I-PUPPETI

( Mpume Mthombeni and Shika Budhoo)

To create a successful two-hander children’s show, you need two performers with good versatility, loads of energy and the capacity to think on their feet should young audience members interact to the extent that they create a diversion to the carefully-rehearsed script!

Co-directors Clinton Marius and Dhaveshan Govender have achieved this with I-Puppeti which comes to the end of its season at Catalina Theatre tomorrow (April 1). April Fool’s Day it may be, but the four members of the creative team – co-directors and actresses Shika Budhoo and Mpume Mthombeni – are anything but foolish. In fact, they are among the most pro-active theatre practitioners in KwaZulu-Natal.

Added to this solid team is the creative energy of Ingrid Diener who designed and made the delightful puppets. These include various types from a sock puppet to a giant figure which almost reaches the roof of the Catalina. There are other images such as a light box which provides the effect of a joyous party as seen through a window and charming dancing flowers (requiring help from young members of the audience). Her pièce de résistance is an angry hippo with toothache, beautifully voiced by Mthombeni! If this is Diener’s first attempt at puppet-making, I am looking forward to her next creations!

I-Puppeti debuted at this year's Musho! Festival and is aimed at primary and pre-primary children. It is written by Clinton Marius, whose children’s production, The Fantastical Flea Circus, scooped all four awards in the category of Children’s Theatre at last year’s Mercury Durban Theatre Awards.

The story deals with two friends who are struggling to make a living. They come up with an idea to create puppet images from their meagre resources and the story deals with a little worm. His name is Squiggle Wriggle and his parents are Annalida and Fishhoeken. Squiggle sets out on an adventure to find some higher authority who can help him get big so that he won’t be bullied any more. This process offers good educational value against the all-too prevalent tendency for tougher, stronger and more street-wise youngsters to bully their less-assertive counterparts.

The educational lessons, which also include self-acceptance, friendship, respect for parents, healthy eating and exercise are well-designed in this fun and energy-filled show. This morning’s young audience responded with vigour from the very start and were delighted when Squiggle discovered that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Catalina Theatre seems to have made a peculiar choice in opting to sell popcorn which the audience is allowed to take into the show. Apart from the mess left in the theatre, there’s the constant grunching sound from small teeth. Sell popcorn by all means, but don’t allow it into the theatre. Developing audiences need to be taught to separate live theatre from the movies!

I-Puppeti has its last performance at the Catalina Theatre on Wilson's Wharf tomorrow (April 1) at 11h00 with an optional boat ride around the harbour. Tickets are R45 (R60 with the boat ride). Block bookings for 10 or more are R40 (R55 with the boat ride). For bookings call the Catalina box office on 031 305 6889 or book online at www.strictlytickets.com – Caroline Smart

FREEDOM FOR US ALL

Durban-based artist and member of the South African Artists Against Apartheid collective, Iain EWOK Robinson, has released a music track, Freedom for us All, as part of (and for) the international "BDS Day of Action".

This is the second music video in support of Palestine that has come out of South Africa in less than two weeks. On March 12, the Mavrix released their single, The New Black which received over 12,000 hits within 10 days.

The creative team behind Freedom for us All are Iain EWOK Robinson (lyrics/instrumental) with a cast and crew made up of Natasha Hosken; Kivithra Naiker; Tumelo Khoza; Julia Wilson; Dashen Naiker; Thando Mlambo; Clare Craighead, and Ndabenhle Christopher Tobo. The production was mixed and mastered by Colin Peddie for Sonic Studios, Durban with video capture and edit by Donovan Fletcher.

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

The Catholic Players Guild in association with the Knights of Da Gama present The Way of the Cross on April 1. This is an annual theatrical presentation and is a moving portrayal of Christ’s Journey with the Cross.

The Way of the Cross takes place on April 1 at 15h00 at Greyville Racecourse. Entry is free and all are welcome.

Patrons are invited to take a picnic basket to enjoy on the grassy area in front of the stands before the presentation. The production will proceed irrespective of weather conditions. Refreshments available after the show. More information on 083 286 2155

DIAMONDS AND CHARMS

Running at the Pumpkin Theatre in Ballito is Diamonds and Charms, a tribute to Neil Diamond starring Pierre de Charmoy and the Pumpkin Theatre showband.

Diamonds and Charms runs at the Pumpkin Theatre @ La Montagne in Ballito until April 22 with two extra shows on March 28 and April 4. Performances take place on Friday evenings when the doors open at 18h30 with the show starting at 20h00 and on Sunday afternoons (doors open at 12h30, show at 14h00). Bookings on 032 946 2121. Menu options on request – visit www.pumpkintheatreclub.co.za

RED

(Michael Richard as Rothko with Jeremy Richard as his assistant, Ken. Photo: Val Adamson)

Challenging and exciting theatre experience held me enthralled. (Review by Caroline Smart)

Browsing round the National Theatre bookshop in London, KickstArt director Steven Stead came across John Logan’s new play, Red. Famous for his screenplays for Gladiator, The Aviator, Rango and the recent Scorsese blockbuster, Hugo, Logan has focused on the Russian-born American artist, Mark Rothko.

Stead was so inspired by the play that he set plans in motion to present the South African premiere of this 2010 Tony Award winning play. It is currently premiering in the Playhouse Loft before appearing at this year’s Grahamstown Festival, after which it will run at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in July and August.

Red is set in Rothko’s New York studio in the late 1950’s and takes place over two years. Greg King has produced a superb set that perfectly represents the muddle and mess of an artist’s studio while providing the space required for the massive canvases. From his moody Cabaret to the Afro-chic of Don’t Dress for Dinner or the joyous flamboyance of the KickstArt pantomimes, King always gets it right.

Rothko (Michael Richard) has just been commissioned (at an impressive fee) to paint a group of murals for the expensive and exclusive Four Seasons restaurant. As he gets to know – and frequently bully and berate – his newly-acquired assistant, Ken (Jeremy Richard), we gain an insight into Rothko’s passionate and over-protective approach to his work.

The programme offers tantalising quotes from the play, giving an insight of the brilliant writing that is to come. The ensuing challenging and exciting theatre experience held me enthralled.

Michael Richard is a formidable acting force and in all the years I have watched his work, I have never seen him give a performance that is less than 100% full of commitment, intelligent interpretation and unwavering focus. Added to this, he has innate vocal power and this comes to the fore in Red.

Having seen Jeremy Richard in the award-winning The History Boys, I never dreamed that this slight frame housed a power and energy that matches his father’s. As the tables turn and the “pupil” starts questioning the “master”, there are some powerful scenes that run the gamut of emotions. Skilfully directed by Stead, they drive this production through its various moods of humour, analytical comment or bursts of fury with credibility and passion.

Presented by KickstArt in association with the National Arts Festival and Daphne Kuhn of the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Johannesburg, Red runs in the Playhouse Loft Theatre until April 1 and I strongly urge lovers of good theatre to make it a must-see. The running time is 90 minutes with no interval. Tickets for this season cost R120 (R100 pensioners and students) booked through Computicket. – Caroline Smart

ROCKING ALL OVER THE WORLD

(Bronwyn Evans plays a comical air hostess)

The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway has audiences rocking from New York to Johannesburg, Sydney to London and Paris to Vancouver with Rocking All Over The World. The show, which runs until April 29, features hits from a dozen different destinations, whisking audiences around the world for one big global party!

Guided by a comical air hostess, played by Bronwyn Evans, audiences need to hold onto their seats as the whirlwind tour begins in Canada. Here tribute is paid to their musical icons such as Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette and Bryan Adams, with hits such as Power Of Love, Hand In My Pocket, You Oughta Know and Heaven.

The flight then heads across the Atlantic to Europe where stops are made in Ireland, France, Spain, Sweden and England. This leg of the journey showcases the music of U2, Edith Piaf, The Gipsy Kings, ABBA, George Michael, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox and Queen, amongst others. The party really gets going before interval with hits such as Pride, Volare, Faith, Careless Whisper, I Want to Break Free and We Will Rock You.

The second half kicks off Down Under with Australian favourites like the Midnight Oil classic Beds Are Burning, and Men At Work’s Who Can It Be Now. Audiences then wing their way across the Pacific to South America, with the sultry sounds of Carlos Santana and Shakira. The next destination is a surprise visit to Italy with a silky smooth rendition of Il Mondo.

Then it’s off to the USA, where travellers get a taste of the greatest pop icons of all time such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, Kenny Rogers and Tina Turner. A fleeting transit is made to Greece where the audience participates with Zorba The Greek, before touching down on home soil. The South African tribute is a highlight, paying tribute to Johnny Clegg’s Impi, Mango Groove’s Special Star and Kurt Darren’s Kaptein (Span Die Seile).

Rocking All Over The World runs at The Barnyard at Gateway until April 29. Tickets R135 pp Wednesdays to Saturdays (R100 pp every Tuesday night and Sunday matinee). Bookings and enquiries through The Barnyard Theatre on 031 566 3045, e-mail gateway@barnyardtheatres.co.za or visit www.barnyardtheatres.co.za for more information.

ROSL WIN FOR NJABULO MADLALA

In February, South African baritone Njabulo Madlala was announced the winner of the 2012 Royal Overseas League (ROSL) International Singing Competition in London. The other three finalists who took part were from Australia, Ireland and England.

As the winner of this section of the competition, Njabulo Madlala won a prize of £5000, plus concerts that will be organized by the ROSL. Njabulo said that he was delighted with the prize and wanted to share the good news with fellow South African singers.

“I am thrilled about this award and feel very lucky to have been the chosen one out of my very talented and deserving colleagues who were in the final with me!” he says.

