Arnold Vosloo Resource Page:
Cast
About the Play
It all started with five paragraphs in a South African afternoon paper--and became a successful play,
highly acclaimed worldwide. "I just one day saw a news snippet about a bizarre attack on a roadhouse
near Johannesburg--and Saturday Night at the Palace was born," says Paul Slabolepszy, author and star
of the play, and now the movie.
It was first produced by Johannesburg's Market Theatre in 1981 with Slabolepszy as Vince, Bill Flynn as
Forsie, and Fats Dibeko as the waiter, September. After a successful run country wide--more than 300,000
South Africans have seen the play--it was invited to an art festival in Ireland and, after more rave
reviews, followed a run of six weeks at the Old Vic Theatre in London. Then followed a festival in Sweden,
as well as Germany. The play is still running in both those countries under the title Aikona Boss.
Back in South Africa, Saturday Night at th Palace won four awards and the prestigious Amstel Award for
best playwright.
Synopsis of the Film
The film deals with an evening in the lives of three South Africans, two white and one black. The
black man, September (John Kani), works at a roadhouse at which all three characters are destined
to meet later that night.
It is September's last night on duty at the roadhouse before he leaves to visit his family who he
has not seen for two years. His wife and children live far away in a black homeland and are not
permitted by law to live with him in the city.
We first meet one of the white characters, Vince (Paul Slabolepszy), at a soccer stadium where he has
just been dropped from the team. Through his friend Forsie (Bill Flynn) we learn that Vince has been
kicked out of the house they share together. Forsi has been saddled with the responsibility of breaking
this news to Vince by Dougie (Arnold Vosloo) who is in charge of the house.
Vince and Forsie meet downtown on the way to the party. Too scared to tell Vince he no longer has a room at the
house, Forsie tries unsuccessfully to get Vince to call Dougie from the party. Vince catches Forsie
trying to leave the party without him. Forsie is desperate as he now has no alternative but to return
home with Vince.
As a last attempt Forsie stops at the roadhouse hoping to find a callbox. It is at the roadhouse
that the main action of the film takes place.
Vince and Forsie arrive as September is closing the roadhouse for the night. Finding the callbox
out of order Forsie must finally confront Vince with the news himself.
Tensions build and September finds himself the scapegoat for Vince's frustrations and racial prejudice.
Vince also lets loose inside the roadhouse kitchen destroying everything he can lay his hands on.
September is responsible for the roadhouse, but his position is made more untenable because of
working and living in a white area without a pass.
Vince's revelation that he had 'had' Forsie's dream girl, Sally (Joanna Weinberg), earlier that night
at the party precipitates unforseen consequences for all three.
At the end of the film Forsie is faced with a choice which is in small the dilemma of the white South
African today.
Check out this link to the 1988 Seattle Film Festival. This film was featured!
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