(Zandile
Tshapha & Mary Aphane in a moment from “Dudlu Dadlaza”)
(Pic by Roel
Twijnstra)
A fun, interesting and entertaining
programme of different presentations. Thank you, Fresha! (Review by Caroline
Smart)
The Fresha Festival of free fun family
al-fresco theatre has its last presentation today (January 21) on Durban’s
North Beach.
Fresha Fest was hosted for the first time last
year as the new incarnation of the Musho! Festival. It offers a hip and
happening street / beach open-air festival to wrap up the Durban summer holiday
season.
The Fresha Festival is directed by Emma
Durden, supported by Roel Twijnstra and is presented by Twist Theatre
Development Projects which focuses on the development of community theatre
groups in KwaZulu-Natal, and on creating sustainable relationships and networks
for theatre development, both locally and abroad.
Yesterday and today started with a free,
open dance class with the Movement Lab; followed by a free open street theatre
class led by Netherlands street artist, Gerard Oldthaar (Gerald O). From 13h00 today,
there are no less than eight performance pieces of approximately 15 minutes
each, running up to the Sundowner Showcase by the Monday Big Band led by George
Mari.
I headed for Fresha yesterday around 13h30
so missed the performance art by doung Anwar Jahangeer of Seeking Asylum but
picked up with Gerard O and his street comedy piece. This saw him as a school
crossing guard with a tiny lollipop, laying down five strips of white fabric to
represent a zebra crossing. He stopped people walking along the promenade telling
them they had to use the crossing. This caused much hilarity from both audience
and participants.
Next followed Abafana Bizarre from the Wushwini
Arts Centre – four energetic young men in gumboots who did an impressive range
of what they described as a bizarre and risque take on the traditional gumboot
dance. Their obvious enjoyment of their work which incorporated much infectious
humour was a lot of fun.
Coming
Home (Street Theatre from Pietermaritzburg) saw an
area roped off and a number of chairs placed at the back. A well-dressed
gentleman (Sbusiso Ntsalaze) invites young ladies from the audience to sit. He
chooses one, gives her flowers and goes on bended knee to offer a marriage proposal.
Then he decides to cook her something but as he sets fire to the pot, he is
pounced on by the security guard (Dumisani Khubeka) who makes him put out the
fire. He also shows interest in the young lady and a tussle ensues!
The
Kitchen Symphony is a new collaboration by Clinton
Marius and Bongani Mbatha, the latter appearing as an officious sergeant major
(complete with strainer on his head and carrying a soup ladle). He is in charge
of a raggle-taggle force armed with saucepans, lids and even a cheese grater. A
clever percussion piece delightful in its rhythmic fun.
Fragile is a dance piece created by Kristi-Leigh Gresse inspired by British
philosopher Alan Wilson whose arresting voice forms a backing to some of the
sequences along with discordant music. Dressed in black with a wedding veil and
surrounded by sunflowers wrapped with ribbons, she asks the question “Who says
you’re supposed to survive?” An impressive movement piece which engages with the
fragility of human existence and how this is not our life to live indefinitely
and to die is not a terrible thing.
Stilts
in the Street is a highly amusing piece featuring
Gerard O and Amos Kamanda. It deals
with what can happen when a stilt walker (Kamanda) meets a street comedian (Gerard
O). Amid all the whacky fool-around movement nonsense, it is easy for forget
that Kamanda is on stilts, he is so skilled with his performance. Gerard O’s
deadpan expressions add to the humour!
The final theatre piece of the afternoon is
Dudlu Dadlaza created by this year’s
Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Dance, Musa Hlatshwayo, and The
Movement Lab. The production won an Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival
in Grahamstown and justifiably so. It’s described as a metaphorical journey of
two young black women who navigate their identity in a society where political
ideologies impose standards and expectations around these. Excellent
performances from both dancers as the older one coaches the younger.
The evening winds up with top class jazz
from the Monday Big Band led by George Mari and featuring Debbie Mari as
vocalist.
The promenade has a constant stream of
people walking, roller skating/boarding or cycling. Many stopped to watch and
stayed for the rest of the programme.
Twist is funded by The National Lotteries
Commission and the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. Additional
funding for Fresha has also been provided by eThekwini Municipality and the
Department of Arts and Culture, KZN.
For more information, visit
www.freshafestival.co.za. / or email info@freshafestival.co.za. Find Fresha
Festival on facebook and @freshafest on twitter.
Best way to spend your Sunday – and it’s
free! The event takes place on North Beach (look out for the tent), directly
opposite the North Beach Tourism Office. A fun, interesting and entertaining
programme of different presentations. Thank you, Fresha! – Caroline Smart
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