“I’m proud to be able to bring the prize home to South Africa and Durban where it really belongs!,” says Madlala who was born and bred in Durban where his family still lives, From the Inanda New area, he only started studying music in high school and then won a scholarship to the UK.

Also winner of First Prize at the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, Madlala studied the post-graduate opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice.

The Final of the 2012 ROSL competition, when the winners of the various categories compete against each other takes place at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on May 8, when a Gold Medallist will be announced. The overall winner receives a prize of £10 000. South African pianist Ben Schoeman was the Gold Medallist of the ROSL in 2009.

The competition takes place annually and has four solo awards for Keyboard, Strings, Wind/Percussion and Singers, the winners of which compete for the Competition Gold Medal and First Prize. The solo awards are open to UK and Commonwealth citizens (including former Commonwealth countries), for instrumentalists and singers up to and including the age of 30 as at May 8, 2012.

The ROSL offers many performance opportunities to prizewinners after the competition at major venues such as the Wigmore Hall in London and has established a relationship with many leading UK festivals including Brighton, Dartington International Summer School, Kings Lynn and the Lake District Summer Music Festival.

ROSL ARTS own series of chamber music concerts at Overseas House Edinburgh and is a well established fixture of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

For more information on Njabula Madlala visit http://www.classicsa.co.za/site/features/view/njabulo_madlala_considers_himself_one_luck_fella/

ROBINSON & COPPIN AT ST CLEMENTS

Coming up at the regular Mondays at Seven programme on April 2 at St Clements in Musgrave is a evening with Ian (Ewok) Robinson and Neil Coppin who will discuss Israeli Apartheid Week [http://apartheidweek.org/en/about ].

Last year Ewok became a signee member of Artists Against Apartheid [http://www.artistsagainstapartheid.org/?page_id=552 ] and an active member of the international Boycott, Divestment And Sanctions movement [ www.bdsmovement.net ]

This resulted in him taking action at the Hilton Arts Festival 2011 and cancelling his shows. In this programme, he will explain the thinking behind his actions.

St Clements is situated at 191 Musgrave Road on the right-hand side a short way down Musgrave after the St Thomas Road intersection. Mondays at Seven run between 19h00 and 20h00. Booking is advised on 031 202 2511. There is no cover charge but there is a donations box to support presenters.

VON MEMERTY RELEASES SOLO ALBUM

When Ian von Memerty, Port Elizabeth-based TV host (Strictly Come Dancing), reality TV series judge (SA’s Got Talent) and multi-award winning performer and theatrical creator, embarks on a new project, he does it big.

Von Memerty’s first commercial CD includes “24 of the hottest musicians, and 18 of the grooviest original songs in one world class package.” The majority of the band members were sourced from the Eastern Cape’s pool of talented artists. According to von Memerty, “Our soloists can hold their own against any musician in the country!”

Entitled You Are Fantastic after his TV catch-phrase, von Memerty’s album is available in stores as well as for download for all his “my tech-savvy fans.”

The first song from the album was released to stations across the country the day after Valentine’s Day. “This is one special song,” says von Memerty. “It is the perfect Valentine’s antidote entitled Out of my Life.” The rest of the album includes a wide range of songs which showcase von Memerty’s versatile vocals from swing, to funky put downs, bopping through pop and soaring through ballads, the songs explore the full range of emotion from the sassy to the sentimental.

According to von Memerty, he never thought of releasing a solo album until he met Debbie Everard – the musical director on the CD. “I have sung about a 1000 songs over the last 25 years, and have written over a 100 songs for other projects and different people, but I have never thought of going the singer/songwriter route.” However, after observing Everard’s work on a project last year, von Memerty felt the creative juices flowing and decided to embark on this ambitious project.

“Every gender, age, and race came together sharing one common gift – superb musicianship. One of the things that attracted me most to using Eastern Cape musicians is the unique sound of the brass section that we put together. Also, our bass player, Andrew Warneke, is as good, if not better than any I have worked with in the last 30 years!”

For more information visit www.urfantastic.net

PETER RIPPON CLASSES

Gallery 415 presents oil painting classes with Peter Rippon. These classes aim to eliminate much of the guesswork and uncertainty that can make oil painting seem difficult, and to open painting up as a highly enjoyable and rewarding activity.

As a means of self-expression, oil paint can be a very powerful medium as its complexities allow for endless possibilities. Peter Rippon is a professional artist known for his highly developed technical ability. He has a Master’s degree in Fine Art, has had four solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous groups exhibitions around the country and overseas. His primary area of expertise is oil painting. In his work, he touches on a variety of themes, including the body, mortality, death, loss, nostalgia, and containment.

The classes take place on alternate Saturdays from 09h00 to 12h00 at Gallery 415 (above Spectrum Art & Office on Umgeni Road) and cost R150 per lesson. An afternoon session may be started later, with a discount for students attending both sessions. The classes can accommodate both beginners and more advanced painters,

For more information contact Peter Rippon on 072 277 5013 or visit www.peterrippon.co.za

WWW.CLASSICSA.CO.ZA

www.classicsa.co.za, South Africa’s foremost website for classical music has just celebrated its second birthday.

Since its launch two years ago, this formidable website has become the leading mouthpiece for classical music in South Africa, informing its users of breaking news on a daily basis in the classical music world, keeping them up to date with who’s who on the local music scene, as well as events and concerts.

To date, www.classicsa.co.za has published over 100 weekly Focus On features, engaging a broad selection of South Africa’s top classical musicians e.g. tenor Johan Botha, conductor Gerard Korsten and répétiteur Brenda Rein, as well as talented young South African musicians breaking into the international classical music circuit e.g. soprano Pretty Yende, baritone Njabulo Madlala, pianists Ben Schoeman and James Baillieu. This column also offers the opportunity to pay tribute to those who have made vast contributions to the South African classical music industry, e.g. Mimi Coertze, Nellie du Toit, and Emma Renzi, Marian Lewin, Thomas Rajna and Barry Smith.

In the daily News and Reviews column, the website keeps its pulse on news in the industry – current competitions, awards, achievements, auditions and important happenings.

With nearly 6,000 concerts and events listed over the past two years, music lovers from all over the world can benefit from the What’s On calendar, which offers a comprehensive diary of which concerts and events take place around South Africa on a daily basis.

The extensive directory on the site offers all classical music practitioners in South Africa the opportunity to advertise their services, which in turn allows the website’s users to engage directly with musicians, teachers, music shops, piano tuners, etc.

Newsletter subscribers of the site have the opportunity to win exciting prizes each month. This could be tickets to some of the top concerts in the country, or season tickets to symphony orchestra seasons. Additionally, Classicsa Page on Facebook provides a lively and interactive forum for friends of the website to share their views on published features, as well as photo albums capturing music lovers seen at concerts and events.

Founder Louis Fouché says that apart from providing a centralized platform for classical music and its many different components, the aim of www.classicsa.co.za is ultimately to make classical music more accessible to a much broader community, specifically younger and emerging audiences. “Contrary to general perception, the classical music industry in South Africa is extremely vibrant and of great social importance, and we want to reflect this on the site with a fresh approach. The key to the sustainability of classical music in our country therefore is to inform, communicate, and to create dialogue in order to work towards a new support base.”

For more information, visit www.classicsa.co.za or contact info@classicsa.co.za

LIPS RENDEZVOUS

The next meeting of the Live Poets society (LiPS) will take place on April 4.

“Sometimes it is necessary to make diversions from our normal routine so long as it meets with the philosophy of what LiPS is striving for, and does not compromise the object of Poetry, because LiPS is all about poetry and poets coming together to share their love of Poetry,” says convenor, Danny Naicker.

Nikki Kirby, Guest Poet for April 4, is unable to attend the LiPS April meeting due to unforeseen circumstances. With insufficient time to find another Guest poet to take her place, another plan had to be adopted.

Members will read a couple of their favourite poems written by other poets (as well as their own). Tapes and CDs will be played of poems recited by famous poets from the collection of LiPS founder, Brett Beiles.

“The theme for the evening is to honour Humans Rights and Freedom,” explained Naicker, “So let our poetry talk about these important fundamental rights that we immortalize as public holidays respectively in March and April.”

The LiPS meeting will take place on April 4 at 17h30 for 18h00 at the Point Yacht Club, Victoria Embankment, Durban, and admission is free. More information from Danny Naicker on 083 282 0865 or email: dnaicker@metsond.co.za

INSPIRATION 2

The first Inspiration exhibition held at artSPACE durban found a group of KwaZulu-Natal-based artists meeting at the Durban Art Gallery Archives with the formidable task to find the one artwork that was most inspirational to each of them.

“For Inspiration 2, we would like the invited artists to find inspiration from their surrounding environment, i.e. Durban and its surrounds,” says artSPACE owner, Karen Bradtke.

A group of KwaZulu-Natal-based artists met on a bus tour with Street Scene Tours to take the group around to Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve, Chatsworth, to look at the Silverglen Nursery and Temple of Understanding with lunch at the renowned vegetarian restaurant underneath the temple on November 23.

There were no restrictions as to the interpretations and a text by each artist accompanys the artworks in the gallery space.

Participating artists are Caroline Birch, Jane Oliver, Di van Wyk, Grace Kotze, Coral Spencer, Nomsa Ngidi, Mandy Kok, Mbhekeni Derek Mbili, Nicole Pletts, Trui Roozenveld van der Ven, Scott Bredin, Jeannie Kinsler, Pascale Chandler, Floris van Zyl, Jackie Freer, Julie Mayo, John Roome, Nirmi Ziegler, Louise Jennings, Celeste Bredin, Marianne Meijer, and Andrew Verster.

