THOSE INDIAN GUYS

(Pic: Sans Moonsamy and Kaseran Pillay)

Versatile duo entertains with a range of zany Indian characters. (Review by Caroline Smart)

If you want an amusing evening’s entertainment, then head for the Playhouse Drama tomorrow to catch Those Indian Guys with Sans Moonsamy and Kaseran Pillay. Their two-hander sketch comedy played to packed houses at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg in January and this evening’s capacity audience responded to the zany humour with much delight.

A real loss to the city, these two former Durban actors are now living in Johannesburg. Both are highly versatile with strong comedy talents and they work well together, bouncing off each other’s individual energies.

They are well-known for their performances on stage, film and television. Sans Moonsamy has appeared in Made in India, Jamaican Jam and To House as well as being a regular actor in LotusFM’s drama series for which he also wrote two series of the popular The Waiting Room.

Kaseran Pillay, who also appeared in the LotusFM drama series, has been in Mr Bones 2, Going Nowhere Slowly and The History of Bunny Chow.

Their first piece sees them as cane cutters in the early days of the Indian community in South Africa, kowtowing to their passing employer and discussing the merits of a local librarian who appears to be distributing favours beyond the boundaries of lending books. From there, we meet domestic worker Gladys who thinks she’s hoodwinked her employer into thinking she’s illiterate.

From then on it’s a fast-paced ride through a number of skits which range from a very funny send-up of Bollywood romances to a scene at a cricket ground. The gags come thick and fast and the show is linked with voice-overs. However, the sound quality wasn’t good for the voice-overs and the audience often missed a lot of the humour.

Kaseran Pillay makes Gladys a redoubtable character - smart and sassy, she’s even on Facebook. His tubby quiz show host, bow-tied and suited with a hilarious hairpiece, brings a member of the audience onto the stage to compete against the streetwise finalist (Sans). His best role - and one which drew shrieks of laughter from the audience - was the auntie who scrounges flour, beans (and anything else she can get) from neighbours while bemoaning her lot in life.

Sans Moonsamy’s airline host is amusing as he welcomes passengers onto a flight which may be their last, singing songs that he considers are appropriate to the journey. Elegant in leopard skin coat, slim pants and high heels, he sashays onstage as Joelene to host her tv programme called Free Talk. His jittery slang-talking quiz show competitor pulled in the laughs as well.

Those Indian Guys is presented by SandMan Productions in association with The Playhouse Company and media partner Saffron TV. There is one more performance tomorrow (March 29) at 18h00 and the duration is 80 minutes without interval. Tickets R80 booked through Computicket. – Caroline Smart

SEUSSICAL

(Pic: Greg King and Wendy Watson appear with Saxon Kinnear as Cat and Jodi Edmunds as Jojo)

Vibrant and professionally presented production does credit to Durban Girls College. (Review by Caroline Smart)

“A person’s a person, no matter how small” is the overall message of the musical Seussical and lovers of the works of Dr Seuss will have missed a great evening’s entertainment if they didn’t catch it at Durban Girls’ College before it closed last night. The production, albeit an amateur one, also marks the South African premiere of this Broadway show.

With music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Seussical was co-conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle, and premiered on Broadway in 2000. The lively and energetic musical is based on the colourful works of Dr Seuss – particularly Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches the Egg- and it’s hats off to director Wendy Watson (DGC senior Dramatic Arts teacher) for tackling such a daunting production.

The story deals with an elephant named Horton who discovers a speck of dust upon which lives a tiny community called the Who. He places it on a clover flower for safety and carries it with him through numerous adventures.

Not only did the DGC production encompass a team of close on 110 people made up of performers, musicians and stage crew, but the action calls for an elephant to sit in a tree nursing an egg after having been conned into the act of kindness by its irresponsible mother. Added to that, there are underwater sequences, mounted horsemen, a baby kangaroo and a circus.

No problem for Wendy – she turned to three major talents to help her: multi-award winning designer Greg King, choreographer and costume designer Kenlynn Sutherland and much-loved DGC music department’s head Debbie Hosking. Greg King’s flamboyant and vibrantly-coloured backdrops and rostra turn the otherwise bare stage into a magical space and his puppet figures are, as always, a delight. Kenlynn Sutherland’s attention to choreographic detail is evident and her costume designs are bright, individual and workable. I loved Horton’s outfit. The costumes, which numbered close on a hundred, were made by a dedicated team of parents and teachers.

