The National Arts Festival offers a major challenge for “KZN hothouse flowers” in coping with the cold as well as finding the required stamina for this exhilarating but truly hectic period. artSMart editor, Caroline Smart, offers her suggestions for surviving the National Arts Festival so that you can enjoy every minute of it!
Humphrey Tyler (a former Durban arts editor) offered the best advice to survive Grahamstown and the Festival:
“Dress like an onion with an open mind!” - i.e. dress in layers and be prepared for ANYTHING performance-wise!
Grahamstown residents are predicting a cold festival but don’t let that put you off. Pretend you’re going skiing without all the skiing paraphernalia!
1. Grahamstown can be cold, there’s no doubt about that, but provided you dress warmly, the exercise of walking from one venue to the other and the stimulation of the productions will keep you energised. If you don’t have a car, it’s advisable to get fit beforehand. Get some exercise and stock up on vitamins. Even if you aren’t an actor or actress and need to protect your voice, try not to talk out of doors after about 5 o'clock. That’s instant sore throat story.
2. Grahamstown’s weather does its own thing but the forecasts are usually accurate. You can trek down there with all the armoury you can muster against the cold and you could find yourself with sunny days when a light T-shirt and slacks and sandals are fine. But be warned, this won’t last long and if you are there for the full festival, eventually Festival Freeze sets in.
3. Take a hot water bottle and/or bedsocks. Sleep in a poloneck to protect the throat, go to bed fully clothed if necessary to keep the body heat intact and bath/shower in the morning. Remember, it’s Festival! Anything goes!
4. The important thing is to be warm at night so that you can enjoy your festival run-around in the daytime. Never mind what you look like, even if you go to bed with a beanie, scarf and tracksuit. If you’re travelling with a partner, tell them to put up with it. It’s Festival!
5. Remember that Grahamstown is situated in the arid Eastern Cape so water is a very valuable commodity and should be used as sparingly as possible. It takes time to get hot water going through the cold pipes in the morning, so here’s what you can do. Take a thermos flask with you if you have the space or else buy one at one of the supermarkets, it’s worth the cost. Fill it up with boiling water the night before and then you’ll have warm water in the morning to wash your face and hands. Try putting in hard contact lenses after washing them in ice cold water – as I used to do before I became enlightened. It is not to be recommended!
6. Things have changed considerably over the 26 years I’ve been attending the festival. There is now a vast range of food available – in the old days, there were boerewors rolls takeaway stands and two restaurants (one of them a steakhouse) and that was it, never mind the poor vegetarians! Now you can get any kind of cuisine virtually at any time of the day or night!
7. I would suggest you take a satchel bag that is large enough to carry your jersey, scarf, beanie and gloves as the day gets warmer and then it’s on hand to put it all back on again later in the day as the cold sets in. The bag should be big enough to carry that mammoth festival programme and your notebook and a pen (as well as a standby pen should the other run out).
8. Remember that - except at the Guy Butler Theatre in the Monument and Rhodes Theatre - there is no reserved seating, so it’s first come first served. You will spend a fair amount of time waiting in queues for the doors to open, especially if there’s been a technical glitz with the set-up for the show.
9. My advice is also to go to the toilet whenever you can, preferably after the show when the queues are much smaller.
10. Pick ‘n Pay at the Pepper Grove in African Street is fantastic at Festival, it stays open very late (as does the shop at the petrol garage just down the road) and they have a range of take-away stuff that is well-prepared and often delicious.
11. Have a look at the map in the programme so that you get an idea of where everything is situated.
12. The Cue magazine is a must. This is an initiative produced by the Rhodes University Journalism Department in collaboration with a number of sponsors, including BASA. This will give you daily news on what’s happening as well as reviews on the Main festival productions. The Fringe Clips offer short paragraphs in terms of reviews but basically, the best route is to keep your eyes and ears open. People talk about productions and recommend them and sometimes this power of word-of-mouth has turned an excellent struggling production into a sell-out.
13. Check out the programme for information on The Hopper Bus which moves around the festival venues and is R5/ride. Shuttle from PE Airport to Grahamstown – R200 one way/R400 return.
14. I have four people reviewing for artSMart (including myself) and these reviews will be on artSMart as soon as humanly possible. I will also try to get my impressions onto FB. However, I write a daily diary which encapsulates the day’s activities.
This year, I am avoiding the horrendous road through Mthata and Butterworth and opting for the Kokstad, Matatielle, Maclear route. I have been assured by the AA that it’s tarred all the way. It apparently takes about 45 minutes longer but the roads are quieter and the traffic apparently better behaved!
Hope to see you in Grahamstown. Have fun. Prepare to be Amazed! It’s Festival! - Caroline Smart
Friday, June 29, 2012
LOYISO BALA FOR KUMISA
(Loyiso Bala)Kumisa - the Kwa Zulu-Natal United Music Industry Association - will host its first music industry conference with award-winning South African artist Loyiso Bala taking centre stage at the event.
Set to take place on June 30 2012 in Durban, the inaugural conference is facilitated as a developmental project by Kumisa, which was created with the objective of serving, promoting and representing the interests of the music industry in the KZN, nationally and internationally.
The conference will play host to key music industry players and related industry specialists as part of a day-long programme set to inform, educate and engage conference registrants (Kumisa members), music industry stakeholders and guests from the media on the various facets and challenges of being an active player in the KZN Music Industry.
Bala will present a key-note address titled The Business of being an artist tackling the development and support of business and entrepreneurial skills for music artists.
“We wanted to kick things off with a bang and we knew that a respected artist like Loyiso Bala would be the perfect candidate to head up such a significant event to music professionals around the province,” said Kumisa chairperson Nkosinathi Mshengu.
With a music career spanning over the majority of his life, Bala who is brother to Zwai Bala of popular SA group TKZee, has dabbled in a variety of music genres such as Classical, Kwaito, RnB and most recently Gospel. The Gimme the Night star who has performed alongside artists such as Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, John Legend, Elton John and Akon has five SAMAs (South African Music Awards), three Metro FM Awards, and even a South African Film and TV Award for Best Musical Score as well as other prestigious accolades to his name.
The conference programme will also feature several panel discussions and seminars led by leading experts in the field ranging from topics such as Radio Airplay, Live Music and Audience Development and Music Rights, Royalties, Digital Platforms and New Media Technology.
Said Mshengu; “Kumisa has felt the pressing need to purposely select these topics for discussion in response to areas sorely lacking drive and guidance in our music sector. With the assistance of our lead experts and support from our stakeholders we are confident that the conference will leave a lasting impression on our artists that will promote the sustainability and longevity of our beloved music industry here in the province.”
Kumisa was established as a non-profit, regional music industry organisation created through a partnership between the eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Film Office, operating under the auspices of the Economic Development Unit, and the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT), which aims to support and accelerate the advancement of a financially viable and sustainable music industry within the province.
Last week Kumisa announced plans to utilise funding support from KZN DEDT towards active involvement in developmental projects that will promote the aims and objectives of Kumisa, and increase Kumisa membership among music professionals.
The Kumisa Inaugural Music Industry Conference will take place on June 30 from 09h00 to 17h00 at the Docklands Hotel on the Point Waterfront in Durban. For more information visit www.kumisa.com
FLAVOURS OF DURBAN
(Nathi Mkhize and Sibusiso Mkhabe (with guitar) from the Meditators with Thami Duma and Sifiso Mpanza from Caribbean Connection. Photo by Val Adamson)Flavours of Durban offers a fabulous winter food festival on June 30 and July 1 at uShaka Marine World, North Beach Amphitheatre (an initiative headed by Southern Sun Elangeni) and Suncoast. It marks the culmination of this year’s Durban Fun Season.
The idea is to taste a variety of speciality delights by visiting each of the participating nodes at which respected chefs, culinary experts and speciality foodies will be preparing a variety of delicious Durban dishes. Each node will offer al-fresco dining experiences, on-site entertainment, live music and a comfortable opportunity to soak up the wonderful and crisp winter weather.
Performing at uShaka Marine World on Saturday will be DJ Dakin Auret and Coco Locco followed by the popular local eight piece reggae outfit, the Meditators, on Sunday.
Sunday will have a distinctly rasta and reggae theme at uShaka Flavours node with The Meditators, guest bands and DJs, including The Rasta Rhythms, Ras Lovi, Follow Jah as well as guest artists Kianja and Poppy Seed from the UK. Also performing will be Caribbean Connection – a group of seven talented musicians with a marimba, a brass band and a steel drum repertoire. There will also be a rasta-themed flea market.
Flavours of Durban takes place at the three venues – Suncoast, Amphitheatre area North Beach and uShaka on June 30 and July 1 from noon until 18h00 daily.
The organisers are grateful to the Durban Chamber of Commerce and also to Durban Tourism, the eThekwini Municipality and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal. More information on 031 312 1281 o/h.
DURBAN RAPPERS AND POETS FOR NAF
(Tumelo Khoza)Rappers Abdus, Champ, Manelis, Ntsika and Skye Wanda will team up with poets Dashen Naicker, Siya Sikhakane and Tumelo Khoza to travel to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown for several performances from June 29 until July 3. The eight artists, who are successful and steadily growing in their own disciplines, decided to team up to represent Durban street culture at the festival.
This show has it all, from the sultry Zulu rap on jazz and energetic funk beats by Manelis, to the catchy and soulful sounds of Ntsika, the raw Hype Mag Award-winning lyricism of Abdus, set to the detailed, vibey raps of Champ. The soulful approach of Skye Wanda in rap and singing sets up a perfect runway for Siya the poet to take off. All this is interlinked by the presence of a DJ and thought-provoking poetry from Tumelo Khoza and Dashen Naicker.
This project is organized with support from Ethekwini Municipality, Department of Arts and Living Culture.
More information at e-mail: marlyn@isupportdoyou.com
Thursday, June 28, 2012
YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE
(Alexander Fehling plays the young and tumultuous Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)As the world’s largest dedicated art movie house, Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau presents audiences with a wide range of content that appeals to the mind and soul - and every so often directly to the heart!
Cinema Nouveau audiences are in for a romantic indulgence with Young Goethe in Love. To be screened at Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau, the multi award winning film co-written and directed by Philipp Stölzl of Richard Wagner - Rienzi, der letzte der Tribunen , stars Alexander Fehling and the engaging Miriam Stein.
The film, co-written with Christoph Müller and Alexander Dydyna, has been nominated for numerous awards and has won Gold in the German Film Awards and in the German Film Critics Association Awards.
Goethe is Germany’s most famous poet and philosopher, yet there has never been a pertinent film about this extraordinary personality – until now. The film is based on Goethe’s semi-autobiographical masterpiece The Sorrows of a Young Werther and tells the story of a young man who achieved his artistic success as a result of his greatest love pangs.
Germany 1772 - the young and tumultuous Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Alexander Fehling) aspires to be a poet; but after failing his law exams, is sent away by his father (Henry Huebchen) to mend his ways. Unsure of his talent and eager to prove himself, Goethe soon wins the praise and friendship of his superior Kestner (Moritz Bleibtreu). But then Lotte (Mirian Stein) enters his life and nothing is ever the same. However, the young lovers are unaware that her father (Burghart Klaußner) has already promised Lotte’s hand to another man.
According to Müller – who also co-produced the piece, “The film is based for the most part on actual events. But if a Goethe expert were to say that a scene never happened, that’s the wrong way to approach our film. We were more concerned about showing truths, which are more important than pure facts. You can’t get close to historical characters with facts alone. It was like that with Amadeus and Shakespeare in Love.”