Inspiration 2 runs until April 14 at 14h00. artSPACE Durban is situated at 3 Millar Road (off Umgeni Road), Durban. More information on 031 312 0793 or join artSPACE on Facebook @ ArtSPACE durban

HIDE, HAIR, HISTORY

("Jackal and coq" by Dagmar de Kok)

Hide, Hair, History is an exhibition of ceramic sculpture by Dagmar de Kok which opened this evening at the KZNSA in its Main Gallery.

The basis of Dagmar de Kok's creative process is formed by a combination of visual stimuli from every-day life, and historic awareness. The artist draws on a combination of storytelling, illusion and emotions to create these mythological sculptures.

Dagmar de Kok is a Dutch-born ceramic artist who has spent time in South Africa and exhibited at the KZNSA in 2005. The work on show for Hide, Hair, History is inspired by traditional South African folktales and everyday life in Durban.

The KZNSA Gallery is at 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood. For more information contact 031 277 1705, email gallery@kznsagallery.co.za or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za

STUDIO UNIVERSAL HIGHLIGHTS

Coming up from Studio Universal on DStv are the following highlights:

March 28 at 20h00: Kill Bill Volume 2 starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine and Michael Madse. The murderous Bride continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss Bill and his two remaining associates; his younger brother Bud and Bill's latest flame, Elle.

March 30 at 20h00: The Ice Harvest starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Nielsen. A shady lawyer attempts a Christmas Eve crime, hoping to swindle the local mob out of some money. But his partner, a strip club owner, might have different plans for the cash.

March 31 at 20h00: Teen Wolf starring Michael J. Fox, James Hampton and Susan Ursitti. A highschooler discovers that he is a werewolf.

ROLAND DEGENERATE SHOW

Roland Stansell, who has been instrumental in the running and ten-year success of the Rhumbelow Theatre, presents a whirlwind look at the performing years in his life. Pop down to the Rhumbelow for a fun evening of music, magic, laughter and be entertained by Roland’s guests each night, from singing to music , to magic to laughter, it is all in this two-hour evening of entertainment. Expect to see Derek Pearce, Belinda Dolphin, Greg Baptie, Reanne Leigh and many more surprises.

Roland started doing magic at the age of 14 and joined the Junior SA Magic Society. He has been a member for 37 years and has entertained at many children’s and adult parties. At an early age he learned to play the piano and, whilst never taking this up seriously, can still play the odd tune. He spent seven years being the resident court Jester at the Rob Roy Hotel and later also secured the contract at the Drakensberg Sun. He did two contracts as the slot Tournament Compare for the Wild Coast Casino and continued over the years to be involved in the industry through the well-known Durban theatre group, Company of Theatre Arts.

After working in Johannesburg for a year, he returned to Durban and joined the comedy drag troupe The Family Players in 1996. Like some of his past entertainment activities, the Family Players was very involved in fundraising for the elderly, specifically Tafta and so he continued to do charity type shows. In 2001, the Family Players discovered the Rhumbelow Hall and in June 2001 and the Rhumbelow Theatre as audiences know it today was launched. He has performed in many shows at Rhumbelow and has produced the Durban leg of A Handful of Keys with Ian Von Memerty on three occasions.

There are three more performances on March 30 and 31 at 20h00 and on April 1 at 18h30. The venue opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner.

The Rhumbelow theatre is fully air-conditioned venue and a full cash bar is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). Bring your own snacks or “vat jou vleis” and take advantage of the braai facilities. Tickets R100. There is limited secure parking and booking is essential. Rhumbelow Theatre is situated in Cunningham Avenue off Bartle Road in Umbilo.

Booking is through Computicket or contact Roland on 031 205 7602 (h) or 082 499 8636, email roland@stansell.za.net or visit www.rhumbelow.za.net

GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA

(Deborah Fraser)

Gospel fans are promised an evening of delight when a front line roster of Gospel artists share the stage on April 7 presented by The Playhouse Company in its Gospel Extravaganza this Easter.

Directed by Somizi Mhlongo, the exciting concert will feature a powerhouse line-up of big-league recording artists headed by Sfiso Ncwane, Sgwili no Babo and Durban-born diva Deborah Fraser. Also appearing will be Avante, Abanqobi, Ithemba and Phindile Mkhize.

“Few experiences are as uplifting as that of people raising their voices in song,” says The Playhouse Company’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Linda Bukhosini. “Gospel music holds a special place in our hearts and we are thrilled to treat our audience to the singing of an exceptional line-up of our city’s finest Gospel exponents on our stage this Easter”.

Gospel Extravaganza appears in the Playhouse Drama on April 7 at 19h00. Tickets R85 and R110 booked through Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com. Or call Playhouse Box Office on 031 369 9540 (office hours).

25 YEARS AT CAVERSHAM

The Caversham Centre for artists celebrate the Centre’s 25 year existence with a travelling exhibition titled, Twenty Five Years at Caversham: people, prints and process which illustrates the Centre’s main role in the upliftment and nurturing of fine arts in the country with more emphasis on printmaking.

Caversham Centre was founded in 1985 by Malcolm Christian and as part of this legacy the exhibition showcases over 100 works by more than 70 artists. People, print, and process is an epitome of human interaction and empowerment through collaborative work. The exhibition illustrates Malcolm Christian’s guided belief in human creativity, which is summed up in the Nguni word ‘masabelaneni’ (let us share).

Malcolm Christian has shared this creativity, technical expertise, and inventiveness with artists who have worked at the Centre since its inception in 1985. Through Masabelaneni, the Centre is passing on these skills to the youth of KwaZulu-Natal.

Curated by Julia Meintjies, Hats’ Off! 25 years: Linocuts from Caversham runs until April 8 in the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg.

The Hourglass Process which has overseen many training programmes at the Caversham including the eYe (Early Years Education), whereby artists from the centre worked with educators as part of the Centre’s teacher training programmes spread throughout 8 CreACTive centres around the Kwazulu-Natal. These centres cater for the needs of their immediate community, inspiring and empowering the creative skills, attitudes towards positive change. The ultimate result is that training and educational programmes result in individual and communal reflections, dialogues, and creative interactions where the participants can be viewed in dual form: as an individual and as part of a collective.

The exhibition features linoprints made by local and international artists to celebrate Caversham Centre’s educational role in community development through the arts.

Safe parking is available at the Legislature side of the Gallery. For more information contact Thulani or Pinky at 033 392 2801

TERRENCE PATRICK: POSSIBILITIES

("Thinking of Malcolm" by Terrence Patrick)

Terrence Patrick’s solo exhibition Possibilities runs at the Tatham’s Schreiner Gallery until April 8. This exhibition of Patrick’s rendering of recent works is inspired by his interests on allegory of the human condition. The drawings and paintings around this theme make reference to human condition and artist’s concerns with spirituality, morality, and sexuality in the modern multi-cultural society where the media plays a vital role in disseminating information.

Possibilities runs at the Tatham’s Schreiner Gallery until April 8 at 17h00. Safe parking is available at the Legislature side of the Gallery. For more information contact Thulani or Pinky on 033 392 2801

ALL FIRED UP

The Durban University of Technology and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg are currently collaborating on an exhibition set to kindle public interest in Ceramics.

All Fired Up: conversations between kiln and collection is running at the Durban Art Gallery (DAG). Having long outgrown the title “pottery”, contemporary ceramic art is a fusion of art and science as its practitioners devise ever more innovative ways to formulate new clays and ways of forming them. DAG Curator, Jenny Stretton said that the exhibition is a conversation between kiln and collection.

“We’ve created a dialogue between the DAG’s extensive ceramics collection and working artists. This exhibition came about from working in the storerooms and remembering how a space dedicated to the then European ceramic collections was set aside,” she said. “I decided it would be really beneficial to local artists working in the medium of clay to showcase contemporary cross cultural approaches. Our DAG collection grew substantially in the nineties and our new democracy has given artists of all colours, ages and gender access to each other’s visions and work practice, and very unique forms have emerged as a result.”

Stretton said the exhibition is also about unearthing the DAG collection and starting dialogue about what is being made by contemporary artists who use clay, what is in the collection and how concepts collide and connect.

Anthony Starkey, Fine Art Director at DUT’s Fine Art & Jewellery Design Department said the exhibition will make known the rich history of Ceramics at DUT. “The origins of Ceramics at the Durban University of Technology date to 1914 when John Adams was appointed Head of the School of Art at Natal Technical College where he set up a pottery department and taught,” he explains. “Adams proceeded to create in the Art School, the department of ceramics which he made famous throughout South Africa.”

The invited artists are lecturers and recent MA graduates from the ceramic departments of both DUT and UKZN in Pietermaritzburg. They each made a selection of work - from the DAG collection that has inspired them - to sit alongside their own pieces.

“Ceramics have a special role to play. Ceramic art is three dimensional, it has more claim to the immediate dynamics of society than other visual art form,” says Jenny Stretton. “It intrudes, demands space – almost as people do - and can alter its form as one circles it. South Africa is at a point in its post-liberation history where the political and social scrummage has thrown out ideas, scenaria and readymade credos. What we need are vessels to contain them and this exhibition has options aplenty.”

All Fired Up: conversations between kiln and collection runs until April 24 at the Durban Art Gallery which is situated on the second floor of in the Durban City Hall, entrance opposite the Playhouse in Smith Street.