Much of the show’s success is due to music director Debbie Hosking’s considerable energy and total commitment to any project she is involved in. Conducting from the piano, she keeps the music crisp and lively - always encouraging, her face mirrors the action. She will be a great loss to DCG and to Durban when she leaves South Africa shortly.

Heading the cast are the highly versatile Saxon Kinnear as mischievous and manipulative The Cat in the Hat and Jodi Edmunds as a spunky and energetic Jo Jo. Then there’s Zesipho Mncwango as an adorable lumbering Horton and Mweya Waetjen as a deliciously vain and lovelorn Gertrude McFuzz. I believe that if these four performers were available to move into mainstream theatre right now, they would be snapped up by any theatre management in Durban.

While the full company deserves accolade, mention must also be made of Catherine Clarke as Mayzie LaBird, Lungile Tembe as Sour Kangaroo and Phindokuhle Dlamini as General Genghis Khan Schmitz as well as Yasmine Allen and Julie Dancaster who played the Mayor of Whoville and his wife.

My husband, who is a casting agent and not prone to flattering remarks, dubbed this show the best schools’ production he has seen in years! This accolade is well-deserved. With excellent sound and lighting, the show is professionally presented. The cast is well-rehearsed, focused and very mature in terms of comedy timing, harmonies, stage presence and discipline.

Hopefully, Durban Girls College will reprise this production some time in the future for a slightly longer run when more audiences can enjoy its vibrancy and message that the imagination is all-powerful. As the script goes … “Oh, the thinks you can think!”- Caroline Smart

THE ENTERTAINER

Pic: Krystle Temmerman, Bandile Hlope, Sam Marais and Tammy Saville)

uShaka’s Upper Deck looking good with Sam Marais in top form. (Review by Caroline Smart)

The Upper Deck supper venue has hosted cabaret styled performances for a number of years but its current production, The Entertainer featuring Sam Marais has taken this venue to a new level.

Gone – at last! – are the railings separating the performance area from the audience which often caused sightline problems. There is a structured set in the sense that two side stages are created with “backdrops” in the form of flats resembling brick walls which carry larger than life images of Billy Joel and Sam Marais. Placed on an elevated area, they respond well to skilful lighting.

All this contributes to making The Entertainer one of the most “theatrical” (as opposed to “cabaret”) productions produced by this comfortable and informal venue situated on the Phantom Ship at uShaka Marine World.

Sam Marais has made a considerable contribution to the South African entertainment industry and the show has been structured to weave his own personal history into the music and lyrics of Billy Joel.

Sam Marais has been through tough times recently in terms of ill-health but he’s survived and I am very happy to see him back on the local circuit in a show that focuses on his undeniable talent. He drives the show with his energy and considerable theatrical experience. He’s all soul. All heart. Basically - you give to Sam, he gives back twentyfold.

In charting his life, Sam pays tribute to Natalia da Rocha with whom he appeared in a show titled Coffee and Cream that played major venues around South Africa, including Sun City. When South Africa became a democracy, he found himself “not black enough/not white enough” to find sufficient work to survive, so he headed for the beautiful popular tourist resort of Antalya in Turkey, from whence he played the cruise ships which took him round the world. As he quips: “I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt ripped away.”

Taking this performance space firmly under his experienced grasp, Sam Marais plays the stage well – moving easily from one side to the other, never letting any audience member feel that they are remote to the action, he dodges the “black” areas where the lights can’t reach. Many local performers can learn a lot from him – such as his behaviour with diners. When he leaves the stage to move into the audience, he very seldom even touches them but the personal interaction is very powerful.

His comedy timing and distinctive quirky, ironical and self-deprecatory style includes the familiar little skips, prowling and pouncing - there’s even the occasional tap dance. He’s also generous to his support team, always deferring to his backing singers, musical director Shem Mahabeer and the uShaka Band which includes Llewellyn Chetty (bass), Jarred Jaems (acoustic guitar), Dylan Kanny (drums) and Thabani Gapara on sax.

Good to see Krystle Temmerman and Tammy Saville - backing singers at Upper Deck until now – given the opportunity to shine. Bandile Hlope is the third member of the group and he performs My Baby Grand with Sam. At the moment, he’s a bit strident in this number but I have no doubt that he will soon learn to match Sam’s level of performance, understanding how much you need to give a microphone in terms of intensity (not necessarily volume).