This approach has created a classical piece that inspires the audience. As the promo for the film says, “As a student he was a disappointment, as a poet he was a failure, as a romantic he was hopeless! And it took a broken heart to inspire him to greatness!”
Head for Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau at Gateway and witness the thought provoking story of Goethe as he not only falls in love with a woman but is also set on the path to artistic greatness.
For more information go to www.sterkinekor.com , Sterkinekor.mobi or follow us @SKTheatres or Facebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres.
FRENCH NOTE AT NAF
From the first note struck by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra at the opening of the National Arts Festival (NAF) there will be a strong French presence across the 10-day Grahamstown event.
French music, theatre and dance productions at the NAF and Standard Bank Jazz Festival form part of the French Season in South Africa, the first leg of a two-way inter-country exchange, known as The France-South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013.
“The KZN Philharmonic will be opening the festival with a programme consisting entirely of pieces by the French composers, Camille Saint-Saëns and Paul Dukas. We wanted to announce to festival-goers the exciting things to come as part of the French Season,” says Bongani Tembe, who wears two hats as chief executive of the KZN Philharmonic and South African Commissioner-General for the France-South Africa Seasons.
The Seasons is an initiative conceived and facilitated by the governments of the two countries to give the people of France and South Africa an opportunity to understand each other better through cultural, scientific, sport, education and business engagement. The French Season in South Africa runs from June to November 2012 and the South African Season in France will take place in the second half of 2013.
“The Seasons are not only an exchange but they involve very interesting collaborations between artists from our two countries,” says Laurent Clavel, French Commissioner-General for the Seasons. “Audiences in Grahamstown will be able to appreciate the special creativity that is generated by pooling French and South African talents and experiences.”
The Grahamstown line-up from the French Season will also feature:
Music: renowned French pianist and composer Carine Bonnefoy leading a New Large Ensemble of French and South African players; and the brass sound of the Big Time! project which brings together established French and South African musicians with young brass band members from Cape Town and Grahamstown.
Dance: a restaging of the first two works of the French choreographic duo, Mathilde Monnier and Jean François Duroure, and the stunning dance-theatre-piece, !Aïa, which premiered at Artscape last year and is a collaborative project led by Théâtre Taliipot from Reunion Island.
Theatre: The first performance of Ster City in South Africa, created and brought to life by Johannesburg actors and the travelling theatre laboratory Carnet Sud/Nord.
Additional performance art: Nounouche - The Side Show street theatre which will appear in unexpected places at unannounced times; performances by the acclaimed Non Nova Company, involving dance and choreographed ethereal puppets blowing in the wind – with a view to experiencing change and engaging with the unanticipated; and combined creative workshops-puppet shows-exhibitions by Les Grandes Personnes collective.
“Superficially it may seem that French and South African cultures are poles apart. But try out the productions at Grahamstown and you will be convinced that we really have a lot to explore together,” says Tembe.
“The French Season presents a face of France that is real and modern – and much more diverse than many people think,” emphasises Clavel.
For information about the France-South Africa 2012 & 2013 Seasons and programme for the French Season 2012, visit www.france-southafrica.com
French music, theatre and dance productions at the NAF and Standard Bank Jazz Festival form part of the French Season in South Africa, the first leg of a two-way inter-country exchange, known as The France-South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013.
“The KZN Philharmonic will be opening the festival with a programme consisting entirely of pieces by the French composers, Camille Saint-Saëns and Paul Dukas. We wanted to announce to festival-goers the exciting things to come as part of the French Season,” says Bongani Tembe, who wears two hats as chief executive of the KZN Philharmonic and South African Commissioner-General for the France-South Africa Seasons.
The Seasons is an initiative conceived and facilitated by the governments of the two countries to give the people of France and South Africa an opportunity to understand each other better through cultural, scientific, sport, education and business engagement. The French Season in South Africa runs from June to November 2012 and the South African Season in France will take place in the second half of 2013.
“The Seasons are not only an exchange but they involve very interesting collaborations between artists from our two countries,” says Laurent Clavel, French Commissioner-General for the Seasons. “Audiences in Grahamstown will be able to appreciate the special creativity that is generated by pooling French and South African talents and experiences.”
The Grahamstown line-up from the French Season will also feature:
Music: renowned French pianist and composer Carine Bonnefoy leading a New Large Ensemble of French and South African players; and the brass sound of the Big Time! project which brings together established French and South African musicians with young brass band members from Cape Town and Grahamstown.
Dance: a restaging of the first two works of the French choreographic duo, Mathilde Monnier and Jean François Duroure, and the stunning dance-theatre-piece, !Aïa, which premiered at Artscape last year and is a collaborative project led by Théâtre Taliipot from Reunion Island.
Theatre: The first performance of Ster City in South Africa, created and brought to life by Johannesburg actors and the travelling theatre laboratory Carnet Sud/Nord.
Additional performance art: Nounouche - The Side Show street theatre which will appear in unexpected places at unannounced times; performances by the acclaimed Non Nova Company, involving dance and choreographed ethereal puppets blowing in the wind – with a view to experiencing change and engaging with the unanticipated; and combined creative workshops-puppet shows-exhibitions by Les Grandes Personnes collective.
“Superficially it may seem that French and South African cultures are poles apart. But try out the productions at Grahamstown and you will be convinced that we really have a lot to explore together,” says Tembe.
“The French Season presents a face of France that is real and modern – and much more diverse than many people think,” emphasises Clavel.
For information about the France-South Africa 2012 & 2013 Seasons and programme for the French Season 2012, visit www.france-southafrica.com
IMPERIAL RUSSIAN BALLET
(Scene from "Carmina Burana")Disappointment at replica of previous programme balanced by some fine performances. (Review by Mary Ann Salvage)
The Imperial Russian Ballet appeared at the Playhouse Opera this week for two performances as part of their South African tour 2012.
Eagerly awaiting another visit from the Imperial Russian Ballet, I must admit I was hugely disappointed to discover that the programme was a replica of their previous one presented in 2009!
Act 1 commenced with Scenic Cantata Carmina Burana, a ballet with music by German composer Carl Orff. I struggled to grasp the meaning of this complex piece, as did many other people I spoke to during interval and after the show. In my opinion, the choreography is outdated and old-fashioned and it was an unnecessary inclusion in the programme.
Walpurgis Night, the one-act ballet from the opera Faust, was a delightful piece which should have opened the evening. It certainly set a more light-hearted tone to Act 2.
The Grand Pas de Deux from the ballet Don Quixote did not disappoint, especially Lina Seveliova’s performance of Kitri. What followed was a beautiful contemporary dance piece Don’t leave me performed by Anna Pashkova. It was a lovely break to the programme.
The Pas de Deux from Spartacus, not printed in the programme, and Sleeping Beauty as well as the Dying Swan solo showcased the technical abilities of the company. Special mention should be made of Oxana Sharova (Dying Swan) who brought a unique interpretation to Saint-Saens music and Fokine’s choreography. However, the lighting in the form of gobos distracted me as it caused shadows on the dancer.
The Can-Can Orpheus in the Underworld showcased two very athletic dynamic male dancers who were the highlight of the finale for me. The Lady in Red was good, albeit a bit passé. It was a fun piece to end the show but, unfortunately, “milking” the audience for applause is just not a good idea. I certainly hope that their next trip to South Africa will see a new repertoire.
The Imperial Russian Ballet continues their South African tour to East London, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg, where they will end their run. - Mary Ann Salvage
HMS PINAFORE
Once again, Northcliff High School brings an entertaining musical to Durban. (Review by Caroline Smart)Every year, Northcliff High School in Johannesburg bring their annual musical to Durban where it has a short season in the Playhouse Drama always playing to loyal and supportive audiences. This is the school that produced Jonathan Roxmouth, who impressed audiences with his title role in Phantom of the Opera at The Teatro Theatre at Montecasino recently.
This year, 14 years on, the choice is Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore and the exuberant waving of the Union Jack flag at the end made me think it was chosen because the production dates coincided with Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Another link would be one of the songs in the show which proclaims For He is an Englishman!.
Once again, I must record my commendation of this visionary school which actively supports the talents of its learners. The drama students get to appear in a major musical under the direction of their long-time skilled director Nick Jourdan; move away from their comfort zone of a home venue; go on tour and perform on a professional stage like the Playhouse Drama. Not many aspiring performers get to do this.
They also learn the challenges of preparing, performing and travelling with a large scale production. HMS Pinafore has a cast of at least 30 performers, 12 members of the technical/backstage team and four musicians. This is not to mention the production team back home of set builders, costume sewers, artists, painters and props makers. The costumes are attractive and the set features a revolve which offers different aspects of the vessel and is flanked by backdrops of other ships.
The last production was Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2011 when Robyn Johnson impressed me considerably in the lead role. In HMS Pinafore, she takes a supporting character while Ekene Nkadu (Miss Dorothy Brown in thoroughly Modern Millie) gives a sincere performance in a major role as Josephine, The Captain's Daughter.
In a Mr Bean take-off of Sir Joseph Porter, Gareth Meijsen pulled in the laughs while Alex de Bruyn as Captain Corcoran shows promise with a pleasing baritone. As Ralph Rackstraw, William Smit often tended to look a bit lost but Ntsako Mgiba as Dick Deadeye kept the energy going. The most impressive performance came from Kathryn Bankart as the feisty Buttercup
The story line is a true G&S convoluted process of dark secrets, unrequited love and a satire on the politics of the time. Nick Jourdan has introduced many elements of contemporary humour which found great favour with tonight’s audience.
HMS Pinafore offers considerable challenges from a dialogue, singing and dancing point of view and not all major characters rose to the occasion. However, occasional inaccurate harmonies, off-pitch entries, singers trying to reach notes out of their comfort range and a sailors’ hornpipe that isn’t quite together are small irritations in the overall achievement.
I mentioned loyal and supportive audiences. In the curtain call, the cast acknowledged one of Northcliff musicals’ most loyal supporters who had seen every one of their shows since she was four years old. Today was her 11th birthday so they invited her onto the stage to sing to her. The young girl was fairly overcome but it will surely be a memory she will cherish. A lovely touch!
HMS Pinafore runs from June 27 to 30 at 19h30 with extra performance on June 30 at 14h00 and July 1 at 15h00. Booking is at Computicket. – Caroline Smart
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
RACE FOR NAF
The National Arts Festivals in association with The Playhouse Company are proud to present Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet’s contentious 2009 play, Race. Produced by special arrangement with Abrams Artists Agency New York, Race will be presented with a star cast of actors in Graeme College in Grahamstown from July 2 to 4.
The play’s riveting plot revolves around three lawyers, two partners - one African-American, one white - and their young, African-American law clerk, who are debating whether or not to take the case of a wealthy white man accused of raping an African-American woman. The play, like the case, is not open and shut.
Shame, guilt, class, sex, lies - and, of course, race - are all provocatively stirred together in this fast-paced show that is guaranteed to leave theatregoers dissecting and discussing it long after the curtain falls.
As the playwright wrote in an essay about his work, “Race, like sex, is a subject on which it is near impossible to tell the truth.” Audience members will undoubtedly bring their own set of judgments and preconceptions into this work that delves into a most complicated and fraught subject.
As was the case, when the play was performed at the Playhouse in Durban in October last year, direction is by Clare Mortimer with design by Sarah Roberts and lighting design by Mannie Manim. The stellar cast includes Sello Maake Ka-Ncube and Michael Richard playing their original roles of the legal partners, Henry Brown and Jack Lawson. The NAF production sees Graeme Hopkins playing Charles Stickland, the character accused of rape, and actress-singer-dancer Nondumiso Tembe in the pivotal role of Susan, the young legal intern.