IPUPPETI

(Review by Latoya Newman extracted from article dealing with holiday entertainment over Easter, courtesy of Tonight)

One not-to-miss highlight in Durban is the return of iPuppeti to stage. Clinton Marius staged his latest kids theatre offering at the Musho Theatre Festival in January and has brought it back by popular demand for the school holiday season.

The play is an exciting exploration of the different forms of puppetry, pinned against a great story line about overcoming your fears and insecurities. This is done via an exciting journey with little sock puppet who longs to be big. iPuppeti is a heart-warming story loaded with lots of golden nuggets for kids, who all, at different levels, face various social fears at school. A great script laced; with lots of humour, song and dance and audience participation – and the use of an array of different puppets from sock, hand, stick, string, shadow and giant puppets – iPuppeti was a hit at Musho and one not to miss.

iPuppeti stars award-winning actress, Shika Budhoo (The Fantastical Flea Circus, Shika-land, Spice 'n Stuff, Jimbo) and audience favourite, Mpume Mthombeni (Tin Bucket Drum, Amagamma Amathathu, Brer Rabbit & Friends, Godspell), and is co-directed by Clinton Marius (best known for creating the hit radio soapie, Lollipop Lane) and popular Durban actor, Dhaveshan Govender, with puppets by Ingrid Diener.

iPuppeti runs at the Catalina Theatre on Wilson's Wharf daily from March 24 to April 1 at 11h00 with an optional boat ride around Durban harbour. Tickets R45 (R60 with a boat ride). Block bookings for 10 or more are R40 (R55 with a boat ride). For bookings call the Catalina box office 031 305 6889. – Latoya Newman

NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2012

The 38th National Arts Festival in Grahamstown will once again showcase the best in South African and international art across every genre from 28 June to 8 July this year.

The Main programme's core is the cutting edge work of the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners who continue to challenge and explore new directions as they establish their artistic voices. The winners will be presenting a varied and exciting programme of work in drama, dance, music, jazz and visual art.

Princess Zinzi Mhlongo (2012 SBYAA winner for Drama), whose skills as a strong director have won her several accolades, will make her debut as a writer at this year’s Festival with her first play-script, Trapped Following the premiere of her work in Grahamstown, she will leave for Austria to present this work as one of four young theatre-makers invited from around the world.

Other Theatre highlights include the Fugard Theatre making its debut on the Festival’s Main programme with a world premiere of Athol Fugard’s newest play, The Blue Iris, directed by Janice Honeyman. The visceral struggles of contemporary South Africa are laid bare in internationally acclaimed, South African-born, director Yael Farber’s explosive new adaptation of August Strindberg’s classic Miss Julie, set in the remote beauty of the Eastern Cape Karoo. Shame, guilt, class, sex, lies and race are all provocatively stirred together in the Playhouse Company’s production of David Mamet’s fast-paced play, Race; while Voices Made Night, adapted from short stories by Mia Couto and directed by Mark Fleishman, will reflect Magnet Theatre’s orientations as a creative, innovative and sophisticated African theatre company. Writer Craig Higginson and director Malcolm Purkey collaborate with Neil Coppen to create Higginson’s latest play, Little Foot, a boundary-challenging multi-media event that promises to be a unique piece of storytelling. Abrahamse & Meyer Productions, in partnership with Artscape, bring their new production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the 2012 Festival.

There are also a few productions that will make their way to Grahamstown from international stages. Independent theatre company, KickstArt (by special arrangement with the Creative Artists Agency, New York) will present the South African premiere of John Logan’s 2010 Tony Award-winning play, Red, directed by Steven Stead. The Italian-based company, Scarlettine Teatro takes the audience into the world of the comic book where the actors interact with the characters and become part of the story in their production of Manolibera.

An exciting aspect of this year’s Festival programme is the launch of the French/South Africa season in Grahamstown, staged with the support of the French Institute in South Africa, the Embassy of France and the South African Department of Arts and Culture. The launch sees several productions premiering, across several genres. Ster City, an exciting multi-disciplinary production by French theatre-maker Jean-Paul Delore, is the featured production in the Theatre programme.

In I Love You When You’re Breathing, the Handspring Puppet Company will give audiences the unique opportunity of seeing a puppet deliver a meta-theatrical address, using comedy and generous amounts of self-reflexive humour to give insight on the nature of puppetry, the process of creating life in the object, and the role of the audience in making meaning.

A Season of Solo Plays will feature five productions by some of South Africa’s top established and up and coming directors and performers, including Pieter-Dirk Uys, Thembi Mtshali-Jones, Omphie Molusi, Nick Warren and Nicky Rebelo.

Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance, Bailey Snyman has firmly entrenched his reputation for creating work that is poetic, challenging and visually provocative. Inspired by Andre Carl van der Merwe’s novel Moffie, Snyman has created a dance-play that will explore and expose the fears, anxieties and denialism of gay people in the military. He delves into both historical and contemporary understandings as he considers the challenges of being gay in the military.

Contemporary Dance has a much bigger footprint at this year’s National Arts Festival with the Transnet Great Hall being enhanced as a second dance venue for the Main programme. Richly textured by a number of international influences, the programme kicks off with Vincent Mantsoe’s Opera for Fools. French choreographers Mathilde Monnier and Jean-François Duroure created Pudique Acide in New York and Extasis picks up this work and intensifies the data. The two pieces will be presented in a double bill that will give an insight into their wild invention. !Aïa is a transversal work between art, culture, science and traditional wisdom created by the internationally renowned Taliipot Theatre company from Reunion.Inter.Fear is an artistic co-production between South African choreographer and performer, Athena Mazarakis and Spanish choreographer, performer and artistic director, Hansel Nezza. Cindy van Acker’s two solos, Lanx and Obtus examine the connections between body and spirit, sound and rhythm with almost scientific precision. Rhythms of the Eastern Cape produced by the Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture highlights the vibrancy of the sub-tribes of the Eastern Cape – amaBhaca, abaThembu, amaKhoisan, abeSuthu and amaMpondo. Young cutting edge choreographers will show their creative mettle in Re-Fresh while classical ballet enthusiasts should flock to Cape Town City Ballet’s Giselle accompanied by the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Music programme is headlined by Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, Kelebogile Boikanyo, who will enchant audiences with a vocal recital that includes, amongst others, works by Verdi, Gershwin, Mozart and Handel. A member of Opera Africa, audiences are encouraged to catch this fast-rising star who is earmarked to hit the international scene in the near future.

The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra will present a concert of fantasy and favourites to celebrating the cultural exchange between France and South Africa with an all-French programme, pairing two Romantic masterworks of Camille Saint-Saëns with the unjustly neglected Symphony of Paul Dukas. Daniel Boico conducts and François du Toit (piano) is the soloist. The Gala Concert conducted by Richard Cock is inspired by anniversaries, and features works by Massenet, Debussy, and Edward German, as well as the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. Central to the programme is Standard Bank Young Artist Kelebogile Boikanyo and the outstanding marimba player Magda de Vries.

In African Romantics, the End of Time Trio present works by Max Bruch and Peter Klatzow. Ensembles from the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra will present a variety of works while Colossus is a daring programme of large chamber works ranging from the hauntingly beautiful to the intensely powerful. Included in the programme is the world première of composer David Plylar’s new work entitled Colossus. Three’s Company explores music for three players Géza Kayser (violin), Liuben Gardev (cello), David Smith (keyboard), from the Baroque and Modernist eras.

The innovative mallet percussion duo Duo FourIVTwo with classical marimbist Magda de Vries and vibraphonist Frank Mallows, play an inspired repertoire of newly commissioned works by some of South Africa’s internationally acclaimed composers. Two Trios and a Quintet, featuring Hilton Schilder, Errol Dyers, Steve Newman, Greg Georgiades and Ashish Joshi, shows the scintillating musicianship of the ensemble drawing from a pan-African musical menu and other influences from the cultural Diaspora settled in and spread out of Africa.

In Ancient Inspirations, a programme of music inspired by the original inhabitants of South Africa, The Chanticleer Singers together with Duo IVFour2 (Magda de Vries and Frank Mallows), present works by South African composers Peter Louis van Dijk, Peter Klatzow and Hans Roosenschoon.

Louis Armstrong & Friends features stunning arrangements of Armstrong classics with fine performances by Prince Lengoasa (trumpet & vocals), Veramarie Meyer (mezzo-soprano) and Nicholas Nicholaidis (tenor) and is conducted by Richard Cock. Soul of Fire is a genre-bending production conceived by Zanne Stapelberg and Kathleen Tagg juxtaposing classical Spanish songs by Montsalvage with the instrumental tangos of Astor Piazzola in new, original arrangements, to the magical energy of Spanish Zarzuela.

The ATKV present Ave Maria and Hallelujah/Alleluia, a selection of works with a youth choir, musicians and soloist Minette du Toit-Pearce. The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus – lauded as “one of the world’s foremost children’s choirs” (Pasadena Star News), and described by critics as “hauntingly beautiful”, and “one heck of a talented group of kids” promises to move and delight South African audiences.

Pierrot Lunaire, a song-cycle for soprano (Teresa de Wit) and instrumental quintet (End of Time Ensemble) has long been recognised as a key 20th-century chamber composition, as important in its revolutionary aims and musical influence as Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Strauss’s Elektra. Owing to its literary and technical complexity, it has been rarely performed in South Africa.

Sounds Like Fun is a relaxed and enjoyable way to bring the family together and to help pass the symphony tradition from one generation to the next. With the popular and very charismatic Festival maestro, Richard Cock, at the baton leading members of the KZN Philharmonic, Sounds Like Fun is designed to introduce children and their parents to the wonders of a symphony concert.

