(Four of the actors taking part are Mia Olivier (Bones); Nhlakanipho Manqele (Hinterland); Thobani Mbhele (Wednesday Night) and Caitlin Kilburn (Your Hand in My Pocket).)The KZN – and final - leg of the PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing 2012 takes place at the Catalina Theatre on June 1 and 2. The four productions fall under the Drama category with two productions taking place on each day, followed by the national finals on June 3.
The fifth PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing is one of South Africa’s most respected projects to encourage innovative new scriptwriting. The aims of this wonderful and annually much-anticipated festival, is run by PANSA with the support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF). The aim is 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 read formally (not staged) 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, lighting, performances and direction.
The festivals have been a resounding success in previous years with most of the winning scripts (and numerous of those not winning as well) going on to fullscale productions at a variety of theatres and festivals, both locally and internationally. Winning plays include, Salaam Stories by Ashraf Johaardien, Bungi writing finals by Finuala Dowling, Guy Willoughby’s Church Full of Light, and Mike van Graan’s Green Man Flashing and Two to Tango.
More recent winners Kobus Moolman’s Stone Angel and Nicholas Spagnoletti’s London Road (Jury Runner up winner 2007) are still currently enjoying runs in theatres and festivals nationally.
The winning scripts in each region - Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban - are re-read in the national final 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.
The festival is a national project of PANSA: the Performing Arts Network of South Africa which is a civic national network of individuals, NGOs, service providers and mainstream institutions that are engaged in the practice or support of the performing arts (performing arts in all forms - dance, music, theatre, opera, musical theatre). The national office is in Cape Town, with regional offices in Durban and North West, and active volunteers throughout the country.
The regional line-up for next week is as follows:
June 1: Your Hand in My Pocket by Craig Eisenstein at 17h00 followed by Wednesday Night by Ingrid Wylde at 20h00.
June 2: Hinterland at 14h00 by Duncan Buwalda (directed by artSMart editor Caroline Smart), followed by Bones by Anton Kruger at 17h00.
June 3: National winners ½ Hander (13h00)’ Drama (16h00) and Comedy (19h00)
Tickets at the door - R30 per reading with the National Final R30, or free with a stub from at least one regional performance. Advance tickets for Catalina Theatre regionals and final readings, can be booked through the Catalina on 031 305 6889 (o/h)
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