Race runs at Graeme College in Grahamstown from July 2 to 4 with performances on July 2 at 20h00; July 3 at 14h00 and 20h00 and July 4 at 12h00 and 16h00. Booking through Computicket. Booking kits are available from selected Standard Bank branches, selected Exclusive Books and Computicket branches. For more information on the programme, accommodation and travel options visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za or click on the banner advert at the top of this page.
The play’s riveting plot revolves around three lawyers, two partners - one African-American, one white - and their young, African-American law clerk, who are debating whether or not to take the case of a wealthy white man accused of raping an African-American woman. The play, like the case, is not open and shut.
Shame, guilt, class, sex, lies - and, of course, race - are all provocatively stirred together in this fast-paced show that is guaranteed to leave theatregoers dissecting and discussing it long after the curtain falls.
As the playwright wrote in an essay about his work, “Race, like sex, is a subject on which it is near impossible to tell the truth.” Audience members will undoubtedly bring their own set of judgments and preconceptions into this work that delves into a most complicated and fraught subject.
As was the case, when the play was performed at the Playhouse in Durban in October last year, direction is by Clare Mortimer with design by Sarah Roberts and lighting design by Mannie Manim. The stellar cast includes Sello Maake Ka-Ncube and Michael Richard playing their original roles of the legal partners, Henry Brown and Jack Lawson. The NAF production sees Graeme Hopkins playing Charles Stickland, the character accused of rape, and actress-singer-dancer Nondumiso Tembe in the pivotal role of Susan, the young legal intern.
Race runs at Graeme College in Grahamstown from July 2 to 4 with performances on July 2 at 20h00; July 3 at 14h00 and 20h00 and July 4 at 12h00 and 16h00. Booking through Computicket. Booking kits are available from selected Standard Bank branches, selected Exclusive Books and Computicket branches. For more information on the programme, accommodation and travel options visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za or click on the banner advert at the top of this page.
Monday, June 25, 2012
PIPPA LEA PENNINGTON
(Street in old Jaipur - oil/canvas by Pippa Lea Pennington)An exhibition by Pippa Lea Pennington titled A Trip to India is currently running at Tamasa Gallery. It represents an encapsulation of all the images, sounds, smells, sights, she experienced in India over a month's visit.
India tends to overwhelm one's senses on the first visit and Pippa has spent two years sifting through all the images and visual stimulation she experienced. The final result is a collection of incredibly detailed paintings of glimpses into the everyday, the monumental, the architectural and the landscapes that make up the India she saw, capturing the rich inheritance that makes up the Indian culture. Different media techniques have been used from pastel, oil painting to watercolours on a vast scale.
Until now, Pippa has always worked with light and its different effects on plants and landscapes, be it moody or cheerful, in a African context where colour has to be looked for. In this exhibition, she has captured the differences between the continents and has lost none of her exacting observation for detail.
A Trip to India runs until June 29 at Tamasa Gallery, 36 Overport Drive, Durban. More information on 031 207 1223 or fax 031 207 1224.
DIFF MULTIPLE & BLOCK BOOKING FACILITY
Ailsa Windsor (GoingplacesSA), Kwazi Ngubane (DIFF) and Noxolo Malimba (DIFF)The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), taking place from July 19 to 29 with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, has announced the introduction of a new multi- and block booking facility through GoingPlaces SA, a Durban-based entertainment and leisure website with a shopping portal.
“We are pleased that we are able to offer our festival goers, the opportunity to plan and book for the entire festival in advance” says Peter Rorvik, Director of DIFF. “As we are using different business units – the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Ster Kinekor at Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau at Gateway and Cinecentre at Suncoast, each with their own booking systems, in the past we have not been able to offer a comprehensive booking facility which enables people to book tickets in one go for all these venues. GoingPlaces has come up with a solution to this, and we go live on July 2.”
GoingPlaces (www.goingplacessa.com) was founded by well-known journalist Ailsa Windsor in 2003 to promote entertainment and leisure in Southern Africa and provides movie, theatre and concert reviews, a daily updated events guide and profiles on artist(e)s, places to visit and more. The service has now expanded to include handling of block and multi bookings for a number of entertainment organisations in KZN including Sue Clarence- and KickstArt Productions.
“Over the years, I have realised that it is essential to make it easier for members of the public to have access to a booking facility that caters for all their entertainment needs. In other words – a one-stop-shop,” says Ailsa Windsor. “This means that DIFF audiences have the choice of booking online through the GoingPlaces webshop or talking to me directly about their movie selection... and their tickets will be waiting for them at their venue of choice.”
“We hope to encourage people to plan their festival with friends, so are offering some incentives,” says Peter Rorvik. “Festival-goers booking multiple tickets through Going Places will receive a festival souvenir catalogue for the first ten tickets booked. The first 20 people booking a single transaction of over 20 tickets will also receive a free ticket to the closing night film on July 28, plus a free DIFF T-shirt.”
Ailsa Windsor also reviews movies for the site, and is the host of the monthly screenings of SterKinekor’s Movie Connoisseur Club. “I look forward to servicing one of Africa’s biggest film festivals through GoingPlaces, and hope that those audience members who want to plan their festival in advance take advantage of this new service,” she says.
The programmes for the DIFF are available at all the venues, and online at www.durbanfilmfestival.co.za. Multiple and block bookings (only) can be made from July 2 from the DIFF website at www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or directly with GoingPlacesSA’s webshop (http://shop.goingplacessa.com) or contact editor.goingplacessa@gmail.com or 083 250 2690.
For more information on the festivals presented by the Centre for Creative Arts, click on the button advert at the top of this page.
SHIKA AND THE KING
(Dhaveshan Govender and Shika Budhoo)Entertaining showcase that should not be missed! (Review by Viresh Prahalath)
Nesting on the edge of the beautiful platform of Wilson’s Wharf, surrounded by the stunning night scenery of ghostly white boats and bright lights, the Catalina Theatre hosts a great double bill that has hilarious comedy and touching characters. Shika and the King, which consists of two one-man plays, Shika-Land and King of Old Trafford, is truly an entertaining showcase and should not be missed!
Shika-Land starts with a sincere representation of herself as Shika Budhoo takes us down a comical and memorable journey through the lives of five different women around the world who share the same name.
Using comedy as her first vice to tell stories, we laugh our way along the piece, sometimes stumbling onto issues that these women face, such as those of arranged marriages (unfortunately, a very familiar story used to represent Indian women) and the hardships of a single mother in Trinidad. The popular melodies that Shika sings pleasingly during her costume changes provide a reflective moment in between the madness and seriousness of the characters she portrays.
A formidable feature of the performance is that the characters that she renders are completely different from each other! We are treated to a good array of accents and mannerisms that work well enough to transform her into a different person each time.
What makes her funny is the conviction with which she plays her characters, as wacky as they may be. A memorable role in the piece is that of a young French woman who is trying to break up with her boyfriend by mail using almost half a notepad in an attempt to get the correct approach. Absolutely hilarious with a great response from the crowd!
Shika-Land is a generally well-imagined show from the actress/writer Shika Budhoo and director Dhaveshan Govender that works well and will have you rolling off the aisles with laughter.
In King of Old Trafford, Dhaveshan Govender portrays an animated character called Ricky who is both hilarious in his exploits and real in his flaws. Being a die-hard Manchester United fan from Chatsworth, Ricky spends a great deal of time with the boys watching the game at Old Trafford, a bar named after the famous playing grounds in the UK. In describing his experiences and the people he has formed and broken relationships with in his life, the audience is treated to a comical account of what goes on in the mind of an alcohol-loving “Man United” fan.
Ricky’s characterisations of the friends and family in his life are very amusing, especially that of the penniless car guard who is always asking everyone for spare change. As the show moves along, with many references to the game and seemingly quite a few sips of beer by Ricky, we are exposed to the issues that are present in his life.
Whilst witnessing sad revelations around the character’s life, one feela a sense of sympathy for the character that has created dismal life conditions for himself and is bearing the brunt of his choices. For this reason, the play can be classified as having both a funny and emotional tone.
The show works very well in producing both humour and sympathy for an almost pitiable character, though it does tend to drag a teensy bit when uncovering some of the circumstances on stage. Regardless, it is still a good piece of work that is definitely worth the view!
Watch these shows, if you are not familiar with them already, to see some of the exciting content that is coming out of a talented Durban. If you like comedy, you will definitely enjoy this one! Bear in mind that Shika-Land does carry an age restriction of 16 due to the language used in the play though it certainly cannot be described as vulgar as the use of expletives are far and few between and used with good motivations. – Viresh Prahalath
Both productions will appear on the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown at the Masonic Front. Shika-Land is performed on June 28 at 16h00, June 29 at 18h00 and June 30 at 12h00 and July 1 at 22h00. King of Old Trafford follows with shows on July 2 at 10h00, July 3 at 18h00, July 5 at 16h00, July 6 at 14h00 and 22h00 and July 8 at 10h00.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
CREATIVE KIDS WORKSHOP
Jaziel Vaugh’hann will present a Creative Kids Workshop for the July school holidays in the Durban Botanical Gardens. It comprises three different productions each including different forms of interaction from the children. The productions run for a week at a time.
Jonah and the Whale (June 25 to 29): a musically narrated original story with lots of activities like singing, dancing and colouring-in. Every child also gets a free little toy.
Noah and the Ark (July 2 to 6) offers lots of great songs and dancing. The children get to paint and make something and they also receive a free CD.
A David and Goliath Story (July 9 to 13): the children learn some new and creative ways to work with chocolate and take home their handmade chocolate treat. Don’t forget to bring an apron!
The workshop programme takes place at 11h00 in the Durban Botanical Gardens in the Under the Fig Tree Amphitheatre. Tickets R50 available at the door. More information from Linda Larratt of the Friends of Durban Botanic Gardens on 031 309 9243 or fax 031 309 1271
Jonah and the Whale (June 25 to 29): a musically narrated original story with lots of activities like singing, dancing and colouring-in. Every child also gets a free little toy.
Noah and the Ark (July 2 to 6) offers lots of great songs and dancing. The children get to paint and make something and they also receive a free CD.
A David and Goliath Story (July 9 to 13): the children learn some new and creative ways to work with chocolate and take home their handmade chocolate treat. Don’t forget to bring an apron!
The workshop programme takes place at 11h00 in the Durban Botanical Gardens in the Under the Fig Tree Amphitheatre. Tickets R50 available at the door. More information from Linda Larratt of the Friends of Durban Botanic Gardens on 031 309 9243 or fax 031 309 1271
BOTANICAL GARDEN RESCUE
The Friends of the Durban Botanic Gardens together with Dr Shalina Naicker’s Nuldeaz Academy of Speech and Drama present Rock Out the Show Kidz in Botanical Garden Rescue.
Botanical Garden Rescue is a fun, interactive musical that aims to educate and inspire parents and children alike to appreciate South Africa’s parks and gardens. Audiences will meet the “friends” of the Botanical Gardens who want to preserve it. The “friends” are in conflict with the children who prefer entertainment venues.
Then there is the nutty professor and the sensible teacher who are both funny, but determined to preserve the natural environment. The audience will get to sing and dance along to songs like We Will Rock You, Earth Song, Under Pressure, etc and participate in a placard demonstration. There are also prizes to be won!
Botanical Garden Rescue is written and directed by Dr Shalina Naicker and choreographed by Andre Brahim. The show takes place at 14h30 on July 8 in the Durban Botanic Gardens’ Amphitheatre Under the Fig Tree. Tickets R30 (R20 youngsters five years and upwards) More information from Linda Larratt at DBG on 031 309 9243
Botanical Garden Rescue is a fun, interactive musical that aims to educate and inspire parents and children alike to appreciate South Africa’s parks and gardens. Audiences will meet the “friends” of the Botanical Gardens who want to preserve it. The “friends” are in conflict with the children who prefer entertainment venues.