Richard Cock will also present a performance-lecture designed to demystify classical music and build on his sellout lecture at the 2011 Festival.

Mikhael Subotzky, the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art will present an entirely new body of work, centred on a four-channel film installation, produced specifically for the National Arts Festival and a national exhibition tour. Photographic, video and installation works will complete his exhibition Retinal Shift, which investigates the practice and mechanics of looking, in relation to the history of Grahamstown, the history of photographic devices, and Subotzky’s own history as an artist.

The trend set by Subotzky of breaking away from conventional spaces and inter-linking exhibitions with each other, and with site specific performances, is one of the most exciting aspects of this year’s programme. Making Way curated by Ruth Simbao forges new pathways physically, socially and conceptually. The exhibition includes installation, photography, print, painting, video, animated film, and performances by Randolph Hartzenberg, Doung Anwar Jahangeer, Athi-Patra Ruga and Gerald Machona, to create conceptual pathways between three venues: the Alumni Gallery, the Provost and Fort Selwyn. Maureen de Jager’s Maria’s Story engages with a particular period in South Africa’s history, comprising two-dimensional works on steel, sculpture, video and an artist’s book, the mixed-media exhibition traces a story that spans four generations.

In Venus at Home, curated by Les Cohn, artist Usha Seejarim uses everyday materials to engage with issues of identity. Cedric Nunn’s Call and Response, curated by Jacob Lebeko and presented by Seippel Galleries features his photographs from the late 1970s to the present day, presenting a view of a previously unknown African world. Clare Menck’s exhibition of her work from 1990 - 2010, A Hidden Life Exposed, is very much a documentation of her own personal life; and My Freedom, My Expression presented by the Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture visually captures 100 years of struggle through paintings and photographs. Re-Imagine Concrete is presented by PPC and celebrates the past 21 years of PPC’s commitment to support artists who work with concrete as a medium.

Festival audiences will be able to immerse themselves in an exciting and adventurous array of Performance Art presented on theatre stages, in museums, galleries and unusual public spaces (taxi ranks, libraries, and car parks). The innovative and cutting edge group of performance artists are headlined by Steven Cohen who is no stranger to the European festival circuit but will make his first appearance on the National Arts Festival stage together with Nomsa Dlamini, his 90-year-old co-performer in The Cradle of Humankind.

Brett Bailey’s Third World Bunfight company has maintained its position at the forefront of South African performance throughout its 16-year history, and has a strong international presence. This year he will be exploring the theme of human zoos where, between the mid 19th Century to the Second World War, people from the non-Western world were exhibited, in his production Exhibit A.

Presented as part of the French / South Africa Season, the Cien Non Nova Theatre Company will make its South African debut with two productions: Vortex and Afternoon of a Foehn. Both are highly innovative pieces of work which utilise an artificial wind chamber to delicately and magically manipulate plastic dancers.

Discharge by 2011 Standard Bank Encore Award winner Gavin Krastin will transform audiences into refugees who are among the very last survivors of a horrific, nameless global catastrophe.

Well-known for his provocative work poised between visual art and contemporary performance, Athi-Patra Ruga will create a new site-specific work at the Festival that will engage with the Provost—a jail based on a panopticon design—and the camera obscura at the Observatory Museum.

Doung Anwar Jahangeer, a Mauritian-born architect/artist/performer living in Durban, will lead his audience on a CityWalk that grapples with the site of Grahamstown—a city with a complex history of colonialism and violence—that is currently the subject of reflection as the city ponders on the 200 years since its founding. Three Days is an installation and performance in which Randolph Hartzenberg will explore the unease that results from humankind’s misdirected acts; and Gerald Machona’s From China, With Love, will explore China's rise as an industrial superpower, and its complex history of trade and new economic ties with African states.

Free performances will be available everyday during the 11-day Festival in the Public Art programme. Presented as part of the French / South Africa Season and inspired by the 30’s French ‘Nounouche’ children’s comic books, Toni Morkel, Nadine Hutton and Fred Koenig present Nounouche – The Sideshow which will stop at a variety of contrasting places catching the public by surprise and inviting them in to come in and play. St Philip’s Church in Fingo Village is the site for the story of Princess Emma – Ukazazi, a site specific performance about a woman’s search for identity , the ambiguities of colonialism, and the painful process of dealing with change.

Using song, dance and interactive storytelling, Lunchbox Theatre will weave a bit of magic to conserve the natural environment in The Tree Show. Audiences will be mesmerised by the intensity and panache with which The China Fujian Art Troupe of dancers, acrobats and musicians play Chinese traditional instruments and come together to create breath-taking spectacles. Some 25 cartoon characters will end the Festival with frivolity, fun and spectacle in the closing street parade.

The Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2012, Afrika Mkhize, represents the exciting new face of South African jazz. Steeped in South Africa’s musical heritage he displays a fresh, international perspective that places it in a new light. He is a pianist with serious jazz chops who has the versatility to play music from across the spectrum, from African grooves to hip-hop to straight-ahead jazz, and in any company. For his first performance, showcasing his own compositions, he has chosen a band of young Turks from across the country and adds a special guest, flautist Eddie Parker, a significant voice in British Jazz and well-known to South African connoisseurs for his flute solo on “Angola”. His second gig brings together a vibrant group of young musicians from Johannesburg to pay tribute to the compositions of Bheki Mseleku and other influential African composers.

Other highlights on the programme for the Standard Bank Jazz Festival include a once-off performance by Mango Groove; and performances by Ernie Smith, McCoy Mrubata, Morris Goldberg and Andy Narell. The Guy Butler Theatre will resonate with the amazing vocal talent of Sibongile Khumalo in her reflection on a 20-year musical career titled Reflect.Celebrate.Live using choral voices, a jazz band and a string quartet under the creative direction of James Ngcobo.

The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012 with a suitably powerful line-up of musicians and teachers, brought here not only to perform for the audiences of the National Arts Festival, but also to inspire the 350 young South African jazz players gathered in Grahamstown – our national jazz future. We celebrate two decades of jazz development with a blow-out performance of some of those who have been teaching and performing at the NYJF, putting together some of Europe’s leading performers with young South African talent.

The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The Eastern Cape Government, The National Arts Council, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, City Press and M Net.

Bookings for this year’s “11 Days of Amaz!ng” open in May. At today’s media launch CEO Tony Lankester reminded those present that the average ticket price of R60 was thanks to the support of the festival sponsors. Otherwise tickets – particularly on the Main Festival – would be in the region of R8,000 each. A sobering thought, indeed.

Tickets available through Computicket. Booking kits from selected Standard Bank Branches, selected Exclusive Books and Computicket branches from May. For more information on the programme, accommodation and travel options visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za. Also join the National Arts Festival group on Facebook for all the latest news, or follow us on Twitter.

JOSHUA GRIERSON & LUKE WYNGAARD

Coming up this evening at the Maritzburg Musician’s Club gathering at the Red Door in Pietermaritzburg are Joshua Grierson and Luke Wyngaard.

Joshua Grierson is taking a twirl around the songhalls of KZN. Having recently relocated from Cape Town to the bright lights of Jozi, Grierson is taking his one-man performance around the country to spread his musical, artistic vibrancy and energy.

Known as a passionate singer/songwriter/musician Joshua Grierson has recently left the sunny shores of Cape Town (his hometown), in pursuit of the bright lights and Parktown Prawns .

He has also teamed up with Musician/Producer/Engineer/Film Maker Dan Roberts to produce his new album - Strange Heart. In the few months that Grierson has been living in Jozi, he has opened for Yoav, Dan Patlansky, Farry Purkiss, Josie Field and John Ellis; amongst many other solo performances at venues in and around Gauteng.

Never losing an opportunity to make music, Grierson has joined the Jozi based Indie Pop/Rock band, Cold War Candy Drop and fulfils the role of bassist. With Cold War Candy Drop, Grierson has shared the stage with The Parlotones, Kinky Robot, The Ice Project and 3rd World Spectator.

Fronting Grierson will be PMB's 'wunderkind' and guitar maestro, Luke Wyngaard, who will be joined by Quin to present an impressive display of musical talent.

To contact Grierson directly http://facebook.com/josh.grierson or to find out more about this artist go to his website: http://www.griersonandcompany.tumblr.com

Grierson appears tonight at 20h00 at the Red Door. Entrance R30.

NICKY SCHRIRE

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music is proud to welcome back award-winning jazz vocalist Nicky Schrire on March 28

Shrire was born in London, but grew up in Cape Town. In 2009, she moved to New York. She recently graduated from Manhattan School of Music in New York with a Masters of Music degree under the leadership of Peter Eldridge and Darmon Meader (founding members of the New York Voices) and Theo Bleckmann.

As a vocalist and saxophonist Schrire has performed with some of South Africa’s best such as Abdullah Ibrahim and Sibongile Khumalo, and Arno Carstens. She has been a finalist at many international competitions. Her more recent achievements include performing with pianist Taylor Eigsti and being responsible for bookings for Gretchen Parlato.

Don’t miss this engaging performance where Schrire will be joined by Neil Gonsalves (piano) Shane Cooper (bass) and Bruce Baker (drums). Schrire’s adventurous spirit reflects her international upbringing.

