter Milo Rau. His first was the Last Days of Ceausescu, followed by Hate Radio and then in 2012 he produced a third Breivik’s Explanation, a straight reading of the defence statement of the Norwegian mass murdered Anders Breivik.

Rau’s technique is new in political theatre as it rejects analysis and explanation in favour of the re-enactment of a particular event. He spent two years researching Hate Radio and carried out about 50 interviews with contemporary witnesses in Rwanda.

Hate Radio is playing in Cape Town (7-9 Feb), Johannesburg (13-16 Feb) and then in Maputo (20-21 Feb).

It is a production of the International Institute of Political Murder founded by Rau in 2007 and is sponsored by the Swiss Arts Council Prohelvetia in Southern Africa. Hate Radio has been performed in Europe but this the first time in Africa.

Cape Town at Hiddingh Hall at UCT Campus and Maputo at the Centre Culturel Franco Mozambicain, www.ccfmoz.