Highlights for me were New York State of Mind; She’s Always a Woman to Me; In the Middle of the Night, The Longest Time and You’re Only Human.

My only niggle is that the music is too loud and often drowns the performers but this is something that can easily be adjusted. Upper Deck must be commended for continuing to employ a live band instead of backing tracks.

The upshot of the evening for me was that it was a real delight to see Sam Marais back in the fast lane, doing what he’s so good at – being entertaining. On top form and a force to be reckoned with!

Directed and scripted by Charon Williams-Ros and produced by Wayne Scott, The Entertainer on the Upper Deck will be staged Wednesday to Saturday nights at 20h00 until May 16 starting at 19h00. The show has a good exuberant feel, a wide range of moods and is well worth the ticket price of R150 pp which includes a buffet menu, with salads and desserts nicely presented on a lifeboat to enhance the nautical theme. Bookings on 031 328 8068 or at Computicket. – Caroline Smart

LESLEY MAGWOOD FRASER

New works of figure studies at Elizabeth Gordon Gallery.

The Elizabeth Gordon Gallery at 120 Florida Road in Durban is currently hosting new works of figure studies in pen and ink with wash, by KZN artist, Lesley Magwood Fraser.

More information on 031 3038133

MY FAIR LADY AUDITIONS

The Playhouse Company in Durban will hold auditions for singer-actors to take part in its festive season production of the stage musical My Fair Lady, with the intention to be staged at The Playhouse in December 2009.

Singer-actors are required for principal, sub principal and ensemble parts. The auditions will be held at The Playhouse on April 3, 2009, between 11h00 and 16h00, with call backs on April 4. It is essential to make specific appointments to audition. You will be required to bring sheet music of a song from a musical (or a classical song) of approximately two minutes duration, as well as a full-length colour photograph.

To book an audition, contact Kipi Skweyiya on 031 369 9463 between 09h00 and 14h00 by April 2 at 12h30. Please call strictly during the outlined times as no telephone messages will be returned.

MICHAEL GREEN’S WINE NOTES #217

Rosé wines are now returning to favour.

After a period of relative neglect, rosé wines are now returning to favour in South Africa and elsewhere. Indeed in France they apparently now outsell white wines.

In a hot climate such as South Africa’s, it is hardly surprising that there should be a resurgence of interest in rosé. The first wine I ever tasted, a long time ago, was a Bellingham Rosé, at the South African premiere of the film of Alan Paton’s book Cry the Beloved Country, but for a lengthy period the connoisseurs took a somewhat disparaging view of rosé, mainly because most of these wines were rather sweetish.

Not now. The producers are turning out some lovely dry rosés and the critics have changed their tune. It is indeed a most appealing type of wine on a hot day: pinkish in colour, with the berry flavours of good red wine, and generally with a quite low alcohol content.

Seven Cape rosés, all 2008 vintage, were offered when our private tasting group met recently at the home of Vanda Davies and Dennis Banks, and the list included several high-profile names in the Cape wine industry. Various red cultivars were used in making these wines, and the results were well received by the tasters.

The proceedings, as usual, were blind - we were given a list of the wines but did not know which was which - and in the final scoring top marks went, perhaps predictably, to the Jordan Chameleon Rosé, one of the two most expensive wines served.

The Jordan wine estate at Stellenbosch was established by the family who made their name with shoes, and its first wine was bottled 16 years ago. I have never had an indifferent wine from this source, and the Chameleon Rosé was no exception. It is made from shiraz (50 percent), merlot (44 percent) and cabernet sauvignon (6 percent) and it is a brilliant pink colour, with a rose-petal aroma and fruity, berry flavours. Alcohol volume: 13 percent. Price: R47 a bottle.

Second place was taken by what must be a good value wine, the Two Oceans Light Shiraz Rosé, made entirely from shiraz grapes. Two Oceans is a member of the Distell group and this wine was made with grapes from the Stellenbosch and Malmesbury regions. It is a light style of wine (11,5 percent alcohol) with melon aromas and crisp berry flavours. Price: R26,50.

Next came the Woolworths Organic Diving Hawk Shiraz Rosé. “Organic” means that the grapes were grown without chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers. The wine is 100 percent shiraz and it was made with grapes grown in the Cape west coast area. Bright red in colour, full-bodied (13 percent alcohol) and attractively off-dry in taste. Price: R40.