Nicky Schrire can be seen at the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music (CJPM), Level 2, Shepstone bldg. On March 28 at 18h00 (doors open at 17h30). Tickets R30,(R20 pensioners, R10 students). A cash bar will be available. Bookings on 031 260 3385 or email: Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za

LUMINATI

Luminati is a Durban-based, funky, fresh and upbeat six-piece outfit that fuses hip-hop, rock and jazzy beats with catchy tunes and creative lines. On March 27 they will perform at UKZN’s Centre for Jazz and Popular Music

Luminati travels looking for the unknown chorus. On their way they find stories and compositions that they translate into songs. They finally end up in the city of the dreaming compositions. Entering the city feels like opening a gigantic can of new sounds, special music that sounds like rock, driven on hip hop beats with a jazz influence. You can smell something that reminds of old newspapers and cigars, but it also smells fresh as a lemon tree.

Luminati will perform at the Centre for Jazz on March 27 at 18h00 (doors open at 17h30). Entrance R30 (R10 students, R20 pensioners). More information on 031 260 3385 or email: Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za

CLASSICAL NOTES

(South African National Youth Orchestra. Photo by Jozua Loots)

Youthful energy enlivens our music scene. (by William Charlton-Perkins, courtesy of The Mercury)

Chatting over lunch in Durban recently with Sonya Welz, director of the South African National Youth Orchestra, I encountered a remarkable combination of positive energy and practical savvy. While the latter characteristic is common to many musicians I’ve known over the years (Welz is a bassoonist), the former attribute, clearly, is a prerequisite for an arts organisation that operates from a nomadic, project-based ‘virtual’ office, while relying heavily on the goodwill and help of volunteers for the youth orchestra to function smoothly.

Neither of these challenges fazes Welz, nor her able and multi-functional factotum, Jozua Loots, a young clarinettist with an administrative bent. They were in town on the KZN leg of their annual auditions trail, fielding hordes of contenders aged between 13 and 25 years, each eager to participate in the prestigious youth body’s tiered schedule of programmes.

Welz rattles off a dizzying line-up of events coming up: “On this year’s agenda, for the first time, is an opera, Purcell’s The Fairy Queen. This will be performed by players who were selected last year, as part of the Umculo Cape Festival in March and April, in Johannesburg and Cape Town.”

SANYO’s National Youth Brass course (for which players have also already been selected) runs from June 15 to 22 in Johannesburg, with a 12-piece ensemble led by Mark Hampson from the United Kingdom.

The Sasol National Youth Orchestra Course runs from June 22– July 1 in Johannesburg. This year’s National Youth Orchestra will be conducted by Christian Baldini, and the National Youth Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Scott Gabriel from Canada. South African Morkel Combrink will conduct the National Youth String Ensemble, and the National Youth Wind Orchestra Course and National Youth String Orchestra Course will run from December 6-16 in Cape Town.

And there’s more. “Our Winds Course, back by popular demand, will be conducted by Bjørn Breistein from Norway, and our first advanced Strings Course, for grade eights and up, is to be led by Fredrik Burstedt from Sweden. The players all get to flex their skills during these short, intensive programmes. Steep learning curves which generate lots of adrenalin, this is rigorous training for professional musicians in the making.”

By way of a sneak preview of next year’s programme, Welz reveals that acclaimed British maestro Sir Roger Norrington and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra with celebrated South African clarinettist Robert Pickup (a youth orchestra alumni) as soloist will perform in Johannesburg and Cape Town in January 2013. Select members of the NYO will be chosen to play with them.

Last year at the culmination of the Sasol National Youth Orchestra Course in Johannesburg, the NYO performed Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as narrator. At that concert, the Archbishop said: “This just lifts your spirits. At a time when we seem to be pulling in different directions in our country, this is such a wonderful statement: young people of all races, playing in an orchestra, which itself is a symbol because it has different instruments. It is a wonderful image for our country.”

On another note, it’s great to hear a local music initiative has met with endorsement from no less an institute than the Juilliard School of Music. Christopher Duigan’s Music Revival was recently featured in a blog by arts journalist, Greg Sandow, a highly regarded and followed blogger on the future of classical music, who teaches at Julliard in New York.

“I am particularly amazed my musical goings-on in South Africa are of interest and value to him,” says Duigan. “It is exciting that he values my story, and has added this to his reading material for the course he teaches at Julliard.”

To read the story (and a great number of really interesting thoughts) visit http://www.artsjournal.com/sandow/2012/01/promoting-with-gusto.html. The Music Revival story is included under Sandow’s Julliard Course Work at http://www.artsjournal.com/sandow/2012/01/my-juilliard-course-updated.html and directly at http://www.gregsandow.com/popclass - William Charlton-Perkins

COMEDY NIGHT AT LIVE

Live - The Venue is hosting comedy nights every second Thursday of the month with their first stand-up show taking place on March 29.

Legendary comedian Fernando Lamy has been associated with top comedy for over 38 years and honoured this year by being nominated in the top 4 for the Audience Choice Award at the Comics Choice Awards, will be the MC for the evening with three of Durban’s Top comedians.

First up in the performing line-up is Gareth Woods, a graduate scientist and currently studying law with comedy achievements being that of winning the 5FM Fresh Drive Comedy Competition as well as opening for Trevor Noah, in his first year of stand-up.

Another is Jem Atkins, KZN’s ‘Best Newcomer’ of 2009, who also made it to the third round of SA’s Got Talent on SABC in the same year and the lastly Neville Pillay, a household name in KZN, who has been at the forefront of commercial radio since 1998 being on P4, Lotus FM and East Coast Radio. Neville Pillay has an alter ego, named Top Dan and dominates the local comedy circuit.

Tickets R60 (R50 students who produce a student ID card) and doors open at 19h30. There will be drink specials as well as an open mic session. Adults only!

The event takes place on March 29 at 19h30 at Live, 166 Matthews Meyiwa Road / Stamfordhill Road, Durban’s new state-of-the-art live venue. For more information contact Bronwyn Kingsland on 082 967 2179, or at bronwyn@livethevenue.co.za

RISE AT MOJO’S

Followers of the popular band Rise will have their last chance to catch the band at Mojo’s Cocktail Bar on March 31.

Spend an afternoon outdoors at the Riverside Hotel (Durban North) venue soaking up the sun or chilling in the shade to the uplifting tunes of the electronic rock band with deejays filling in during sessions.

The entertainment is free but if patrons want lunch and drinks they can choose the special which is R90 and includes any item off the snack basket or terrace menu. Catch rugby on the big screen and there’s a pool to cool off and children are welcome.

Rise will perform on March 31 from 12h00 to 17h00 – bookings on 031 563 0600.

AFRICA INSIDE OUT

Launched at the recent Time of the Writer Festival, Africa Inside Out – Stories, Tales and Testimonies is an anthology comprising works by previous participants in the Time of the Writer Festival who offer refreshing contemporary responses to the varied contexts of the African continent.

A culmination of stories that speak to the heart of contemporary Africa, Africa Inside Out allows the reader to journey through quirky interpretations of oral tradition, to expectations of digital possibility, humorous renditions of old and new conundrums, and more.

Edited by emeritus professor Michael Chapman of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, this anthology contains contributions by Doreen Baingana, Lauren Beukes, Elana Bregin, Marie Darrieussecq, Max du Preez, Ronnie Govender, Oscar Hemer, Deon Meyer, Kirsten Miller, Kagiso Lesego Molope, Kobus Moolman, Andile Mngxitama, Sally-Ann Murray, Patrice Nganang, Kole Omotoso, Zachariah Rapola, Albie Sachs, Angelina Sithebe and Chika Unigwe.

Africa Inside Out is published by UKZN Press and available at Adams Booksellers

OWLS

Our Writing Lessons Society (OWLS) takes place every two weeks in the room next to Musgrave Library (Glenwood Village) on Fridays from 13h00 to 14h00.

The meetings focus on poetry and different types of writing. The project is run by the library, especially for DUT students, and anyone who wants to learn different ways of writing. There is no cost as this is a library initiative.

More information from Roslyn Fielding on email: cats_can2@yahoo.com

DEAR MANDELA

Set in Durban, the producers of Dear Mandela have launched a country-wide campaign aimed at highlighting human rights violation in commemoration of human rights month.

Endorsed by international human rights group Amnesty International, the film commemorated Human Rights Day at a special screening on March 23 at the Steve Biko Lecture Theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The campaign, launched on March 19 at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS,) will also honour Amnesty International’s 50th anniversary.

The campaign involves year- long screenings of Dear Mandela which will run throughout 2012 until Human Rights Day 2013. Produced by Fireworx Media together with New York based Sleeping Giant Films, the film is set to screen at public venues such as schools, community halls, universities, churches, and informal settlements around the country. The producers are currently finalizing the details of an Africa wide broadcast deal

“We hope the screenings will encourage interaction and spark new relationships between members of society who might otherwise be divided by race, class or geography,” said Neil Brandt, South African co-producer of the film.

Dear Mandela explores the hopes, lives and challenges of three young people living in the informal settlements of Durban. The film was screened at the Kennedy Road Informal Settlement, as part of an initial outreach campaign funded by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). An “amazing” audience reception inspired the film’s producers to subsequently create a national campaign that would deliver the widespread message of the film.

“We truly want young people in every city, town and village to be inspired by the film, and to work towards positive social change within their communities, schools, churches and workplaces”, said Brandt.

Dear Mandela was awarded the Best South African Documentary Award at the Durban International Film Festival last year, where it also had its world premiere. Producers of the film are “thrilled” to be working alongside Amnesty International, who they believe “share the same commitment to human rights”.

The film has garnered international interest and has been screened at the Camden international Film Festival, which is recognized as one of the top 25 documentary film festivals in the world. It was also selected for the One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague and the Movies that Matter Film Festival in The Hague (both in March 2012). It has also been nominated for 2012 Best Documentary Award at the African Movie Academy Awards set to take place in Lagos, Nigeria on April 22.

