(Pic: Darren King and Clare Mortimer in “From My Point of View”)The 14th SAWAF to run at the Playhouse from July 30 to August 8, 2010.
High profile attractions in this year’s South African Women’s Arts Festival (SAWAF) line-up include the vibrant Afro-beat musical African Mamas directed by Leoni Jansen and designed by Andrew Botha and Stan Knight; Comedy Fever, a Stand-up Comedy Festival featuring some of South Africa’s finest comedians, DJ’s and television personalities; the highly-praised, adults-only two-handerFrom My Point of View starring Clare Mortimer and Darren King; the Bollywood-style spectacular Sunghursh presented in association with Nateshwar Dance Company; an Open Mic Poetry and Dialogue session; and a wide-ranging art exhibition.
African Mamas celebrates ten strong modern women, dressed in African haute couture, who show a young girl the road to adulthood. The hit stage piece has triumphantly toured Holland. Its starry line-up, backed by a live band, put their collective stamp on a sequence of emotionally charged songs that conjure an Africa whose women take responsibility for living, education, solidarity and social cohesion. The powerhouse cast includes Vicky Vilakazi, Silindile Ntini, Amo Chidi, Aveline Twala, Nompumelelo Nhlapho, Mulalo Mudau, Londiwe Mthembu, Lucia Gumede, Mercy Meruti and Nomasonto Khumalo. Tickets R75 and R95.
Laughter is a sure-fire means of getting people to come together and enjoy themselves in a spirit of goodwill. Adding a light-hearted spark to this year’s SAWAF programme, Comedy Fever features some our best-loved comedians, television personalities and DJ’s. The celebrity line-up includes Krijay Govender, Jailoshini Naidoo, Celeste Ntuli, Ben Voss, Felix Hlophe and DJ Cindo. With one performance only on July 30 at 20h00, early booking is advised for this hot-property show. The show’s running time is 90 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. Tickets R95 and R120.
Hailed as “a powerful piece of theatre that deserves local support” (The Mercury), From My Point of View, a powerful adults-only two-hander, stars multi-award-winning actors Clare Mortimer and Darren King in the Loft Theatre from July 30 to August 7. Reviewing this stage adaptation of Steven Berkoff’s contentious short story during its brief 2007 Durban run, which followed a hit season at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, Alex Sudheim in The Mail & Guardian wrote: “Incongruously weaving lyrical beauty with explosive language and hard-edged physicality, Mortimer and King engage in 50 minutes of relentless theatre, during which they lead audiences through a spellbinding tale that dangerously veers between anguish and hilarity, all lent a surreal edge by the big band that underscores the piece. Trapped in their mutual maelstrom, the characters prod and cajole, tango, wrestle and seduce, while carrying the furniture and sometimes one another.”
Set in London, the action revolves around a lonely, yearning woman whose attempts to find love, or even affection, are doomed to failure. Acclaimed Durban artist Andrew Verster assessed the piece as “emotionally exhilarating, un-missable theatre. An unlovable character made poignant by the genius of Mortimer, superbly strengthened by that of King.” Performances of From My Point of View are in the Playhouse Loft on July 30 at 19h30; on July 31 at 20h00; on August 5 and 6 at 19h30, and on August 7 at 14h30 and 19h30. Tickets R60.
Sunghursh, a spectacular dance drama featuring a cast of more than 40 dancers will be presented in association with Nateshwar Dance Company in the Drama theatre. Directed by Smeetha Maharaj, it celebrates the history of South Africa’s Indian community. It combines narration, dance, music, and backdrops featuring projections of historic slides, as it takes the audience on a journey from the distant shores of India to Durban Bay. Schools performances of Sunghursh are at 11h30 with evening performances at 19h30. Tickets R80 and R100.
The popular Women in Dialogue and Open Poetry Session again features in this year’s SAWAF programme, enabling enthusiasts who wish to make their own impromptu or rehearsed contributions to take part in these enlightening sessions. These will be held in the Playhouse Drama on July 31 at 13h00 and 15h00 respectively. An exhibition will run in the Playhouse’s Grand Foyer throughout the festival, displaying the work of South African women in various art mediums.
The 14th South African Women’s Arts Festival (SAWAF) is set to run at the Playhouse from July 30 to August 8. Booking is now open through Computicket on 083 915 8000 www.computicket.com, or through the Playhouse Box Office on 031-369 9540 (office hours).For more information about SAWAF, call the festival hotline on 031 369 9555, or visit www.playhousecompany.com
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