Then there is the nutty professor and the sensible teacher who are both funny, but determined to preserve the natural environment. The audience will get to sing and dance along to songs like We Will Rock You, Earth Song, Under Pressure, etc and participate in a placard demonstration. There are also prizes to be won!
Botanical Garden Rescue is written and directed by Dr Shalina Naicker and choreographed by Andre Brahim. The show takes place at 14h30 on July 8 in the Durban Botanic Gardens’ Amphitheatre Under the Fig Tree. Tickets R30 (R20 youngsters five years and upwards) More information from Linda Larratt at DBG on 031 309 9243
TWELVE
(Poster for “Twelve”)It’s the end of the world, but who’s to blame? Rhino poachers? Jacob Zuma? Cell C? You?
Award-winning Durban actresses Mpume Mthombeni and Shika Budhoo perform Dhaveshan Govender’s comedic take on Armageddon. Will you run, hide or pray? Where will you be when the sun goes out?
At Twists Novel-Script Project 2010, Dhaveshan Govender was selected Best Writer, winning him a spot at the National Arts Festival Fringe this year. Twelve is Govender's latest offering and will premiere at Dicks this festival.
Two friends with one water bottle are running through the final days in South Africa, looking for salvation in a map with the old street names. At the same time, Jacob Zuma is looking for his BlackBerry, while Mama just wants to watch Desperate Housewives ... What would you buy at the final clearance sale at the end of days to survive the apocalypse? The story of Twelve is presented in Twelve chapters and no information is based on fact, they are merely fictitious situations created by the mind of Dhaveshan Govender.
Twelve runs at Dicks in the Monument during the National Arts Festival on July 1 at 10h00; July 2 at 18h30, July 3 at 16h00 and 22h30, and July 4 at 18h30. Tickets R50 booked at festival box office or Computicket.
Click on the National Arts Festival banner at the top of this page and it will take you straight to the Festival website.
DREAM BOY
(Stallone Santino)Dream Boy is a one-man show focusing on a teenage boy who dreams of becoming an actor. Stallone is an 18 year old matric graduate, passionate about studying drama, but has to face the wrath of his mother's opposing view. In dispute, he is left with an ultimatum.
In a matter of haste and melancholy, the over-eager teen chooses in his favour, in an attempt to overcome the challenges faced at home yet fulfil his passion of becoming an actor. An array of obstacles are encountered by the protagonist and he is compelled to the place of choice, yet again. What will he do? A thrilling twist to the narrative promises to hold the audience’s attention.
Written, directed and performed by Stallone Santino, the riveting play follows a journey of struggle, anticipation and curiosity. Not forgetting the laughter that Stallone Santino promises to arouse among the audiences with his characterisation and charismatic acting skills. Characters range from black to white, male to female, (even those in between). Dream Boy aims to appeal to the whole family.
A part-Indian, part Irish-performer trained at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Santino interestingly displays true South African identity with impersonations and accents. With a storyline conceptualised and based on true life events, he lets the cat out the hat, sharing some of his deepest experiences. Dream Boy contains elements of poetry, dance, physical theatre and loads of surprises.
Dream Boy also brings with it a skilful technical and stage team which includes Kelsey-Lynn Du Toit and Fallon Hammond whose work has been highly recognised at The Hexagon Theatre in Pietermaritzburg.
Produced by Darrel Nakul, Dream Boy has five performances at the National Arts Festival from June 28 to July 2 at the Masonic Front on Hill Street, Grahamstown. June 28 at 20h00; June 29 at 12h00; June 30 at 22h00; July 1 at 18h00 and July 2 at 12h00. Tickets R50 (discounts and concessions to students and pensioners) booked through Computicket at http://online.computicket.com/web/event/dream_boy/574992835
More information from Santino Stallone on 072 398 7193 or email: santino.stallone@yahoo.com
Click on the National Arts Festival banner at the top of this page and it will take you straight to the Festival website.
NUMBERED - 05978321
Durban University of Technology’s Drama and Production Studies pushes new boundaries with Genbia Hyla’s exciting new work 05978321. This powerful visually spectacular production will enjoy its world premiere this year at the 2012 Grahamstown National Arts Festival, a fitting international arena for a new South African work that echoes globally.
Genbia Hyla’s Numbered! (dedicated to Hylton Beresford Lutge) was written for the DUT: Department of Drama and Production Studies 2012 final year students. The work, directed by Thembalethu ‘Proh’ Nqumako under the directorial eye of Prof. Deborah Arlene Lutge, cleverly weaves between a series of complicated events.
First, there is a crime witnessed during a peacekeeping mission in Burundi in 2001 and a consequent court martial. A decade later the witness commits a murder and murders the alleged murderer in the Burundi Court Marshall. Although written by KwaZulu-Natal born playwright Genbia Hyla, the landscape of the play is global insinuating any army. The work which views for the first time publically on June 28 at the Rehearsal Room in the Monument has the potential to scoop awards. Although the production performs only twice in Grahamstown on June 28 and 30, it will be presented for a week on returning to Durban at the DUT Courtyard Theatre from July 17 to 21 commencing at 18h00.
There are a number of anomalies that surface in the script which make this play internationally competitive. First, the playwright is specific in all details from costuming to set to make-up, allowing a solid conceptual collaboration between all the elements. Second, the work does not explicitly set the landscape in a particular area, affording the work a wide application. Third, the director may choose whether the legal teams are the same characters or different characters as the trials are 10 years apart.
Thembalethu attempted to portray that the legal teams, although they remain the same, are operational in different court system by changing the Judges: the former being a man, the latter a woman. Fourth, the defence of ‘automatism’ allows the audience to determine whether: automatism is a manufactured defence; a condition really suffered by the defendant; or a condition originally brought in as a defence that the appellant imbibes, finally believing the automatism to be true.
Fifth, in the story-line there are three systems of justice: military; judicial; ethical. Sixth, the suicide at the end may interpret as a suggesting of ‘orgasmic gasping’ or suicide, or national brutalization. Finally, we are not sure if the plot is a set of memories and we are inside the central protagonist’s brain; a flashback film strip running in the dying moments of the central protagonist’s life; or an actual sequence of significant events – the only ones we remember. In the latter’s case Hyla alludes to the fact that history remembers only highlights and events with significant consequences, therefore these are the only recorded moments that have longevity.
Conceptually, the work presents itself as a collage of scenes set in an armour-plated world evolved from the scrap heap, and mechanized by conditioned responses, with android figures crossing in and out of spaces within frameworks and boundaries. The script includes strong visual representation for armour, masks, horns, skulls, grids, metal rods, armour-plated desks, uniforms, metal peeling make-up that all takes the play into an alternate cyberspace world. The scenes allow for ingenuity and flexibility in the direction with the play making strong suggestions and Nqumako says: “Lutge has used these moments to demonstrate how using props in intricate detail add value and directorial interpretation”.
One of the greatest challenges has been sourcing the items with which to construct the props, costumes and set. Mthandazo Mofokeng as Technical Director has been responsible for taking charge of the set construction working long hours to realize Hyla’s vision. Pamela Tancsik has assisted students to copy the make-up wizardry of Luke O’Gorman who gave life to the Hyla make-up concept. Many of the songs are original with cast-director teams working together to finalize the melodies. This has invested the project with its innovative design, an involvement embraced by all participants in this production.
05978321 has performances in Grahamstown at the Rehearsal Room on June 28 at 16h00 and June 30 at 18h30. Age restriction strictly adults only. Tickets R35 (R25 student/scholar)
Click on the National Arts Festival banner at the top of this page and it will take you straight to the Festival website.
Genbia Hyla’s Numbered! (dedicated to Hylton Beresford Lutge) was written for the DUT: Department of Drama and Production Studies 2012 final year students. The work, directed by Thembalethu ‘Proh’ Nqumako under the directorial eye of Prof. Deborah Arlene Lutge, cleverly weaves between a series of complicated events.
First, there is a crime witnessed during a peacekeeping mission in Burundi in 2001 and a consequent court martial. A decade later the witness commits a murder and murders the alleged murderer in the Burundi Court Marshall. Although written by KwaZulu-Natal born playwright Genbia Hyla, the landscape of the play is global insinuating any army. The work which views for the first time publically on June 28 at the Rehearsal Room in the Monument has the potential to scoop awards. Although the production performs only twice in Grahamstown on June 28 and 30, it will be presented for a week on returning to Durban at the DUT Courtyard Theatre from July 17 to 21 commencing at 18h00.
There are a number of anomalies that surface in the script which make this play internationally competitive. First, the playwright is specific in all details from costuming to set to make-up, allowing a solid conceptual collaboration between all the elements. Second, the work does not explicitly set the landscape in a particular area, affording the work a wide application. Third, the director may choose whether the legal teams are the same characters or different characters as the trials are 10 years apart.
Thembalethu attempted to portray that the legal teams, although they remain the same, are operational in different court system by changing the Judges: the former being a man, the latter a woman. Fourth, the defence of ‘automatism’ allows the audience to determine whether: automatism is a manufactured defence; a condition really suffered by the defendant; or a condition originally brought in as a defence that the appellant imbibes, finally believing the automatism to be true.
Fifth, in the story-line there are three systems of justice: military; judicial; ethical. Sixth, the suicide at the end may interpret as a suggesting of ‘orgasmic gasping’ or suicide, or national brutalization. Finally, we are not sure if the plot is a set of memories and we are inside the central protagonist’s brain; a flashback film strip running in the dying moments of the central protagonist’s life; or an actual sequence of significant events – the only ones we remember. In the latter’s case Hyla alludes to the fact that history remembers only highlights and events with significant consequences, therefore these are the only recorded moments that have longevity.
Conceptually, the work presents itself as a collage of scenes set in an armour-plated world evolved from the scrap heap, and mechanized by conditioned responses, with android figures crossing in and out of spaces within frameworks and boundaries. The script includes strong visual representation for armour, masks, horns, skulls, grids, metal rods, armour-plated desks, uniforms, metal peeling make-up that all takes the play into an alternate cyberspace world. The scenes allow for ingenuity and flexibility in the direction with the play making strong suggestions and Nqumako says: “Lutge has used these moments to demonstrate how using props in intricate detail add value and directorial interpretation”.
One of the greatest challenges has been sourcing the items with which to construct the props, costumes and set. Mthandazo Mofokeng as Technical Director has been responsible for taking charge of the set construction working long hours to realize Hyla’s vision. Pamela Tancsik has assisted students to copy the make-up wizardry of Luke O’Gorman who gave life to the Hyla make-up concept. Many of the songs are original with cast-director teams working together to finalize the melodies. This has invested the project with its innovative design, an involvement embraced by all participants in this production.
05978321 has performances in Grahamstown at the Rehearsal Room on June 28 at 16h00 and June 30 at 18h30. Age restriction strictly adults only. Tickets R35 (R25 student/scholar)
Click on the National Arts Festival banner at the top of this page and it will take you straight to the Festival website.
LEARN TO PAINT TRADITIONAL CHINESE WAY
(An Ni)There’s more to painting cherry blossoms, bamboo, chrysanthemums and orchids when mind, breath, body and brush integrate with poetry, calligraphy and painting. Durban event manager Tracy Voss found a new passion after attending a private class in Chinese Traditional Painting during her recent trip of China. She was determined to find a way to bring the inspiring teacher, An Ni, from the Beijing to South Africa to run a few classes.