Brandt, a local filmmaker based in Johannesburg is also a Durban FilmMart past participant. Brandt’s feature film The Dream of Shahrazad was chosen as an official project at Durban FilmMart 2010, a coproduction and finance forum created through a partnership between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival.

Brandt’s involvement in Dear Mandela is based on his desire as a filmmaker to create a “platform for energized debate and free expression”. “Every day, protesters around the country hit the streets to demand an end to broken promises, corruption and unlawful evictions. Films have a way of starting conversations, and we hope that all over the country, people of all stripes will be inspired to reach across socio-economic barriers, to come together and make South Africa the country it deserves to be,” said Brandt.

For more information on upcoming screenings visit http://www.dearmandela.com/ or join the film’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/dearmandela?ref=ts

KZN ARTISTS AT INFECTING THE CITY

("Cooking Information on the Streets of iKapa" by Gloria Nozipho Mbhele)

Capetonians and visitors to the Mother City were dazzled, intrigued and inspired by the 5th annual Infecting The City Public Art Festival that took to the streets of Cape Town in March.

Performing and exhibiting at various locations across Cape Town’s city centre, 32 artworks were showcased at the Festival. Installations, dance, poetry, theatre, performance art and music had around 25,000 people captivated and engaged during the week-long festival that ran day and night.

KZN artist Gloria Mbhele presented Cooking Information on the Streets of iKapa. The Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre (SSDT), established by Jay Pather who is the festival curator, performed their impressive work CityScapes.

First presented in 2008, Infecting the City has established itself as a central, uniquely-Cape Town event that citizens and visitors look forward to and plan for. Video and photographic highlights of the festival are available on www.infectingthecity.com

SOUTH-SOUTH

(Julia Wilson and Sifiso Kitsona Khumalo)

Flatfoot Dance Company in collaboration with KZN Dancelink presents South-South at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from March 28 to April 1.

This is a season of new dance work by Liz Lea (Australia) and Lliane Loots (South Africa).

South-South is the meeting of two formidable women choreographers both of whom are carving out a space as intelligent, cutting edge and innovative contemporary dance-makers. Australian Liz Lea joins Durban’s provocative dance theatre maker, Lliane Loots, for a season that premiers new works created for the six resident Flatfoot Dance Company dancers, and for Lea’s work the inclusion of a further four guest Durban dancers; Jarryd Watson, Pravika Nandkishore, Zinhle Nzama and Leagan Pfiffer.

In a visual feast that celebrates contemporary dance making at its most beautiful, both Lea and Loots work alongside one another - not only to challenge the dancers but to afford Durban audiences a pioneering dance theatre experience.

Lea is a performer and choreographer trained at the London Contemporary Dance School and Akademi in London and Darpana Academy in India. She is fast developing an international reputation for her ground-breaking cross-cultural explorations of the meeting of classical Indian dance and martial arts, within the framework of contemporary dance making. She is presently working as the Artistic Director of Canberra Dance Theatre. She is a choreographer and dancer whose work with her own Liz Lea Dance Company is performed globally and she is delighted to find herself in South Africa as the result of an invitation by KZN DanceLink. Having lived some of her younger life in Malawi, Lea says she feels a little like ‘coming home’ when she stepped off the plane.

Lea is busy putting the Flatfoot dancers through their paces and is delighted by what she calls “an openness and a sense of strength and precision in their technique”. Her cross cultural style which really challenges the notions of fusion is used to full effect in her newly created work, titled a free mind. This dance work gathers its inspiration from the life and writings of anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada. Jailed for 26 years, Lea explains of her own emotions of respect, love and humour when faced with the sheer humanity of Kathrada writings and stories, and whose life celebrates the political, spiritual and emotional idea of inclusion. “a free mind” is a sometimes witty, sometimes painful, but always surprisingly beautiful danced celebration of triumph.

Also not shying away from using history as a springboard, Loots’s new work, mapping nostalgia is her second collaboration with veteran maskanda musician Madala Kunene, and they are joined by long-time collaborator to Flatfoot, Mandla Matsha. Loots says that “working with live musicians who create and score in the studio as you are imagining and creating the choreography is a dream come true for any choreographer”.

Loots is well known for her award winning dance theatre landscapes in which her almost cinematic eye layers narrative upon narrative, allowwing the eye to wander over the dreams – and sometimes nightmares – of what it means to be South African. mapping nostalgia is a sometimes brutal look into the remembrances of what was hoped for but that never was, of the sometimes really beautiful longing for an imagined home; and all of this through the bodies of the six Flatfoot dancers whose own lives and stories have become part of this dance work.

Loots says, “all contemporary theatre travels to dark and dangerous places, all of it masked in beauty. Sometimes this beauty is real and then our heart sings, and sometimes this beauty is only an idea we once had for a better future, but always, in dance, we come back to the body; a surface tension for both violence and, maybe, redemption – this is what “mapping nostalgia” is about”.

South-South offers two innovative choreographic voices speaking physical truths that negotiate crossing cultures and crossing divides – not to be missed!

South-South has specifically been made possible by support from the National Arts Council of South Africa, the Australian High Commission, National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund and KZN DanceLink. Flatfoot Dance Company’s work is also supported by the National Arts Council of South Africa, HIVOS, BASA and ncpalcohols.

The season runs from March 28 to 31 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre with performances at 19h30 and on April 1 at 15h00. Tickets R65 (R45 student/scholar/pensioners) and for Cheap Thursday all tickets are R45. Booking is through Computicket.

DURBAN COMEDY JAM

(Kagiso Lediga headlines the event)

Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World in conjunction with eThekwini Municipality and Podium Comedy Merchants, again plays host this Easter to one of the best comedy experiences in South Africa, the Durban Comedy Jam on April 5.

This edition’s line-up at the SunZone at Suncoast promises to be nothing short of comedic excellence with six of the finest South African comedians setting the stage on fire with their brand of funny.

Louise Howell, Marketing Manager of Suncoast said: “Durban has shown tremendous support to the quarterly Durban Comedy Jam, with each show having been sold out in the past. Not only are we as Suncoast privileged to host South Africa’s top comedy acts under one roof in one show, but we are excited about giving up and coming local comedians a world-class platform to showcase their talent to our very demanding audiences”.

Award-winning stand-up comedian John Vlismas will be MC for the night. Vlismas has made a name for himself in the industry and is dominating the comic stages alongside other male greats.

Kagiso Lediga, headliner for the evening, is no stranger to the industry. His hilariously charming and charismatic comedic stints have crowds roaring with laughter. He ventured into comedy while he was a student at the University of Cape Town and has since made a name for himself on the South African comedy scene through corporate gigs and stand-up comedy. With an impressive CV that includes producing, shows like the Pure Monate Show (PMS), and movies like Bunny Chow, Lediga has also had a very successful career in television and on stage which has made him a force to be reckoned with.

Durban’s very own Ntuzuma-born Sya-B who is remembered for his outstanding performance in 99% Zulu Comedy is another crowd catcher. Sya-B took the comedy scene by storm while studying at the Durban University of Technology and found most of his material from observing the interesting tertiary education lifestyle. He will share the stage with other comic giants and colourful characters such as Darren Maule, Dusty Rich and Neville Pillay.

Durban Comedy Jam takes place on April 5 at the SunZone at Suncoast and runs for two-hour. Tickets R120 booked through Computicket. Seating is reserved and no under 16’s will be allowed.

THE BIG HUNT

Jaziel Vaugh’hann is back at Rhumbelow Theatre with his all new theatre piece of education through entertainment. Last year he had a successful season during the July, September and December school holidays with Jonah and the Whale, A David & Goliath story and Noah & the Ark.

Pairing up once more with well-known Durban singer and musical theatre performer, Kerry Cherry, this is set to be a show with loads of fun.

The Big Hunt is more than just a children’s show. It’s “Edutainment”, education through entertainment and is bound to keep youngsters talking for weeks on end. A variety of snacks, juices and colas will be available for sale.

The Big Hunt runs at Rhumbelow Theatre in Cunningham Avenue, Umbilo, until April 5 with shows running daily at 11h00. The show lasts an hour and a half and is suitable for ages four to 12. Tickets R50. Bookings through Roland on 031 205 7602 (home) or 082 499 8636 or email roland@stansell.za.net / www.rhumbelow.za.net or book at Computicket.

HOT POTS & HOT CROSS BUNS!

("Bird" by Andrew Walford)

Zulu Zen Potter Andrew Walford will host his Easter Exhibition from April 6 to 9 at his studio in Shongweni.

Enjoy a relaxing couple of hours and unwind in the delightful country setting of the Shongweni Valley overlooking Shongweni dam and game reserve. Admire the world class Japanese style ceramics in Walford’s unusual studio and home.

Tea, coffee, homemade lemonade, and hot cross buns will be available.

The Easter Hot Pots & Hot Cross Buns exhibition runs from April 6 to 9 from 10h00 to 17h00. Phone 031 7691363 or 082 794 7796 for details or go to www.andrewwalford.co.za

RED

KickstArt proudly presents the South African premiere of John Logan’s 2010 Tony Award winning play.

The multi-award winning top KZN theatre company, KickstArt, presents Red - a compelling and moving account of one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century whose struggle to accept his growing riches and praise become his ultimate undoing. The production opens in the Playhouse Loft tomorrow night (March 27).



( Michael Richard and Jeremy Richard. Photo by Val Adamson)


“There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend ... One day the black will swallow the red."

