DURBAN’S ASHWIN SINGH RUNNER-UP

Durban is to host the drama finals and the national finals of the fifth PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing – one of the country’s most respected projects to encourage innovative new scriptwriting - which takes place at the Catalina from June 1 to 3.

Ludolf Parker’s poignant Saying Goodbye to Amelia which tells of the spiritual and physical journey a woman undertakes on the day of her friend’s funeral - won the Johannesburg leg of the fifth PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing at the University of Johannesburg on the weekend.

The runner up award went to Durban’s Ashwin Singh for his one-hander Reoca Light which tells the story of a young man who is presiding over the closure of his parents’ convenience store after a series of robberies, when is approached by a local journalist with a story behind the story about the store.

Audience favourite went to Zwai Mgijima's Veil - which is set in New Brighton and tells the story of two beautiful souls – Ali, a Somali shopkeeper and Nosipho, who find their way to be together for eternity.

Regional events for the festival have taken place in Cape Town two weeks ago for comedy, in Johannesburg last weekend for one and two-hander plays, and will run in Durban at the Catalina Theatre this weekend for dramas. The national finals will be at the Catalina Theatre in Durban on June 3.

The aims of this wonderful and annually much anticipated festival, run with the support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF), are to generate original South African theatre works, to provide a platform for these works to reach the attention of theatre producers, and to work towards full-scale productions of the winning plays.

Productions will be staged as play readings by actors under the guidance of a professional director, with the focus on the script being showcased most effectively, without being overwhelmed by elaborate staging, sets, costumes and lighting.

The winning scripts in each region - Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban - are re-read in the national final in Durban on June 3 and are up for a Grand Prize of R30,000. A panel of carefully chosen industry leaders are the judges of the competition who critically adjudicate the scripts.

Tickets R30 per reading. (R100 if you buy for all four readings in each region. The National Final event is R30, or free with a stub from at least one regional performance. Tickets in all instances are available at the door or in advance for Durban: Catalina Theatre regionals and final readings can be booked through the Catalina on 031 305 6889.