MUSHO MINI FESTIVAL

PANSA KZN to host fifth festival of One and Two Hander Theatre.

The Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA) KZN will be hosting the fifth Musho International Theatre Festival of One and Two Person Theatre at the Catalina Theatre in Wilson’s Wharf from January 14 - 17

The festival will be hosted on a reduced scale this year as none of the funders and partners who traditionally support Musho are able to offer funding this time, so the festival will be run over a weekend with productions mostly gleaned from in and around Durban. This year’s festival has been dubbed Musho Mini festival as a result! All kudos to the organisers for going ahead with the project with no personal remuneration.

After extensive research, PANSA realized that a festival early in the year staging more intimate theatrical productions is considered a great start to the year by performers and audiences alike. Musho benefits the performers, as staging their shows and collecting reviews early in the year helps them for future seasons of the production through the year. The audiences love seeing an array of fabulous theatre early in the year when calendars are quiet and when the festive flurry is over.

Musho – Zulu for an enthusiastic praise response, something similar to “Bravo!” - embraces all true and accepted forms of theatre: from mime to physical theatre, drama to comedy-theatre. It pays tribute to the smaller works featuring one and two performers.

“The first four festivals held annually from January 2006 were astonishingly inspiring and successful with some fabulous productions, interesting dialogue and amazing support,” says Musho Festival Director, Emma Durden. “Despite diminished resources this year, we have still put together a wonderful festival with some great shows scheduled over one weekend,” she said.

On hearing the plight of the festival, Pentravel have generously come on board to support the headline show Rumpsteak. Pentravel is a specialist leisure travel agency offering airfares, accommodation, tours, cruising, car hire, insurance, visa and foreign exchange services.

Rumpsteak is the delightful physical theatre comedy from Cape Town. Performed by Gaetan Schmid and directed by comedy mega-star Rob Van Vuuren, this one-man show takes audiences on a magical trip behind the scenes in a French restaurant. Conveyed through delightful sound effects, Rumpsteak brings to life the sizzle of sensational cooking and spontaneous waiters. It fills the senses with laughter and intelligent insight.

Ewok (aka Iain Robinson) is two-times festival favourite winner who returns to Musho with a bang. His signature cutting edge commentary will be combined with exciting multi-media visuals.

The line-up includes the comedy Senzo Mthethwa about Afro-Indian identity featuring Senzo Mthethwa and directed by Kumseela Naidoo; puppet storytelling with Amagama Amathathu performed by Mpume Mthombeni and T-Bone Hlahane and directed by Gisele Turner with puppets by Wendy Nel, and It’s Me, Nomfundo which is a story about lost identity performed by performed by Silindile Ndlovu and directed by Bandile Mkhize.

Conscience was a hit at the Ekhaya Multi Arts Isigcawu Festival and tells the story of two brothers, a car crash, and the bitter fight for the money left by their parents – performed by Mandla Biyela and Andile Mdletshe and directed by Thomas Mpoeleng. My Name is Lucky is a charming piece of physical theatre about hope and dreams performed by Catalina regular Grant Jacobs and directed by Jean van Elden.

Tickets R50 (R25 pensioners and students). Three show deal: R100 buy two get one free on Saturday or Sunday, or R200 five ticket special for any shows (except Rumpsteak)

Bookings through Thandeka on 031 305 6889 or email tsibisi@mweb.co.za Catalina Theatre Tickets now available online at www.strictlytickets.co.za or at www.catalinatheatre.co.za or at www.goingplacesSA.co.za / www.goingplacesSA.com

For more information, contact PANSA administrator Domy Cortes on 031 208 9430 or 073 719 0444, email domy@pubmat.co.za or visit http://www.pubmat.co.za

The Catalina Theatre is still functioning thanks to the support from Rainbow Chicken, National Arts Council and Ethekwini Municipality.

For full programme see separate article – Musho! Programme