The other wines tasted (there was very little difference in the marks) were:

Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, from Stellenbosch, strawberries and cherries in the aroma, a nice spicy, slightly peppery taste on the palate. Described by the makers as an excellent aperitif or picnic wine, an ideal summer salad wine. Alcohol: 13,5 percent. Price: R47.

Nederburg Rosé, a famous name given here to a blend of cinsaut, cabernet sauvignon, merlot cabernet franc, malbec and pinotage. Lovely pale red colour, fruity and light (12 percent alcohol) and very good value at R26.

Long Mountain Shiraz Rosé, light red, aromas and tastes of raspberry, strawberry and toffee apple, very attractive, 12,5 percent alcohol. Price: R26.

Woolworths House Rosé, made entirely of pinotage, light pink, off-dry, crisp berry flavours, 12,5 percent alcohol, price: R30. – Michael Green

MELANIE LOWE UNPLUGGED IN PMB

Singing star to appear at the Hexagon Dive in Pietermaritzburg.

Singing star, singer, Melanie Lowe has now relocated to Johannesburg because of work demands. She simultaneously started up her own company, signed a sponsorship deal with HP Experience Store and took off on a countrywide tour with Katie Melua shortly before heading off on a successful tour of the Western Cape.

Melanie became a household name seven years ago, when she was watched by millions of South Africans as she made her way to the third slot of the first South African Idols.

Music lovers are invited to experience Melanie “unplugged” at The Hexagon Dive in Pietermaritzburg from April 1 to 3. Her songs are emotional and soulful as she draws from her own life experiences. Take picnic baskets and enjoy an intimate, unique evening of unplugged entertainment with Melanie and two extremely talented musicians.

Tickets R75. No drinks to be brought onto the premises. There is a cash bar. Booking is essential: email hexagon@ukzn.ac.za or call 033 260 5537.

CHORAL SPECIAL FOR MARIANNHILL

(Pic: Tenor Lionel Mkwanazi will appear in this choral concert))

Durban Symphonic Choir and KZNPO to perform works by Mozart, Haydn and Handel.

The Durban Symphonic Choir and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra will present popular arias and choruses from works by Mozart, Haydn (Nelson Mass) and Handel (Messiah) in the Mariannhill Cathedral on April 5.

The conductor will be Naum Rousine with soloists Bronwen Forbay (soprano), Ronél Laidlaw-Perks (alto); Lionel Mkwanazi (tenor) and Richard Salmon (bass).

The programme includes W A Mozart’s Symphony No 28 in C Major, K 200 and Laudamus Te from Mass in C Minor to be sung by Bronwen Forbay. She will also appear in I Know that my Redeemer Liveth in a selection from G F Handel’s Messiah as well as in The Marvellous Work (aria and chorus from The Creation) by Joseph Haydn.

After interval, the focus again returns to Joseph Haydn with a performance of Missa in Angustiis (Nelson Mass) in which all the soloists will appear.

The concert will take place in the Mariannhill Cathedral on April 5 at 15h00. Tickets R70 (R60 pensioners and scholars) for unreserved seating available at the door or from Hillstreet Pharmacy in Pinetown on 031 701 1313 or Monastery Tea Garden in Mariannhill on 031 700 2706. Refreshments will be on sale. Enquiries to 031 702 6005 or 082 453 2443.

SYD KITCHEN & BARRY VAN ZYL

Two of SA's internationally renowned musicians to appear at Salt Rock on April 4.

Musical maverick, poet and lyricist Syd Kitchen joins up with Barry van Zyl (drummer for Johnny Clegg) at the Vagabond Café in Salt Rock on April 4 for a "one of a kind "concert. This is a newly forged collaboration and they relish the chance to perform together and share their unique style of music with Durbanites.

Since the 70’s, Syd Kitchen has remained an innovative, active, uncompromising part of the South African (non-mainstream) musical landscape. Establishing himself initially with the Kitchen Brothers, his musical growth has traversed many different paths. From an early 80’s jazz/rock phase with bands Equinox and Harry Was A Snake, to a successful solo period, to his formation of Syd Kitchen & The Utensils in ’85, to his ground-breaking work with guitar wizards Steve Newman and Tony Cox in the Flying Sombreros, to Amakool, to his current collaboration in the Aquarian Quartet with Newman, Cox and Greg Georgiades and Bafo Bafo with Madala Kunene … his territory knows no bounds.