This thrilling new play by John Logan (famous for screenplays for such films as Gladiator, The Aviator, Rango and the recent Scorsese blockbuster, Hugo) explores the fascinating creative process and inner conflict of famous American artist, Mark Rothko, who is painting a group of murals in his New York studio 1958-9, for the expensive and exclusive Four Seasons restaurant.

Under the watchful gaze of his young assistant and the threatening presence of a new generation of artists, Rothko takes on his greatest challenge yet: to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting.

The audience is witness not only to his passionate and challenging discussion of making art, but also to its actual making: the action of stretching and priming canvasses, and the hugely visceral thrill of painting itself.

“Smart and scintillating: Red deftly conjures what most plays about artists don’t: THE EXHILARATION OF THE ACT.” – John Lahr, The New Yorker

Red stars highly respected South African theatre veteran Michael Richard as Rothko, with exciting newcomer Jeremy Richard as his assistant, Ken. Jeremy Richard is the son of Michael Richard and Louise St Claire and all three were seen in the excellent The History Boys.

The play is directed by Steven Stead and designed by Greg King, with lighting design by Tina le Roux, the same team responsible for the resounding successes, Wit, Duet for One and Cabaret.

KickstArt presents the South African premiere of Red in association with the National Arts Festival and Daphne Kuhn of the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Johannesburg.

Red previews in Durban in the Playhouse Loft from March 27 to April 1, before premiering at the Grahamstown Festival for a short run from June 29 to July 2. It will then run at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square from July 18 to August 12.

Tickets in for the Durban season R120 (R100 pensioners and students) booked through Computicket.

GUITAR ROAD

Recently launched at the Time of the Writer festival, Rick Andrew’s Guitar Road tells the story of Charlie Berea and friends, as they jam and sing across the cities of Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town.

A memoir of a time when the politics of apartheid eclipsed culture, Guitar Road highlights the power of music as an inspiration and a refuge. It is available at Adams Booksellers.

MAMA NOMUSA – STORYTELLER

Coming up in the Mondays at Seven slot at St Clement’s in Musgrave tomorrow night (March 26) is Nomusa Xaba. A performing artist, storyteller, percussionist, educator, and social activist she is affectionately known to her audiences (mainly children and teachers) as Mama Nomusa.

Nomusa Xaba is acknowledged as a gifted and sensitive storyteller who brings her storytelling prowess to her writings. With careful prose and striking poetry her book It’s been a Long Time Coming ... is described as reading as one is listening to her. The reader becomes immersed in the story and thereby part of it.

St Clements is situated at 191 Musgrave Road on the right-hand side a short way down Musgrave after the St Thomas Road intersection. Mondays at Seven run between 19h00 and 20h00. Booking is advised on 031 202 2511. There is no cover charge but there is a donations box to support presenters.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

With the third season of Cinema Nouveau’s National Theatre Live drawing to an end, audiences can still look forward to the last production, Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, which will be showing exclusively at Cinema Nouveau theatres on March 24, 25, 28 and 29.

Directed by Dominic Cooke, Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors is a furiously-paced comedy staged in a contemporary world. It tells the tale of two sets of twins who are separated at birth and collide in the same city without meeting for one crazy day, as multiple mistaken identities lead to confusion on a grand scale. For no-one more so than Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio who, in search of their brothers, arrive in a land entirely foreign to their distant home. A buzzing metropolis, to the outsiders it appears a place of wonderment and terror, where baffling gifts and unexplained hostilities abound.

The Comedy of Errors stars actor Lenny Henry, who made his Shakespearean debut in the title role of Othello for Northern Broadsides/West Yorkshire Playhouse, which transferred to the West End and for which he won the 2009 Evening Standard Outstanding Newcomer Award.

He has toured worldwide with his stand-up comedy shows, and has appeared in and presented innumerable television dramas, comedies and documentaries, including Three of a Kind, The Lenny Henry Show, Alive and Kicking, Chef!, Hope & Glory and Lenny Henry in Pieces. His many awards include the Lifetime Achievement - Performance Award at the 2003 British Comedy Awards, and a Golden Rose at the Montreux Television Festival.

Director Dominic Cooke is Artistic Director of the Royal Court, where his productions have included Chicken Soup with Barley, Clybourne Park (also West End) and The Pain and the Itch. He was Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) from 2002 where his work included Arabian Nights, Pericles, The Winter’s Tale, The Crucible (Olivier Awards for Best Director and Best Revival), As You Like It and Cymbeline.

The cast also includes Marcus Adolphy, Tom Anderson, Paul Bentall, Claudie Blakley, Ian Burfield, Silas Carson, Clare Cathcart, Adrian Hood, Chris Jarman, Lucian Msamati, Yvonne Newman, Pamela Nomvete, Rhiannon Oliver, Jude Owusu, Simon Parish, Daniel Poyser, Grace Thurgood, Amit Shah, Michelle Terry, Everal A Walsh and Rene Zagger. The production is designed by Bunny Christie, with lighting by Paule Constable, music by Gary Yershon, movement by Ann Yee, sound by Christopher Shutt and fight direction by Kate Waters.

Running time is 136 min, including host introduction and one 20 minute intermission.

Release dates at Cinema Nouveau Gateway on March 24 (19h30); March 25 (14h30) and March 28 and 29 at 19h30.

Facebook: Ster-Kinekor Theatres | Follow us on Twitter: @SKTheatres| Mobi-site: www.sterkinekor.mobi|Ticketline: 082 16789

EASTERN MOSAIC SEARCH FOR PRESENTERS

Since its inception onto South African screens on SABC 2, Eastern Mosaic by Red Carpet Productions has brought viewers entertaining and niche Indian lifestyle viewing of everything that is described as Indian and stepping up the bar on quality content for past 12 years. Under the direction of producers, Saira Essa and Mark Corlett and their behind the scenes team, the magic of Eastern Mosaic and everything Indian lifestyle comes alive.

With constant innovation from the team at Red Carpet Productions, Eastern Mosaic has embarked on their popular Presenter Search offering young South Africans the opportunity to join the Eastern Mosaic family. The Eastern Mosaic Presenter Search kicks off this April with auditions to be held in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Over the years their viewership numbers has climbed with every airing of their fresh selection of local and international content providing the Indian audiences and the rest of diverse South Africa with Bollywood news, entertainment, faith, food and fashion that would never have made it onto our screens. Eastern Mosaic presented by main anchors, fashion and style guru, Imraan Vagar and Candice Moodley have become friendly faces of this spectacular show every Sunday on SABC 2’s screens. Other familiar faces include Jailoshini Naidoo, Kajal Bagwandeen, Ashwin Desai, Sorisha Naidoo, Yusuf Moolla and India correspondent, Suchitra Pillai.

“You have to be comfortable in front of the camera, be able to speak with flair to project your personality whilst speaking clearly and fluently,” say the Eastern Mosaic organizers. “With every presenter, the talent to write a script and be able to deliver it on screen is a must. Remember that you are delivering yourself and the Eastern Mosaic essence to a cross-cultural and very diverse audience of South Africans. You need to be within the age group of 18 and 38 years old. You are not left to your own devices here, the Eastern Mosaic team have also offered potential candidates valuable information and tips on how to clinch the nod to move ahead in the audition process.”

Those who feel they have the right profile to be part of this exciting television magazine show should visit Eastern Mosaic’s website for all the information on how to join this exciting 2012 audition: http://www.eastermosaic.net, http://www.friendsofeasternmosaic.co.za or email: info@easternmosaic.net

MICHAEL GREEN’S WINE NOTES #258

The Cape wine and liquor industry is nothing if not enterprising. De Krans Wine cellar at Calitzdorp, in the Little Karoo, is well known as a producer of port, which is a lovely fortified wine (a wine with spirit added) but not one that is normally consumed in hot weather.

To expand its market De Krans has suggested several recipes for warm weather drinks based on port.

“Port and lemon” – lemonade – is of course a well-known drink in Britain, traditionally the favourite of ladies of the night. The De Krans recipes are a good deal more elaborate than that. Here are some of them:
Ginger Up. Pink port in a highball glass filled with crushed ice, a shot of gin, a dash of bitters and topped up with ginger beer.
Pink Sunset.Pink port and chilled iced tea in equal amounts in a tall glass. Add sliced strawberries and ice cubes.
Porto Urbano: Pour equal parts of Cape ruby port and cranberry juice into a martini glass and add a dash of lime cordial, and crushed ice. Garnish with orange peel and maraschino cherry.
Ruby Port Sparklers: One or two tablespoons of chocolate liqueur with chilled ruby port in a champagne flute. Top up with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon-zest strip.

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One of the Cape’s most beautiful farms, Plaisir de Merle at Groot Drakenstein, near Franschhoek, has opened a new tasting centre in a converted barn. Visitors can sample and buy the estate’s premium wines (R20 tasting fee) and, if they wish, have a pre-booked lunch platter for R60

The 18th century manor house on the estate has been restored for use as a wedding and conference venue and corporate guesthouse. The dining room has a long table that sits 36 people, suitable for a lunch, dinner or intimate wedding.

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One of the Cape’s best white wines, Newton Johnson Chardonnay from the Walker Bay area, near Hermanus, has been highly praised in the London Sunday Times.

Hugh Johnson, an English wine authority, writes that this was the wine he liked best on a trip to South Africa two years ago: “I remembered this wine for a certain musky density like a good Pouilly-Fuisse and a vitality like a Premier Cru Chablis. A tinge of smoky oak, something buttery and nutty in the flavour balanced by the ghost of a grapefruit”.

Descending from winespeak to normal language, he says that the wine is worth much more than its price (in Britain). The price there, converted to rand, is about R160 a bottle. The price in South Africa is about R125 a bottle. – Michael Green