(Pic by Val Adamson)
This year the 15th
annual PANSA Young Performers project, funded by the KZN Dept of Arts &
Culture and Rainbow, is presenting an innovative new home-grown work entitled Soldiers
in the City which engages with the new emerging urban youth culture,
and comes to the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre for a short, 12 performance season,
from July 3 to 12.
Two best friends,
both excellent poets, compete in an underground slam poetry challenge, where
they realise that words can be sharper, and more dangerous, than swords, and
forgiveness and loyalty is more valuable than glory.
Soldiers in the
City is a vibrant contemporary relevant story
talking to pertinent youth-focused issues. The production examines the overt
culture of the new generation which includes rhyming, beat-box, urban dance, music
and public artwork like graffiti - much like the very popular STEP UP movie
series. The production team for 2015 includes Themi Venturas (writer /
director); Iain “Ewok” Robinson (creative consultant); Lucky Cele (co-writer);
Daisy Spencer (choreographer); Des Govender (vocal coach); and Dawn Selby
(musical director).
The script outline
was written by Venturas, together with Ewok and Cele, and finalised after the
casting was complete, enabling the script to be customized to allow the
characters to speak with their own voice, and for the cast to showcase their
particular talents.
The music was
carefully chosen and is performed to a live band, the ever popular The Reals.
The songlist includes Read all about it by Emile Sande, What a piece
of work is man from the muical Hair,
Soldier in the City by Aloe Blacc, My City by Toya De Lazy &
Casper Nyovesi, Born for this by HHP, Liquideep and Teargas, Uptown
Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, Seasons of Love from the
musical Rent, Something Inside so
Strong by Labi Liffre & Lira, I’m only Human by Christina
Perri-Human, Boss Zonke by Ricky Rix, Battle Cry by the Imagine
Dragons Falling Slowly from the musical Once, Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, Lean on Me by
Bill Withers, Roar by Katy Perry, One Tribe by the Black Eyed
Peas and Union by Sting & the Black Eyed Peas. The poetry for the
‘rap’ battles has been written by EWOK
“It is clear that
more and more young people want to control their own destiny,“ observes
director Themi Venturas. “This can be seen in the new youth culture, in the ‘K’
generation – which is full of revolutionary zeal and despondent anger directed
at the older generation, who they perceive have not done enough to change their
lives materially.”
Open auditions were
held at Glenwood High and at the Hexagon in Pietermaritzburg to gather the best
musical-theatre high-school performers to make up the cast. These are
complemented by a professional band headlined by Barry Thomson who plays one of
the teachers.
Spearheaded
by PANSA, the Performing Arts Network of South Africa: KZN, the project ensures
that the learners get a taste of working in the professional musical theatre
arena. The
project promotes discipline, develops confidence, and gives an opportunity to
make lifelong friendships, and to learn a huge amount from the professionals.
PANSA is grateful
to the Department of Arts and Culture of the Province of KZN along with RCL
Foods (Rainbow Chicken) and Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) and to Ian
Schoeman and Glenwood High School.
Previous YPP
projects have been: Curtain Up; One Voice; Grease; Oliver; Fiddler
on the Roof; The Wiz; Annie; School of Rock SA; Big River; Hairspray;
Seussical; Legally Blonde; Can
You Feel It? and last year’s Footloose.
Soldiers in the
City will run at the UKZN
Sneddon Theatre from July 3 to 12. Over the years these shows have grown to be
very popular with Durban audiences so booking is essential. Booking through Computicket outlets at Shoprite Checkers, by
phone on 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com
For further
enquiries call PANSA KZN Regional Coordinator: Nelisa Mzimela. PANSA office on
031 201 4750 or email: kzn@pansa.org.za
Posts
