The National Arts Festival Fringe is
traditionally a feast of the arts but this year South African performers
have gone overboard to ensure that ‘amazing’ is not just a word.
Grahamstown, aptly nick-named the city of ‘Saints, Sinners and Students’,
is host to a delightful menagerie of all things good, bad and [very]
naughty.
Theatre productions include some highly
acclaimed pieces such as Lara Foot Newton’s Karoo Moose, Susan Danford’s
I, Claudia, Hennie van Greunen’s Shirley Valentyn, and Craig van Zyl’s
Some Father’s Sons. Alongside these gems are some South African and world
premières – Wim Vorster’s Kruispad, Brink Scholtz’s
Breed starring Andrew Buckland, Oskar Brown’s adaptation of ETA Hoffmann’s
Der Sandman – Black Sand, and Mpho Osei-Tutu’s Convincing Carlos, directed
by Craig Morris.
International collaborations include
After School, a youth opera conceived by the Melodi Music School in
Pimville, Soweto, supported by Interactions SA-NL of the Netherlands, and
Rivonia Trial, co-produced by the Siyaya Cultural Organisation and the
Impul Switzerland Theatre Company. A once-off production of Shakespeare’s
Hamlet, where the audience assigns the roles, is a spin-off from sold-out
performances in England. The Factory UK, under the direction of
internationally acclaimed director, Tim Carroll, collaborates with SA’s
Blue Sky Productions to present an ‘open performance session’ of Hamlet –
once off – 26 June only.
The Music Theatre component says ‘hi’ to
The Dahlings in Cinema Wow and ‘welcome back’ to Danielle Pascal in Pascal
Sings Eartha Kitt. Bongani Linda’s triumphant Shaka Zulu – Ilembe takes to
the stage once more, as does Twist and Trumpet featuring young whiz
trumpeters, Nolubablo and Siyamthando Plyoso (previously on the 2006 Main
Studio Festival programme). Malawian company, Nanzikambe, bring Makwatcha
HipOpera to town, Jeremy Quickfall’s My Grand (ma se) Piano makes its
Festival debut, and perennial favourites Belles & Beaux are back to
enchant once more.
The Comedy scene is awash with familiar
names – David Newton, Mark Sampson, Stuart Taylor, Siv Ngesi, Dr. Stef,
Louw Venter, Bruce Little, Matthew Ribnick, Shamiel Adams, Rob van Vuuren
and Ben Voss are all making ‘die groot trek’ to Grahamstown.
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In addition, Craig Wainwright airs Kung
Fu Crazy for a second hilarious, high-kicking, mop-twirling bout, James
Cuningham directs Taryn Bennet, Helen Iskander and Dorian Burstein in the
tragic-comedy première, Kaput!, and Bruce Little’s Little Poof! promises
to be a laugh-a-minute ‘homofabulous show’!
The third in Justin Wilkinson’s whodunit
series, Butlers and Bridesmaids, will keep the audience on its toes, and
The Strange Case of the Missing Phantom is Annie Robinson and Paul
Spence’s latest in a series of murder-mystery dinner theatre experiences.
Meanwhile, Bevan Cullinan brings his ‘incisor-sharp’ wit to Grahamstown in
the form of MNet’s TV phenomenon, Gary, The Tooth Fairy.
Theatre for Africa’s Raiders series comes
of age in Grahamstown in 2010 – many happy returns to Nick, Luke, Liz and
the rest of the Raiders crew. The 21st edition is Raiders of the Lost
Aardvark and for those of you who haven’t been able to catch a 10am
performance over the past 20 years, there is a once-off 7pm performance on
Friday 2 July. Don’t miss this phenomenal Festival favourite.
On the Physical Theatre programme there’s
Pieter Bosch Botha’s acclaimed Hats, Richard Antrobus’
(back-by-popular-demand) Stilted, UK artists Dave Toole and Lucy Hind’s
(“one with no legs, one with no clue”) Extra-Ordinary, and Sello Pesa’s
reworked Same But Not Different. Janine Lewis and Princess Mhlongo team up
to present the mesmerising Without Blood, Mongi Mthombeni stars in The
Butcher Brothers and Neil Coppen returns with the internationally
acclaimed Tin Bucket Drum. Botswana’s Kamhlaba Productions elaborate on
the power of love in Malena and PJ Sabbagha collaborates with the Matchbox
Theatre’s Nicola Haskins and Bailey Snyman in “a physically and
emotionally charged duet that will leave you gasping for air”, High
Rising.
The Festival now boasts three popular
music venues: the Cuervo Music Room which will play host to Autopilot,
D-Seven, Outside the New, Reburn, ETC Crew, Acoustic Liquid, Shoe Lace,
and Karen Zoid, amongst others. The groovy new licensed venue, the OBs
Basement @ PJ’s, where you can catch Guy Buttery, Brent Kozak, Nibs van
der Spuy, Steve Newman, Louwtjie Rothman, Meri K, Gary Thomas, and Luna
Paige, plus more. And The Urban Lounge, where you can chill until late
with Tumi, Blk Sonshine, Louis Mhlanga, Twigga Mension, Nungarin, Zabalaza,
Four Forty and more.
Not to be outdone, there’s classical,
choral and orchestral performances too: Valerie Kerr’s Pianistic
Imagining; Barbara-Ann Horsfield’s Reflections; the Boulevard Harmonists’
Goosebumps, Madrigals & More; the Hoërskool Randburg’s South African
Echoes, plus the Bella Voce’ Choral recitals, the Tshwane/SYSO Orchestra
concerts, the CAFCA Music Ensemble performances; the WITS Choir’s Charting
Africa series, and the Keiskamma Music Academy recorder concerts. There’s
also jazz from Dudu Manhenga & Color Blu (Towards Alignment), Gospel from
Solly & the Messengers and Spiritfest’s Celebrate Africa concert with
Concorde Nkabinde, and reggae from Nathi B, Sugah and Psalm 87 in One Luv,
One Heart.
Dance comes in all shapes and forms –
Pantsula for Life from Emonti Arts Company; Just Tap from the Tap Talk
Rhythm Company; new South African choreography in contemporary dance and
ballet from the Cape Dance Company, the Out of Africa Dance Academy, and
the Northern Dance Project; Pharonic, Indian and Oriental dance in the
Ishtar Dance Theatre’s Shaman; and Japanese and Butoh dance intertwined
with South African traditions in Sibikwa Art Centre’s The Eye of the
Storm, Then there& rsquo;s African ritual and ceremonial dances from
varying cultures – the Pumelela, Kwantu Emthonyameni, Nampre, Nyandeni
Yakumdepha and Nomvusi dance groups celebrate their traditions with a
veritable peacock’s display of cultural costumes, indigenous instruments,
hypnotic beat and incredible, rhythmical abilities.
There’s also film, visual art,
performance poetry, Spiritfest, family theatre, bus tours, open mike, art
walkabouts, workshops, street theatre, free stages, live footy matches
(after all it is the FIFA World Cup), crafts, buskers, street parades, a
deluge of food from all quarters, and more…
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