A highly acclaimed teacher, thinker, guitarist, lyricist and published poet, Syd has released several albums to date; all born of an eclectic spirit unfazed by market-place considerations or the wishes of others. His album Africa’s not for sissies; voted into 4th place on the SA ROCKDIGEST Top 30 SA albums for 2001; is at once an aural celebration of living in Africa, while his 2004 release, Quintessentially; received rave reviews from the critics; celebrating the depth of his talents. His latest release Across (2007) looks set to do similarly well. Visit www.sydkitchen.com and www.myspace/sydkitchensa for more information.

Barry Van Zyl was offered the drum chair in Johnny Clegg's group during the late 90’s while touring Europe with artists such as Oliver Mtukudzi and the Soweto String Quartet. He has been a member of Johnny's band since 1999, touring extensively in Europe, North America, Australasia and the UK. In addition to performing, he has been holding workshops overseas as well as in South Africa. Highlights of his career have included opening the Montreal Jazz Festival to an outdoor audience of 150,000 people and appearing in guest performances by Peter Gabriel, Brian May, Jimmy Buffet, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Robert Plant. He had double billing in the USA with Lenny Kravitz, Taj Mahal and The Neville Brothers and headlined the 46664 Mandela concert series. He has made numerous North American and European TV show appearances and provided the percussion soundtrack for the Oscar winning motion picture Tstotsi.

He will take part in the 2009 Johnny Clegg tour which will include the UK, France , Switzerland, Morocco, Germany, Czech Republic, Algeria, Australia and North America. More information at www.barryvanzyl.com

Syd Kitchen and Barry van Zyl will appear at Vagabond Café, Claremont Farm, on the Sheffield Beach Road in Salt Rock on April 4 at 19h30. Tickets: R80 pp. In addition, a set menu dinner at R60 (with vegetarian option) is available which will be served from 18h00. There is room to stand as well as sit. Booking is recommended on 032 525 4968

NB: Cash only

DEATH OF GEORGE SITHOLE

Durban film community mourns passing of well-known scriptwriter and producer.

The Durban film community mourns the passing of one of the industry’s most loved and respected characters, George Sithole.

A well-known scriptwriter and producer with several radio and television drama series under his belt including, Ubambo Lwami for SABC 1 and Devil’s Island for Ukhozi FM, he was described by many of his colleagues as “the Leon Schuster of the new South Africa”.

“George Sithole was a man determined to grow the local film industry and had been working tenaciously on a number of projects to provide our local talents with new opportunities,” says Toni Monty, head of the Durban Film Office (DFO). “George dreamed big, worked hard, never took ‘no’ for an answer and was the most innovative filmmaker I have come to know in Durban. He will be sorely missed.”

Vikash and Rani Sitaram of East Coast Media who have worked extensively with George Sithole on a number of projects were full of praise for their friend and colleague. “George was a great friend of filmmakers, musicians and artists. Our company collaborated with him on his first feature, dealing with music piracy and later on the local feature film comedy, I Wish I was in Jail. We were currently involved with him in developmental projects to build capacity in the local film industry and also assisting with the development of the script for I Wish.2, the sequel to the original comedy.

“George shared our vision of ‘indigenous’ films made by South Africans, for South Africans," continues Rani. “His enthusiasm, energy and wry sense of humour made working, or just talking with him, a great pleasure. He will be sorely missed, a void that will be hard to fill. Who will lobby for indigenous filmmaking now?”

Another close friend and fellow industry collaborator Mandle Ndimande says, “We have lost a brilliant writer, a visionary and a good friend. We hope his legacy will live on through his works and projects in development.”

George Sithole leaves his wife Thandeka and daughters.

CRAFT AWARDS 2009

National craft competition celebrates South African art and heritage.

A sense of anticipation and excitement is growing among South African crafters who have entered a National Craft Competition organized by the Department of Arts and Culture. The competition has been specially commissioned by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, to honour crafters who work in textile, ceramic and wood genres.

In total 475 entries were received by the end of February this year. Of these 134 were selected to go through to the provincial judging from where national winners will be chosen.

The winners of the Craft Awards 2009 will be announced at an Awards Ceremony and Exhibition in Pretoria at the Reserve Bank Conference Centre on April 17, 2009. All selected craft works will be exhibited until April 24.