An Ni is a traditional Chinese artist and graduate of the Kunming University. She majored in Western Art but developed her skills in Traditional Chinese Painting under the tutelage of XuJiande, a famous artist from Yunnan. Over the years, An Ni and Xu Jiande became good friends and together they developed a series of distinctive paintings popular in China and internationally.
Despite working as a freelance Creative Artist specializing in book, folder, poster, card, company and website design, An Ni has never stopped painting and developed her own style of traditional Chinese painting with a very contemporary touch. It is the latter that attracts the interest of mostly western art lovers. It is also this modern feel to her Chinese paintings that makes her work so unique.
Fellow craft enthusiasts who are keen can signed up for this rare opportunity to learn from a master. An Ni will be in Berea and Glenwood, Durban in July and will be offering three course options:
Full course for Adults: Cherry Blossoms, Bamboo, Chrysanthemums and Orchids on July 9, 10, 12 and 13 from 09h30 to 11h30. Cost: R2,050.00 (includes Traditional Chinese Brushes, Rice Paper, Chinese Ink and Pigments)
Crash course for Adults: Cherry Blossoms and Bamboo) on July 14 from 12h00 to 15h00. Cost: R450
Youngsters Class (six to 15) Learn the History of Chinese Calligraphy and learn how to paint your name in Chinese on July 14 from 09h30 to 11h00. Cost: R250.
To enrol in An Ni’s classes, contact Tracy Voss on 082 411 8296 or email: otb@artslink.co.za
RECYCLE, REVAMP, REWORK
( Recycled duvet wall hanging by Phil Fisher)Recycle, Revamp, Rework is the title of an exhibition featuring the Korea, Japan, South AfricaTextile Challenge:World Heritage Sites, held for the first time in South Africa. More than 250 quilts will be on show!
The Quilt Show takes place at Highbury School, Hillcrest, on June 30 and July 1 from 09h00 to 15h00. Entrance R20 (children 12 and under free). All Funds will go towards Festival 2015. More information from Mandy on email: kirkdm@global.co.za or Twig on 083 449 1800.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
BAROQUE 2000 CONCERT CANCELLATION
The Baroque 2000 concert due to take place tomorrow (Sunday June 24) at Mariannhill has had to be cancelled due to illness of some of Baroque 2000 musicians. The concert will be postponed to a later date, still to be confirmed.
Baroque 2000 apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Baroque 2000 apologies for any inconvenience caused.
KATHLEEN TAGG
(Kathleen Tagg)Friends of Music will host a concert by pianist Kathleen Tagg on June 26.
Kathleen Tagg enjoys a versatile international career as soloist, chamber musician, collaborative pianist and music director. She was the pianist on the set of the movie The Black Swan.
Her programme for Friends of Music includes Mozart’s E-flat major K282 (Adagio / Menuetto 1 & 11 / Allegro); Mendelssohn’s Op 39; Sonetto 104 del Petrarca 104 / Soirees de Vienne d’apres Fr. Schubert no. 6 by Liszt; Noctuelles / Oiseaux Triste / Une barque sur I’océan / Alborada del Gracioso / La vallée des cloches by Ravel and the Earl Wild / Gershwin-Virtuoso Etude no 4 Embraceable You
The Prelude Performer for the evening will be violinist Ayesha Seedat accompanied by Molly Lien who will perform works by Corelli, Williams and Moffatt.
The concert takes place on June 26 at 19h45 at the Durban Jewish Centre, 44 K.E. Masinga Road (Old Fort Road). Tickets R70 (R60 FOM Members and R20 students or orchestral). Booking is at Computicket. More information at http://www.friendsofmusic.co.za
Friends of Music expresses its gratitude to valued funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
GLENWOOD MARKET
(Market convenor Darryl Hoffman with Nardia Adams of Fudart and Ivancka Kroell of Little Schatzi)Darryl Hofmann and his team supported by the Glenwood Community Forum will host the Glenwood Market in Bulwer Park on June 24. This will be followed by the Whole Food Night Market in a new location off Stamford Hill Road on the evening of July 5.
The focus will be on fresh and fabulous food. Hofmann has carefully chosen stall holders to create a deli-vibe – allowing visitors to purchase produce from the stalls, and assemble a meal picnic style. Included in the stallholders mix is organic meats; artisan breads; fresh olives; marinated feta cheese, honey, fresh herbs; and fresh fruit and veg.
There will be fun activities for the kids, and the children's play area is operational. There will also be gift ideas, décor items, arts and crafts on sale.
The Glenwood Market takes place in Bulwer Park on June 24 from 10h00 to 14h00. More information from Yossi’s on 031 201 0090 or Tracey on 072 552 8152.
ETHEKWINI COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
(Mark Liptrot – Afripack’s Group Sustainability Manager; Philip Sithole – Head of Business Support, Tourism and Markets Dept / Head of Durban Tourism; Jackie Sewpersad – Umcebo Design, and Kathryn Kure – Director: eThekwini Community Foundation) In front: Siyanda Shange (12) Silwane Primary School, Inanda wearing a self designed Tshirt; Nothemba Khumalo (12) Silwane Primary School, Inanda wearing a self designed Tshirt, and Eric Apelgren – Head: International and Governance Relations. Disco Sheep made from Tshirt offcuts (Donna and Summer) – made at HIVAN Imzimela Project / uKhamba / Umcebo Design Workshop. Bling garments from recycled metalised plastic packaging film by Umcebo Design)The recently invigorated eThekwini Community Foundation (eCF) is a proactive, results-driven, forward-thinking, not-for-profit public benefit organisation established by eThekwini Municipality whose mission is interfacing people – projects – planet.
The brief of eThekwini Community Foundation is to act as a conduit and strategist between NPOs; independent initiatives; the business community; service providers; the city; the public; the province and the market-place to support, develop and create sustainable projects.
Those projects which have a strong environmental ethos, or which support recycling and up-cycling are favoured, as are projects which work within the creative industries and which provide employment, or income streams, for fledgling, marginalised entrepreneurs and NPOs.
The eThekwini Community Foundation is strategically aligned to, fully embedded within and supported by eThekwini Municipality. The eCF is housed within the municipal department of International and Governance Relations, so is strategically well-poised to work at the interface between Municipal and Provincial mandates, as well as at an international level, particularly through the city’s Sister Cities network.
The eCF has been operational for a while, but has been given a new lease on life under the direction of Kathryn Kure who works closely with International and Governace Relations’ Eric Apelgren and his team.
“Strategically, the eCF is at the heart of strategy and networking. It is mandated to leverage resources to enable community development,” explains Kathryn Kure: Director of the eCF. “It is envisioned that projects incubated within the eCF will be able to go to scale, and those that do not we will be able to learn from and enable success long-term. It shall be an honest broker in terms of interacting with the non-profit community, municipality and business entities. Durban is like the ‘middle child’ in a family; it does not have the size of Johannesburg or the perceived ‘x’ factor of Cape Town.”
“All too often, sadly, it is overlooked, which is not just a problem of image; it’s a problem for our economy,” continues Kure. eCF aims to harness the national and international interest in Durban created by the FIFA World Cup Soccer, Cop17 and Top Gear: “It would be smart to leverage this awareness and build upon it” she adds.
“Our story is not merely that we are caring but also smart and therefore sustainable. Apart from anything else, we also have to breathe new life into our Arts and Culture Precinct, but that is as much about creating products as it is about re-imagining spaces, as much about marketing and tourism as it is about design.”
Kure and her team have made huge strides into living their mission, and have fast-tracked their networking mandate. eCF is currently working on an impressive array of astonishing initiatives. She has identified key stakeholders and is working on initiating partnerships with large, medium and small businesses, non-profits, crafters, advertisers and waste management throughout the Municipality.
Already she is harnessed the creative energies of Umcebo Design; uKhamba and Ubunye Crafters; Refugee Social Services; Room 13 (the foundation supported world-wide by TBWA); Afripack; Vega; DUT; Wildlands Conservation Trust; Crushed Lemon (who reuse advertising billboard material and make them into products) and independent emerging designers. The eCF is being guided and supported by internationally-respected strategists including Dr Thomas Oosthuizen: international brand specialist and Dr Andrew Venter: CEO, Wildlands Conservation Trust.
For more information, contact Kathryn Kure at 083 252 0992 or email kureks@durban.gov.za
ELELWANI TO OPEN DIFF
(Florence Masebe)The Durban International Film Festival has chosen Elelwani to open the curtains on the 33rd edition of South Africa’s largest film festival.
This groundbreaking world premiere takes place on July 19, made possible by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (the first funder of the film and principal funder of the festival), and the National Film and Video Foundation, a crucial partner of this pioneering production as well as DIFF.
Directed by Ntshavheni wa Luruli and produced by Florian Schattauer, Elelwani deals with the collision of modernity and traditionalism through an updated magical realist take on the very first and much-loved Tshivenda novel of the same name. Against a backdrop of startling primary colours and rich ochre hues, young Elelwani (perfectly played by the beautiful Florence Masebe) must negotiate her transition into fully-fledged womanhood amidst the conflicting flows of rigidly patriarchal cultural protocol, and opportunities that may offer her a chance to grow in new ways, but that will sever her from her roots.
According to Luruli, who regards this as a very personal project, Elelwani is the first Venda feature film, in Tshivenda language. It is about a progressive young woman growing up in the new South Africa, trying to shed her cultural past but later realizing its value; that the past is still relevant in dealing with the present, including the future.”
The complexity of the way in which this story is handled, as well as deft directorial auteurship, suggests that this film will slot easily into the canon alongside the great African films, and DIFF is proud to present the historic moment of its first public screening. With a radiantly fresh African aesthetic, and warmly dark historical undercurrents, Elelwani sets the tone for the following ten days of cinematic excellence at the festival. Running from July 19 to 29, the Durban International Film Festival will offer over 250 screenings, most of which are premieres in this country.
More information at www.durbanfilmfest.co.za, Twitter: @DIFFest, call 031 260 2506/1816 or e-mail cca@ukzn.ac.za.
Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) the Durban International Film Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, HIVOS, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, The French Season in South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.
TALENT CAMPUS PARTICIPANTS AT DIFF
The Durban International Film Festival has finalized selection of participants for the fifth edition of the Talent Campus Durban programme.
For five days (July 20 to 24, 2012), 50 African filmmakers will come together in the city of Durban to be inspired and enlightened in the medium and industry of cinema. The programme facilitates opportunities for skills development through workshops and master classes with industry leaders, and the establishing of relationships with other participants and film professionals also present at the festival.
This year’s candidates, chosen from over 250 submissions, hail from 18 different African countries, including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, and Uganda. Participants will also be able to attend the 33rd Durban International Film Festival (July 19 to 29).
For the first time, Talent Campus Durban will host Talent Press, a programme in association with the Goethe Institut and FIPRESCI – the International Association of Film Critics - which mentors four African journalists in the craft of film criticism. For a second year, Talent Campus Durban will include Doc Station, in which three selected Talents have the opportunity to refine and polish documentary projects for presentation within the 3rd Durban FilmMart’s DOC Circle.
Talent Campus Durban is a co-operation with the Berlinale Talent Campus, which recently celebrated its 10th edition with over 350 Talents attending during the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. Through the international programme, which extends to Talent Campuses in Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Sarajevo and Tokyo, as well as Durban, participants are initiated into a global community of filmmakers and connected via a wide social network operated through the Berlinale.
Talent Campus Durban taps into the rich resources of a diverse cross section of the next generation of African filmmakers. This year’s theme Africa Superimposed will focus this process in the profound innovation that African film has to offer the broader world, and the ways in which the richness of African culture and approaches are making a stronger impression on film across the globe.
