Catalina Unlimited
makes time for the little ones this holiday! From October 6 to 11 it will play
host to an array of productions, artists and workshops, aimed at children, with
the launch of the Durban Children's Theatre Festival.
The line-up
features some of Durban's finest production houses doing their best to keep
theatre alive by developing the imaginations of future theatre makers and
audiences. In a time where artists fight a constant battle to fill theatre
seats with paying audiences, it is hoped that future generations will foster an
appreciation for the arts and the work that artists achieve.
The festival also
hopes to inspire future artists, theatre entrepreneurs and critical creative
thinkers; but above all, entertain young audiences.
Catalina’s vision
is shared and supported by ASSITEJ South Africa which connects and supports
theatre practitioners, companies, organisations, institutions and schools
across South Africa who share a belief in the transformative difference that
theatre makes in the lives of children and young people. It is the national
centre for ASSITEJ (the International Association of Theatre for Children and
Young People), which works in 90 countries across the world.
ASSITEJ SA focuses
on: creating access to theatre for young people, supporting and developing
emerging and established artists, empowering arts education, and connecting and
advocating for the arts in the lives of young people through international
networking and exchange.
The Festival line-up
guarantees to entertain, educate and entice all audiences:
The Fantastical Flea Circus
Returns! - Hailed as “Wonder-flea entertaining” (The Daily News) and “BIG fun from
tiny stars” (The Mercury), The
Fantastical Flea Circus, written and directed by Clinton Marius, is a
fun-filled frolic starring energetic young actors, Shona Johnson and Khanyisani
Kheswa, who appear as a widely-respected Fleaoligist, and a world-renowned
singing sensation. The production’s Small Top antics continue to delight, as
the Duchess and the Doctor put their troupe of performers through their paces. The
magic and mayhem of this jolly show, which has been seen by thousands of
children, saw it scooping all awards in the Children’s Theatre category at the
2011 Mercury Durban Theatre Awards. “Flecked with fun rhyming verse, and
featuring some short songs … it’s a charming way to fill an hour and good value
at the price of a ticket.” (Billy Suter, The Mercury).
(Performances on October 6 & 7 at 14h00,
October 8 at 16h00; October 9 at 12h00, October 10 at 10h00 and October 11 at 12h00)
Zap and Buttons! Join Zap & Buttons in this show about
fitness, health and nutrition. This funny and heartwarming story written by
local performing artist Sandy Bigara, toured to over 50,000 children all across
KZN in 2010! Zap the Exercise Fairy and her 'bestie' Buttons the Fashion Cat
join forces to turn a lazy boy named Junk into a Fitness Star! With loads of
help from the young (and old) audience members - this informative show is
crammed full of participation, using song, dance and games - Junk will learn to
look after his body, and be fit and healthy!
(Performances on October 6 at 16h00; October
7 at 12h00; October 8 at 14h00; October 9 at 16h00; October 10 and 11 at 14h00)
uMTHAKATI presented by Blue Crane Arts. The cast members
are talented performing artists with diagnosed disabilities such as autism,
cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. uMTHAKATI
is a musical production for children and family audiences. It is a story about
a misunderstood sangoma. The story was written and directed by Neena Pitamber,
a qualified educator who teaches Learners with Special Needs.
(Performances on October 8 at 12h00; October
9 at 10h00 and October 10 at 12h00)
Ntswaki’s Adventure presented by Nandagram Eco Village. The
organisation was started with the aim of educating society at large about the
benefits of living an ecologically and ethically sustainable lifestyle through
setting a practical example. Their main focus is on education, community
building and practical fieldwork. One of their first initiatives is a
marionette show called Ntswaki’s
Adventure, which is a story about a simple village boy who saves his
community from poverty and ecological disaster by planting trees. Some of the
characters in the play: Ntswaki, the hero, the Wise Old Man and Ntswaki’s
mother.
(Performances on October 7 at 16h00; October
8 at 10h00; October 9 at 14h00 and October 11 at 16h00)
Pot of Stories: Mpumy Ndlovu is a storyteller who was
trained under Kwesukela Storytelling Academy (based in Johannesburg) and started
doing storytelling during the World Cup where she told both historical and
children’s stories. She has worked with Gcina Mhlophe and has done performances
in Johannesburg and Durban Museums and schools. Mpumy returns to the old art
form of traditional storytelling to entertain whilst educating. This is a 25
minutes piece of the brewing of African Folklores told in English. These
stories are told through games, music (and traditional instruments). These
stories include; The Elephant and the Seven
Blind Men, The Singing Bird; Two Shelen and Princess Anesu! Fun, games and interaction with the children is
what moves this dynamic piece. An added feature to this show is a built in
workshop titled Integrating
Modern/Traditional Instruments/Music in the old Art Form of Storytelling. Mpumy
will teach the audiences the fine art of playing an instrument, called
Umakhweyana, traditionally used whilst telling a story.
(Performances on October
7 at 10h00; October 10 at 16h00, and October 11 at 10h00)
Tickets R60 per
show or discounted to R50 for two shows, R45 for three shows and R120 for the
day pass which provides access to five shows in a day. Also on offer are boat
rides and meal discounts at selected restaurants at the Warf. Bookings through Computicket.
For more info call 031 837 5999 (between 09h00 adnd 16h00)
NB: Shows do not run at the same time daily.
A bonus event is an
ASSITEJSA Workshop with KZN Theatre4youth mentor Gisele Turner. PLAY-PLAY!
Theatre-in-Education veteran script writer, director and performer, Gisele
Turner, currently KZN Theatre4Youth mentor, offers a Make a Play Workshop exploring the capacity to create through play.
Serious playfulness is a core element in children’s’ theatre, connecting the
performer with the audience through innovative and unexpected play. Ordinary
objects become magical in the hands of an animator. Make a Play date for October
6 from 10h00 to 12h00. Open to theatre practitioners and play makers. The cost
of the workshop is R20. To reserve a space in the workshop email emailca@keepthedream.org or Pauline on paulined@renweb.co.za
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