The aim of this competition is to encourage creativity and innovative designs among South African crafters and provide them the opportunity to showcase their work to the market. These exciting and innovative works celebrate South Africa’s unique craft, heritage and cultural expression. The Department of Arts and Culture hopes that exhibition will provide the participants valuable exposure to large retailers and the general market and thus help make the cultural sector more vibrant and successful.

There are three categories that are promoted in this competition - Textile/Fabric, Ceramic/Pottery and Woodwork. Each category will be judged on the standard of quality and workmanship, innovation and the use of environmentally friendly materials. The pieces entered into the competition must reflect South African culture, environment and social structure.

In the Textile/Fabric category judges will look for innovative designs as well as the use of traditional materials such as beads, pins, embroidery, felt, quilting, patchwork and collage. The size of the artwork must be no larger than 1.5m in length and 1.5m in width.

In the Ceramic/Pottery category new designs, new technology and skills used to create fired clay, earthenware, stoneware, porcelain and paper clay are key factors in the judging process. The maximum size allowed for pieces entered is 150cm.

In the Woodwork category judges will look for exciting and creative designs of woodcarvings, sculptures, woodturning and handmade furniture. Pieces entered into the competition can be no larger than one metre in width and two metres in height.

Winners from each of the nine Provinces will receive R10,000 while second and third prize winners for each Province will receive R5,000 and R2,500 respectively. In addition, a catalogue featuring all the finalists will be distributed to all major art galleries and corporates across the country to provide further exposure of the artists.

More information from Ms Busiswa Mlandu, Practice Group Head, HMC Seswa Corporate Communications on 011 704 6618 or email: busiswa@hmcseswa.co.za

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

(Lisa Bobbert and Bryan Hiles examine Audrey II in its early stages!)

KickstArt triumphs in vigorous, energetic and hugely entertaining musical about a weird plant that grows … and grows … (Review by Caroline Smart)

From the moment that Pume Zondi belted out those unmistakable soaring lines of Skid Row that held the audience spellbound, we knew we were in for a good evening. KickstArt has triumphed in their production of this vigorous and energetic rock musical that opened tonight at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.

Little Shop of Horrors is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film of the same name, written by Howard Ashman and directed by Roger Corman. With lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, it opened in May 1982 at the tiny WPA theatre in New York and by July of that year had taken up residence for a commercial run at the Orpheum Theatre where it spent the better part of the 1980’s.

Steven Stead, KickstArt’s executive director – and also director of the first professional production of this musical to be seen in Durban, goes on to say in his programme notes that Little Shop of Horrors is in essence the timeless Faust legend given classical Broadway shape by first rate authors, and transformed into something new by the application of a fresh and consistent style.”

Greg King’s set is evocative, setting just the right tone for this flower shop set in a dingy part of New York which takes on a more upmarket look as its success increases. The reason for its success is, of course, a small exotic plant propagated by shop assistant Seymour which grows into a bloodthirsty monster. Said monster – Audrey II, in various stages of development – is an impressive creation by Greg King and Wendy Henstock, manipulated by Chris Randall.

It’s well-known in the theatre industry that if the production process is harmonious, positive and well-controlled - whatever the challenges encountered along the way - this energy reaches across the footlights into the audience. Tonight’s audience certainly enjoyed that unified sense of fulfilment, along with the exuberant team spirit of Little Shop of Horrors.

Steven Stead has gathered an impressive and multi-talented cast. As Chiffon, Crystal and Ronette (a nod to famous girl groups of the 50’s), Pume Zondi, Londiwe Dhlomo and Belinda Henwood perform as a musical trio and also appear as street urchins. Jacobus van Heerden and Liam Magner take on a number of roles from layabouts to sharp media representatives. Peter Court is a delight as Mr Mushnik, the owner of the flower shop.

Aaron McIlroy is a perfect choice for the evil dentist. This is dark role and he manages to balance the evil of the objectionable character with much whacky humour. (Liam Magner will take over from Aaron McIlroy on March 25, 27-29 and April 17.)

Lisa Bobbert is an endearing, adorable Audrey – Seymour’s fellow assistant who has a relationship with the dentist who abuses her, adding to her sense of worthlessness. Her Somewhere That’s Green was very moving.