Talent Campus Durban is presented in partnership with the Berlinale Talent Campus, with support from the German Embassy of South Africa, Goethe-Institut of South Africa, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
For five days (July 20 to 24, 2012), 50 African filmmakers will come together in the city of Durban to be inspired and enlightened in the medium and industry of cinema. The programme facilitates opportunities for skills development through workshops and master classes with industry leaders, and the establishing of relationships with other participants and film professionals also present at the festival.
This year’s candidates, chosen from over 250 submissions, hail from 18 different African countries, including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, and Uganda. Participants will also be able to attend the 33rd Durban International Film Festival (July 19 to 29).
For the first time, Talent Campus Durban will host Talent Press, a programme in association with the Goethe Institut and FIPRESCI – the International Association of Film Critics - which mentors four African journalists in the craft of film criticism. For a second year, Talent Campus Durban will include Doc Station, in which three selected Talents have the opportunity to refine and polish documentary projects for presentation within the 3rd Durban FilmMart’s DOC Circle.
Talent Campus Durban is a co-operation with the Berlinale Talent Campus, which recently celebrated its 10th edition with over 350 Talents attending during the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. Through the international programme, which extends to Talent Campuses in Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Sarajevo and Tokyo, as well as Durban, participants are initiated into a global community of filmmakers and connected via a wide social network operated through the Berlinale.
Talent Campus Durban taps into the rich resources of a diverse cross section of the next generation of African filmmakers. This year’s theme Africa Superimposed will focus this process in the profound innovation that African film has to offer the broader world, and the ways in which the richness of African culture and approaches are making a stronger impression on film across the globe.
Talent Campus Durban is presented in partnership with the Berlinale Talent Campus, with support from the German Embassy of South Africa, Goethe-Institut of South Africa, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
MAD BUDDIES THIEVES ARRESTED
A man was caught red-handed while ‘stealing’ the new Leon Schuster film Mad Buddies ‘off the big screen’ using a camcorder, during the first show of the film at Ster-Kinekor, Maponya Mall, Soweto.
The suspect is believed to work for a pirate syndicate in the Johannesburg area who released a ‘fake’ Mad Buddies on the streets of Johannesburg earlier this week. He will appear in the Commercial Crime Court, Johannesburg for bail on Monday.
This is the second camcording incident of this film since it was released theatrically this morning. The other suspect spotted at Bedford Centre, fled after being approached by Ster-Kinekor staff. ‘Stealing films’ from the big screen as the first source is fast becoming a reality in South Africa. ‘Stealing a film’ causes millions of Rands of losses to the producers and distributors of the film, and results in the direct loss of income to actors and crew in the industry overall.
Films are ‘stolen’ off cinema screens by use of any digital recording device, from mobile phones, small handheld camcorders to recorders on tripods. In fact, 90% of all pirated films worldwide are camcorded copies. South Africa is releasing films in cinemas day-and-date with the rest of the world and some even ahead of the worldwide release dates. This makes such film titles vulnerable to pirates to obtain a master of the film which are used for the first upload on pirate download sites and for counterfeit production of the films on DVD format, for sale on the streets and informal markets.
Corne Guldenpfennig of SAFACT stated that tight security had been implemented countrywide at all cinemas to apprehend suspects, in an attempt to prevent the film Mad Buddies being stolen prior to the legal release of this film on DVD. She further stated that piracy is a serious crime that generates millions of rands in illegal income annually which, in turn, affects people in the wider community and involves people smuggling, drugs and fraud. She stated that a first time offender faces a fine and/or direct imprisonment of three years.
SAFACT encourage members of the public TO SAY NO TO PIRACY and to report any incidents of suspicious activity in a cinema to the cinema manager or staff immediately. Also to report any information that they may have to Crimeline, sms 32211 or directly to SAFACT on 011 403 1104/5 or email SAFACT at info@safact.co.za
The suspect is believed to work for a pirate syndicate in the Johannesburg area who released a ‘fake’ Mad Buddies on the streets of Johannesburg earlier this week. He will appear in the Commercial Crime Court, Johannesburg for bail on Monday.
This is the second camcording incident of this film since it was released theatrically this morning. The other suspect spotted at Bedford Centre, fled after being approached by Ster-Kinekor staff. ‘Stealing films’ from the big screen as the first source is fast becoming a reality in South Africa. ‘Stealing a film’ causes millions of Rands of losses to the producers and distributors of the film, and results in the direct loss of income to actors and crew in the industry overall.
Films are ‘stolen’ off cinema screens by use of any digital recording device, from mobile phones, small handheld camcorders to recorders on tripods. In fact, 90% of all pirated films worldwide are camcorded copies. South Africa is releasing films in cinemas day-and-date with the rest of the world and some even ahead of the worldwide release dates. This makes such film titles vulnerable to pirates to obtain a master of the film which are used for the first upload on pirate download sites and for counterfeit production of the films on DVD format, for sale on the streets and informal markets.
Corne Guldenpfennig of SAFACT stated that tight security had been implemented countrywide at all cinemas to apprehend suspects, in an attempt to prevent the film Mad Buddies being stolen prior to the legal release of this film on DVD. She further stated that piracy is a serious crime that generates millions of rands in illegal income annually which, in turn, affects people in the wider community and involves people smuggling, drugs and fraud. She stated that a first time offender faces a fine and/or direct imprisonment of three years.
SAFACT encourage members of the public TO SAY NO TO PIRACY and to report any incidents of suspicious activity in a cinema to the cinema manager or staff immediately. Also to report any information that they may have to Crimeline, sms 32211 or directly to SAFACT on 011 403 1104/5 or email SAFACT at info@safact.co.za
FRAMEWORK OFFERS INNOVATIVE VENUE AT NAF
The Framework Team invites those attending the National Arts Festival to join them to celebrate the opening of this new venue of Johannesburg productions. Opening on June 30 to continue throughout the festival, the venue will be known as The Eatery Drill Hall, Hill Street Grahamstown
The Johannesburg-based theatre company The Framework will run an exciting new venue for food and theatre lovers at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown this year. The Drill Hall on Hill Street gets a fresh new look as this innovative crew of independent theatre-makers take over the space for ‘11 days of amazing’ to curate a feast of shows and a warm place to refuel at The Eatery bar and restaurant.
The daily programme includes a series of drama workshops for teens and adults called Flying Lessons, popular 2010 hit Kaput by Fresco theatre company, ovation-award winning drama Sie Weiss Alles by James Cairns, comedy and physical theatre Fallen and Discounted, topped off with The Framework’s edgy new brand of semi-improvised theatre, Tactics.
The Eatery will produce mouth-watering buffet-style festival fare, so be tempted out of the cold while answering the Drill Hall Collective’s call: ‘Good theatre needs you’.
The Johannesburg-based theatre company The Framework will run an exciting new venue for food and theatre lovers at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown this year. The Drill Hall on Hill Street gets a fresh new look as this innovative crew of independent theatre-makers take over the space for ‘11 days of amazing’ to curate a feast of shows and a warm place to refuel at The Eatery bar and restaurant.
The daily programme includes a series of drama workshops for teens and adults called Flying Lessons, popular 2010 hit Kaput by Fresco theatre company, ovation-award winning drama Sie Weiss Alles by James Cairns, comedy and physical theatre Fallen and Discounted, topped off with The Framework’s edgy new brand of semi-improvised theatre, Tactics.
The Eatery will produce mouth-watering buffet-style festival fare, so be tempted out of the cold while answering the Drill Hall Collective’s call: ‘Good theatre needs you’.
CINDERELLA
The Dingalings are back on stage this holiday season set to enchant the young and old alike with the age old favourite fairy tale Cinderella. Audiences, be prepared to be taken on a journey with all the fantasy and romance of this delightful children's story!
The play is directed by Dingalings stalwart Henry Ramkissoon and features talented comedian, Koobeshen Naidoo, as one of the ugly sisters. The talented and Theatre Awards nominee Kumseela Naidoo plays the Fairy Godmother, Nirvana Naidoo plays the Wicked Stepmother and talented young Nickeel Ramkissoon (Sai School) and Yuvaan Naidoo (DHS) as the pageboys. Audiences will also be delighted by lead performer, Katinga Baserello.
Children from the age of two and young-at-heart adults will be entertained by an energetic and talented cast as they follow the invitation to the Ball where Cinderella loses her shoe at the stroke of midnight.
This holiday outing is double the fun as there is a boat ride after the show around the harbour. This promises to a perfect morning out.
Cinderella runs from June 26 to July 16 at 11h00 daily (except for Mondays) at Catalina Theatre at Wilson's Wharf. Tickets R50 (show alone) or R65 for show plus the boat ride. Bookings on 031 305 6889 or www.strictlytickets.com
The play is directed by Dingalings stalwart Henry Ramkissoon and features talented comedian, Koobeshen Naidoo, as one of the ugly sisters. The talented and Theatre Awards nominee Kumseela Naidoo plays the Fairy Godmother, Nirvana Naidoo plays the Wicked Stepmother and talented young Nickeel Ramkissoon (Sai School) and Yuvaan Naidoo (DHS) as the pageboys. Audiences will also be delighted by lead performer, Katinga Baserello.
Children from the age of two and young-at-heart adults will be entertained by an energetic and talented cast as they follow the invitation to the Ball where Cinderella loses her shoe at the stroke of midnight.
This holiday outing is double the fun as there is a boat ride after the show around the harbour. This promises to a perfect morning out.
Cinderella runs from June 26 to July 16 at 11h00 daily (except for Mondays) at Catalina Theatre at Wilson's Wharf. Tickets R50 (show alone) or R65 for show plus the boat ride. Bookings on 031 305 6889 or www.strictlytickets.com
Friday, June 22, 2012
KZNPO CONCERT: JUNE 21, 2012
(Francois du Toit)Brilliant concerto performance highlight of KZNPO concert. (Review by Michael Green)
A brilliant concerto performance by a South African pianist was the highlight of the last concert in the winter season of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, in the Durban City Hall.
The composition was the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Saint-Saëns, and the pianist was Francois du Toit. A professor at the University of Cape Town, he has been a familiar figure on the concert stage for many years.
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) wrote five piano concertos and this one is the best known of them all. Almost unbelievably, it was composed in 17 days in 1868. For the pianist it is an enormously challenging work, from the Bach-like opening to the frenzied finale. For the listener it is a constant delight from start to finish.
Francois du Toit gave an exciting performance, displaying a high technical skill (with a minimum of fuss) and a keen insight into the music’s poetry, grace and humour.
The orchestra, under the guidance of the visiting American conductor Daniel Boico, was an admirable partner in this resounding performance, which at the end brought forth prolonged applause and shouts of Bravo.
The concert opened with Saint-Saëns’s well known Danse macabre, a wonderfully effective orchestral picture of Halloween, with skeletons dancing to sinister music (a word of praise here for Joanna Frankel, guest concert master, who played the important part for solo violin).
The concert and the season ended with a rarity: the Symphony in C by Paul Dukas (1865-1935), composer of the celebrated Sorcerer’s Apprentice. It is a melodious, well-constructed and agreeable work, but I think that most of the audience found it interesting rather than memorable.
The orchestra’s eight-concert spring season runs from September 13 to November 1. The programmes seem, on the whole, more conventional than those we have had in recent weeks. Presumably, those in charge feel that the orchestra has a duty to instruct as well as entertain, but when a programme keeps the customers away, as has obviously happened once or twice in the recent season, it is time to re-assess the situation. - Michael Green
FLATFOOT TO NAF
(Tshediso Kabulu and Julia Wilson)Flatfoot Dance Company heads off to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown from June 28 to July 8.
Having scooped one of the prestigious Ovation Awards at the 2011 festival for Loots’s acclaimed Bhakti, Flatfoot Dance Company return to Grahamstown this year on an invitation to the Arena Platform with a forceful season of dance theatre.
Called Southern Exposure, this programme features two of Loots’s most recent dance works back to back and is, in many ways, a tribute to the strongly gendered voice of Loots as one of South Africa’s foremost critical female dance voices in choreography. It also showcases the now nine-year -old KZN-based Flatfoot Dance Company to sublime perfection. The six resident dancers are fearless in journeying with Loots into hazardous social and political terrain where they quite literally put their bodies on the line. This is dance theatre at its most visceral!
Southern Exposure begins with Loots’s 2011 solo work SKIN performed by newcomer to the company, and recent winner of the 2012 KZN DanceLink award for best female dancers, Lerato Lipere. Having originally premiered at the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Festival, this work generated some measure of controversy.
A black half-naked young woman finds herself in a half-lit room, stripped and vulnerable. It could be a prison cell anywhere in post-colonial Africa. This body, this ‘skin’, becomes the embodiment of hurt and violence done to women; from the Swazi reed dances, where hundreds of young female virgins, almost naked, pay cultural homage to a King, to the splitting open of the, almost naked, bodies of sisters who do not fit in, the audience is left asking what clothes should we - as women - begin to choose to cover our skin? The work also features video installations by Karen Logan and a soundscape created by Liam Magner. Stravinsky’s Sacre and the Shembe horn meet in an African Rites of Spring.
The second work is Loots’s 2012 mapping nostalgia and 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 that allows 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 (Sifiso Khumalo, Tshediso Kabulu, Sifiso Majola, Julia Wilson, Lerato Lipere and Zinhle Nzama) whose own lives and stories have become part of this dance work. At its heart, this is also a dance work that negotiates a historical lineage and is - in some measure - the story of Ingrid Jonker; a white South African Afrikaner woman artist who also struggled to find a place of belonging.
Loots says: “All contemporary dance 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”.
Flatfoot Dance Company performs Southern Exposure at the Centenary Hall at the NAF on July 1 at 12h30, July 2 at 12 noon and 20h00, and July 3 at 12noon.
PLATFORM JAZZ AT HERITAGE
(Cathy Peacock)Exciting repertoire of 19290’s Jazz, Latin and up to date greats. (Review by Rosanne Hurly)
Cathy Peacock and her amazing seven piece Dixieland band bring an exciting repertoire of 1920’s Jazz, Latin and up to date greats to the Heritage Theatre stage.
Platform Jazz has been in existence for 18 years, performing at functions, and at the Hilton Festival. However, it is only recently that the band made the decision to bring it to a main stage. I saw this production at the Rhumbelow Theatre in February and loved the raw and exuberant jazz. This production at The Heritage goes one step better and includes the very talented singer and performer, Shelly McLean, with the velvet voice.
The band line up includes leader Cathy Peacock on trumpet, Ian Holloway on clarinet, Duncan Wooldridge on a very fascinating red trombone, Jonathan Judge on sax, Andreas Kappen on double bass, Bruce Baker on drums and Cali Thomson on keyboards. Favourite Dixieland numbers include: Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Basin St Blues and In the Mood.
With musicians of this calibre, the band is strong as it is but bringing in the extra talents of Shelly McLean is the cherry on the top. Enthralling the audience with an array of glittering outfits McLean uses her lyrical voice to effortlessly glide through numbers like My Baby Just Cares for Me, The Girl from Ipanema, Georgia, Brazil and others, not forgetting my all-time favourite, Summertime. The band introduced some fun instruments and shakers which added to the fun, and colour of the show. They cleverly interacted with the audience, persuading us to happily drum on anything we could find, whether it was a table top or the partner sitting next to us.
A small suggestion to the theatre - It would be a good idea to start the show a little earlier than 20h30, especially during the week. Last night patrons had eaten by 20h00 and it would have worked well to start the show just after 20h00.
This show only runs at The Heritage Theatre until June 24 so book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets R165 Tuesday dinner and Sunday lunch and R195 Wednesday to Saturday dinner. The price includes a very tasty two course meal. There is also a non dining 'show only' option which is offered at R100 pp.
The two course meal was excellent value for money and we found both courses very tasty. Our selection of the starter Squash soup drizzled with fresh cream was delicious. I opted as always for the Vegetarian dish, a pasta tossed in Napoletano sauce with roasted vegetables. Chris selected the line fish done on a bed of mash potato. He said it was cooked to perfection, although the sauce was a little too rich. There was also a curry option for the red meat enthusiasts and the theatre also offers lamb shank at an extra cost. To book contact the theatre on 031 765 4197. (Rosanne Hurly)
MICHAEL GREEN’S WINE NOTES #261
Seven red wines, including some unusual items, were presented by Dennis Banks and Vanda Davies when our private tasting group met at their home at Durban North.
The tasting was “blind” - we had information about the wines but did not know the order in which they were poured - and identification was difficult. The wines were all of good quality, and most of them were unfamiliar to us.
There were two examples of cabernet sauvignon, two of shiraz, and three of blended wines.
Have you ever heard of a wine called Euphrosyne, or one called The Tin Mine? Well, we tasted them and liked them very much. In fact,
The Tin Mine red was placed first in our scoring. It comes from the Zevenwacht estate at Stellenbosch and is a shiraz-dominated blend that includes grenache and a cultivar called primitivo, which comes from southern Italy and is much the same as the zinfandel grape widely grown in California. We had the 2010 vintage. The wine is a dark colour, fruity and with strong concentrated flavours. Retail price: about R55.
Euphrosyne was one of the Three Graces in Greek mythology, a goddess representing beauty, laughter and happiness. It is an appropriate name for a wine, even if it is a bit of a mouthful (as indeed is the wine itself).
The wine is produced by a cellar at Stellenbosch called Women in Wine. This is a company that was formed in 2005 by a group of 20 professional black women (the term black is used here in its broad sense).
The main mover in this enterprise has been Beverly Farmer (another appropriate name), who took a degree at Stellenbosch University, worked in communications for the KWV, and formed the Women in Wine company with the help of other women with links to the Cape winelands. The object is to make good wine and to empower women, especially those working in the Cape wine industry, and the company now produces six different wines: cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinotage rosé, and two blends, cabernet/shiraz and chardonnay/chenin blanc.
We tasted its Euphrosyne Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. It turned out to be a full-bodied wine with plum flavours and a touch of mint, with some tannin still showing. Very drinkable now, but it seemed to be the kind of wine that would mature further in the bottle over the next few years. I thought it was a credit to a very new producer. Price: about R90.
Thembi is another unfamiliar name. Thembi and Co. is based at Paarl and is owned by another woman entrepreneur, Thembi Tobie. The cellar was established only four years ago and is another empowerment initiative. We tried the 2011 vintage of Shembi Shiraz. It had the peppery, spicy characteristics of shiraz and was a generally attractive wine. Price: R50.
Boland Kelder of Paarl, one of the biggest producers in the Western Cape, has a “strategic partnership” with both these empowerment initiatives, Thembi and Women in Wine, and has given them assistance as part of its social responsibility programme.
Vondeling is a winery at Paarl owned by a British financial services company. It produced its first wines from its own grapes seven years ago and there are now 11 Vondeling labels. We sampled the Vondeling Baldrick Shiraz of 2011. We felt it was rather a subtle wine with a purple colour, a floral aroma and a range of fruity flavours. This wine is aimed, partly anyway, at the wine enthusiasts of the London gastro pub movement, which is why it was named Baldrick, after a popular character in the Black Adder television series. It should do well in South Africa, too. Price: R50.
One cabernet and two blended reds with far better known names completed our tasting list.
The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon from the Warwick estate at Stellenbosch is named for Norma Ratcliffe. Her late husband Stan Ratcliffe bought the Warwick farm nearly 50 years ago, and she herself became one of the Cape’s most distinguished winemakers.
We tasted the 2010 vintage of The First Lady, a beautiful, opulent, classy wine which was much admired by our group. Price: R60. The blended reds were Guardian Peak Frontier 2010, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot, a complex, ripe, rich wine from Stellenbosch, R60; and Kaapzicht Bin 3, 2009, also from Stellenbosch, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and pinotage, top quality, like the others.
All these wines had a high alcohol content, 14 percent or more. They are to be sipped, not gulped down. – Michael Green
The tasting was “blind” - we had information about the wines but did not know the order in which they were poured - and identification was difficult. The wines were all of good quality, and most of them were unfamiliar to us.
There were two examples of cabernet sauvignon, two of shiraz, and three of blended wines.
Have you ever heard of a wine called Euphrosyne, or one called The Tin Mine? Well, we tasted them and liked them very much. In fact,
The Tin Mine red was placed first in our scoring. It comes from the Zevenwacht estate at Stellenbosch and is a shiraz-dominated blend that includes grenache and a cultivar called primitivo, which comes from southern Italy and is much the same as the zinfandel grape widely grown in California. We had the 2010 vintage. The wine is a dark colour, fruity and with strong concentrated flavours. Retail price: about R55.
Euphrosyne was one of the Three Graces in Greek mythology, a goddess representing beauty, laughter and happiness. It is an appropriate name for a wine, even if it is a bit of a mouthful (as indeed is the wine itself).
The wine is produced by a cellar at Stellenbosch called Women in Wine. This is a company that was formed in 2005 by a group of 20 professional black women (the term black is used here in its broad sense).
The main mover in this enterprise has been Beverly Farmer (another appropriate name), who took a degree at Stellenbosch University, worked in communications for the KWV, and formed the Women in Wine company with the help of other women with links to the Cape winelands. The object is to make good wine and to empower women, especially those working in the Cape wine industry, and the company now produces six different wines: cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinotage rosé, and two blends, cabernet/shiraz and chardonnay/chenin blanc.
We tasted its Euphrosyne Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. It turned out to be a full-bodied wine with plum flavours and a touch of mint, with some tannin still showing. Very drinkable now, but it seemed to be the kind of wine that would mature further in the bottle over the next few years. I thought it was a credit to a very new producer. Price: about R90.
Thembi is another unfamiliar name. Thembi and Co. is based at Paarl and is owned by another woman entrepreneur, Thembi Tobie. The cellar was established only four years ago and is another empowerment initiative. We tried the 2011 vintage of Shembi Shiraz. It had the peppery, spicy characteristics of shiraz and was a generally attractive wine. Price: R50.
Boland Kelder of Paarl, one of the biggest producers in the Western Cape, has a “strategic partnership” with both these empowerment initiatives, Thembi and Women in Wine, and has given them assistance as part of its social responsibility programme.
Vondeling is a winery at Paarl owned by a British financial services company. It produced its first wines from its own grapes seven years ago and there are now 11 Vondeling labels. We sampled the Vondeling Baldrick Shiraz of 2011. We felt it was rather a subtle wine with a purple colour, a floral aroma and a range of fruity flavours. This wine is aimed, partly anyway, at the wine enthusiasts of the London gastro pub movement, which is why it was named Baldrick, after a popular character in the Black Adder television series. It should do well in South Africa, too. Price: R50.
One cabernet and two blended reds with far better known names completed our tasting list.
The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon from the Warwick estate at Stellenbosch is named for Norma Ratcliffe. Her late husband Stan Ratcliffe bought the Warwick farm nearly 50 years ago, and she herself became one of the Cape’s most distinguished winemakers.
We tasted the 2010 vintage of The First Lady, a beautiful, opulent, classy wine which was much admired by our group. Price: R60. The blended reds were Guardian Peak Frontier 2010, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot, a complex, ripe, rich wine from Stellenbosch, R60; and Kaapzicht Bin 3, 2009, also from Stellenbosch, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and pinotage, top quality, like the others.
All these wines had a high alcohol content, 14 percent or more. They are to be sipped, not gulped down. – Michael Green
ACT/UJ CONFERENCE FEEDBACK
The inaugural ACT |UJ Arts & Culture Conference was held from May 24 to 25, 2012, on the University of Johannesburg’s Kingsway Campus, with 300 delegates, presenters and panellists from across the creative sector considering the power and potential of the Creative Economy; with general consensus being that the bar was raised, for an inspired industry.
Pivotal industry stakeholders shared their expertise in brief presentations, before discussion was opened to the panel, and the floor, in each of seven sessions. Day 1 set the scene, with key players presenting on The State of the Nation; The Landscape of the Creative Economy; The State of the Sectors; and Funding – Facts, Figures, Future; with the second day looking ahead to An Inspired, Wired Creative Economy; and Art for Art, Art for Audiences, Art for Sponsors; before delegates engaged in distilling the conference conversation and ensuring continuity in The Way Forward.
The Acting Director General, Vusi Ndima, from the Department of Arts and Culture spoke to Mzansi’s Golden Economy Policy. Coming at the height of the ‘Spear’ controversy, the Department expressed their view which upholds the right to artists’ freedom of expression, while upholding the rights of others. Mike Muller from the National Planning Commission gave a sense of the input that has gone into the National Development Plan. Current infrastructure was interrogated at various levels, with an intelligent and inspiring presentation by Mike Freedman of Freedthinkers setting the tone for an exploration of different ways of looking at things, who suggested it was time for artists to “wake up from their slumber” and “do things better, do things differently, and do different things”.
“If it’s not artists who are going to help us re-imagine our future, who will?!” asked Prof Harry Dugmore, the Director of the Discovery Centre for Health Journalism at Rhodes University.
With “networks of opportunity” and formal and informal scenario planning for the sector a focus, this forum created a space for the industry to get together and share ideas; with creative conversations taking place within and outside the auditorium, moving into the increasingly relevant Social Media sphere, with the event even trending on Twitter.
The final session saw facilitators Avril Joffe, Monica Newton and Ismail Mahomed engaging with delegates around agency, with the formation and articulation of a set of best practice values for adoption by the sector moving forward. Members of communities were encouraged to channel support to existing structures and organisations, leaving participants with strong sentiments for a progressive future.
“Coming at a time when the arts had never had such a high profile in South Africa, the conference set the stage for the sector to capitalise on national plans and policies, towards its increased economic contribution, recognition and support,” says Trish Downing, member of the Conference Content Team.
In the spirit of fostering communication and availability of information to stakeholders in the sector, conference presentations and collateral are available for download from www.act.org.za.
Delegates are encouraged to complete the ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference - Survey 2012, which can be found at http://tinyurl.com/bw2qra2 or https://docs.google.com/a/act.org.za/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHg0aE1JR0U4RWRGbnRFYklvYTB1d0E6MQ#gid=0
Pivotal industry stakeholders shared their expertise in brief presentations, before discussion was opened to the panel, and the floor, in each of seven sessions. Day 1 set the scene, with key players presenting on The State of the Nation; The Landscape of the Creative Economy; The State of the Sectors; and Funding – Facts, Figures, Future; with the second day looking ahead to An Inspired, Wired Creative Economy; and Art for Art, Art for Audiences, Art for Sponsors; before delegates engaged in distilling the conference conversation and ensuring continuity in The Way Forward.
The Acting Director General, Vusi Ndima, from the Department of Arts and Culture spoke to Mzansi’s Golden Economy Policy. Coming at the height of the ‘Spear’ controversy, the Department expressed their view which upholds the right to artists’ freedom of expression, while upholding the rights of others. Mike Muller from the National Planning Commission gave a sense of the input that has gone into the National Development Plan. Current infrastructure was interrogated at various levels, with an intelligent and inspiring presentation by Mike Freedman of Freedthinkers setting the tone for an exploration of different ways of looking at things, who suggested it was time for artists to “wake up from their slumber” and “do things better, do things differently, and do different things”.
“If it’s not artists who are going to help us re-imagine our future, who will?!” asked Prof Harry Dugmore, the Director of the Discovery Centre for Health Journalism at Rhodes University.
With “networks of opportunity” and formal and informal scenario planning for the sector a focus, this forum created a space for the industry to get together and share ideas; with creative conversations taking place within and outside the auditorium, moving into the increasingly relevant Social Media sphere, with the event even trending on Twitter.
The final session saw facilitators Avril Joffe, Monica Newton and Ismail Mahomed engaging with delegates around agency, with the formation and articulation of a set of best practice values for adoption by the sector moving forward. Members of communities were encouraged to channel support to existing structures and organisations, leaving participants with strong sentiments for a progressive future.
“Coming at a time when the arts had never had such a high profile in South Africa, the conference set the stage for the sector to capitalise on national plans and policies, towards its increased economic contribution, recognition and support,” says Trish Downing, member of the Conference Content Team.
In the spirit of fostering communication and availability of information to stakeholders in the sector, conference presentations and collateral are available for download from www.act.org.za.
Delegates are encouraged to complete the ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference - Survey 2012, which can be found at http://tinyurl.com/bw2qra2 or https://docs.google.com/a/act.org.za/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHg0aE1JR0U4RWRGbnRFYklvYTB1d0E6MQ#gid=0
NAF FRINGE FUNNIES
The comedy line-up of the National Arts Festival Fringe is (in)famous for keeping Grahamstown in good spirits, and June 28 to July 8 this year promises to be no exception. The evergreen Raiders series is a Festival institution, and this year Nicholas Ellenbogen is back with The Mayan Raiders. For its ten-year anniversary Matthew Ribnick’s Chilli Boy also returns to the Festival, where it enjoyed its first performance. Also celebrating a 10th anniversary is Slick ‘n Sleeve’s Starwors: The Final Parody.
Described as Jeff Dunham meets Monty Python, Andrew Simpson will reflect on the weird and wonderful world of Angels and Aliens. In other extra-terrestrial endeavours, The Evening Service, is a one-act musical comedy set in the sordid realm of fledgling cult The Holy Temple of Hashlah. Award-winning Durban actresses Mpume Mthombeni and Shika Budhoo ask who’s to blame for the end of the world in Dhaveshan Govender's comedic take on Armageddon, Twelve. Josh Martin penned down the predicaments of a failing mortuary in Autopsy, whilst Brent Palmer delves into the consciences of two small-time thieves for some wry humour in Bench.
Festival hit Mark Palmer is back with Best Medicine, and also back for its final year in Grahamstown is Vanessa Harris and Ash Searle’s hugely popular Big Boys Don’t Dance. Staying on the theme of entertainment industry madness, Stacey Howell mixes it all up in Bitches be Crazy, and, not too far from that concept, Nicola Barbour is Bridezilla. Ash (Big Boys Don’t Dance) and Vanessa (Running Riot), the “perfect” couple, take off on a date night from hell exposing the foolish facts, highlights and low blows of a committed relationship in Love @ First Fight.
Gaëtan Schmid’s Body Language directed by Lara Bye, will also be back after selling out in 2011 and Albany farming duo, Alan Weyer and Brian Mullins, return as Boet and Swaer after seven years of Festival drought. Along “same but different” lines, Sandi Dlangalala and Mike von Bardeleben are two Saffas, trying to escape their purgatory of the big city in search of the freedom of the waves in Bru.
Siv Ngesi, the knockout star of the Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning comedy Dekaf, is back with a brand new show, Race Card. Other Ovation award winners are Liam Magner and Grant Jacobs, who uncover some facts that were best kept under the rug in Paperboy; Stuart Taylor who explores the ups and downs on the roller-coaster ride of aspiration in Money’s too tight to mention, and Martin Evans and Rob van Vuuren who, as well as doing their hilarious solo shows (FBPK and Live!) team up to host Pants on Fire! – a late night comedy gig with guests like Andrew Buckland, Arno Carstens, Stuart Taylor, Chris Chameleon and Warren Robertson, amongst others.
For the 2012 edition of the popular Butlers series, a Bollywood movie star is thrust into an undercover operation in the household of a wealthy crime boss, in Butlers & Bunny Chows. After 13-years in stand-up comedy, and only three of those happy in love, Vittoria Leonardi wonders why so many relationships resemble the last moments of the Hindenburg in Vittorio’s Secret. Barbie Meyer and Graham van der Merwe get Caught in the Act, and Lynita Crofford plays a woman fast approaching 50 who is determined, after a decade’s drought, to embrace her sexuality in Sex in the Suburbs.
Flow Spot Productions’ Cooked delivers some unmissable theatrics, wacky recipes, and a gallon of mayhem and mess – hysterical fun for the whole family. South African ventriloquist, Conrad Koch, brings his critically acclaimed one-man show, Puppet Asylum. Typical of farce, Wrong Day survives on spontaneous reactions and corrections of mistakes, with Hamilton Dhlamini, Mandla Gaduka and Barileng Malebye.
What would the Fringe be without David Newton’s Best of Fest? He is also back with Dysfunctional. Another David, Kibuuka to be exact, will attempt to explain how David wasn't built in a day; and in Discounted, The Mob presents a physical comedy about five shop workers who prepare for customers in a place where people have long gone. Etienne Shardlow's comedy characters are unsavoury, bitter, dipped in sarcasm and served on a bed of whacky concepts in Etty Spaghetti.
Another show not setting any new cultural benchmarks or in fact teaching one anything at all, Funni Galore, is jam-packed with irreverence. Gino Fabbri and Donna Africa may or may not also be held responsible for Toasted Nuts. Graham Hopkins and Louise Saint Claire explore the potential of unlikely romance in Kissing Sid James. Jacobus van Heerden is Le Chop Royale, who goes all out with songs, skits, and guest appearances.
In Nothing funny, two dim-witted actors find themselves on stage without a script, only to find out that they are starring in a tragic masterpiece, with Joe Vaz and Damon Berry. One-Woman Farce is a new play written by Greg Homann for the formidable comic actress, Louise Saint-Claire. Handspring Award-winning company, The Space Behind The Couch, presents a steam-punk, Boer War, bromantic comedy about flying machines, assassination attempts, friendship and koeksisters, Out of Order.
Platteland Patriots is a multi-media journey into the psyche of South Africa. Using rare archival material, the play takes a poignant and, at times hilarious, look at South Africa from the perspective of Herman Charles Bosman. Representing KZN in the national mix, four of Durban's best stand-ups are a deadly comedic A-team, invading the Festival for a second year.
How does a small-town white boy become a big-city rap act? Iain Ewok Robinson explores the journey in Seriously? Join The Brothers Streep for their debut full-length comedy show on their home ground, from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and appearances on The Graham Norton Show and SA Idols. Everyone’s Googled their own name before to see what comes up. Shika-Land!, a one woman show, presents the lives of five women named Shika who have done just that. The Neons Documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at theatrical duo, The Neon Anthems' attempt at creating a sell-out show for the Festival – catch the premiere screening in Grahamstown.
The 2012 Programme will also features stellar productions as part of the Performance Art, Public Art, Arena, Student Theatre, Film Festival, and the Standard Bank Jazz Festival programmes, with the Festival’s development initiatives also going from strength to strength.
Bookings available through Computicket. Booking kits available from selected Standard Bank Branches, selected Exclusive Books and all Computickets. 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 competitions and news, or follow us on Twitter @artsfestival.
The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, The Eastern Cape Government, The National Arts Council, City Press and M Net.
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