However, the honours belong to Bryan Hiles – seen at last in a role which allows him the space to display his vocal and dancing skills as well as his natural exuberance, sensitivity and flair for comedy. Aaron McIlroy and Lisa Bobbert are a tough act to follow, never mind working with a plant puppet that reaches to the ceiling and is voiced by none other than the inimitable Tim Wells! Bryan impressed in numbers such as Mushnik and Son with Peter Court, Git it! with Audrey II and Suddenly Seymour with Lisa Bobbert.

Evan Roberts, Shelley MacLean and Justin Southey have ensured a good musical sound while Terrence Bray has designed attractive costumes, accurate to the period. Janine Bennewith’s choreography and Tina Le Roux’s lighting add to the overall excellence.

Little Shop of Horrors is a highly complicated technical production but to the team’s credit, the show rattles along seamlessly from start to finish, offering a great evening’s entertaining. The programme even offers a brief glossary of 50’s pop culture terms so you don’t feel left out. Don’t miss it!

Little Shop of Horrors runs at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from March 22 to April 19. Booking is at Computicket - for more information visit www.kickstart-theatre.co.za – Caroline Smart

A BIT OF A FEST!

(Pic: Ellis Pearson in “Impisi”)

Pietermaritzburg’s Hexagon Studio and Dive Theatres to host a mini-festival on March 27 and 28.

It’s time once again time for the Hexagon Theatre's annual minifest of plays.

A Bit of a Fest is a short sharp blast of theatre with ten performances of five shows taking to the boards over two days. The festival runs on March 27 and 28 and the programme offers a wide range of material which should be more than enough to suit the tastes of all theatre-lovers. With 11 performances of six shows over two days, audiences can expect anything from comedy to drama to slam poetry to physical theatre to stand up comedy.

From Cape Town comes Mary Steward with the award-winning Womanhood and the hilarious Bridesmaid, as well as Slam Poet, Croc E Moses. From Durban comes the inimitable Ellis Pearson in Impisi with The Sepia Seamstress offering a clash of tradition and modernism and Stand Up comedian, Sne Mkhize.

Topping the list this year is Cape Town comedienne Mary Steward, whose show Womanhood won top honours at the Musho Festival in Durban earlier this year. She is bringing two shows to the minifest, Womanhood and Bridesmaid. Both shows are described as 'hilarious, moving and excellently performed':

Womanhood is written and performed by Mary Steward and directed by Emma Durden. When can we claim the hood? What defines us as women? This show is Mary’s hilarious reflection on the journey from girlhood to womanhood and all the milestones along the way, including moments of madness, heartbreak and hell. Bridesmaid is an hour-long one-woman comedy and was performed at both the Musho and Grahamstown festivals and looks at the premise of being “Always the bridesmaid – never the bride!” It takes the hilarious view of one woman who has been a bridesmaid seven times. We laugh through a decade of bad dresses and drunken dancing. Her reflections on these relationships, families, décor and disasters, lead her towards her own discovery of herself. A Cue Newspaper reporter described the show as “ it was like having a chat with a good mate over a glass of wine and laughing with her as she reminisced about her bridesmaid’ days. Clever audience interactions with a gifted and convincing performer. Go and see her show”. Live Wire Brian Roodt stated: "Steward is superb, her comic timing just perfect and a carefully crafted balance between humour, irony and poignancy."

Someone special to look out for is the inimitable Ellis Pearson, this time teaming up with Sdumo Mtshali in Impisi created by Pearson and Clive Essame, directed by Brian Pearce. This is a story about how society sees difference. Impisi is Zulu for hyena. We, the two legged ones, have fixed ideas about this animal, describing it as an ugly, misshapen scavenger; they also have fixed ideas about the majestic king of the jungle. In this parable, Hyena helps Lion to take his rightful place in society, despite an accident which leaves him far from physically capable ...or so one would imagine. Flavoured with the sights, sounds and images of the African plains, Impisi looks at how society views people who appear different, who may have a disability, but who take their place rightfully in society. It is, perhaps, those who judge and discriminate who truly disable people.

Ellis Pearson, with his long time partner, Bheki Mkhwane, is a well-known and much loved performer on the Grahamstown scene. In fact, 2007 was the first year for over a decade that he was not seen on the Drosdty Lawns, bringing his unique style of acting and endearing humour to issues which always cause the audience to sit up and think. In 2008 he was joined by the young, shining star from Durban, Sdumo Mtshali. Impisi was part of the main programme under the category of street theatre and was enjoyed by hundreds. Ellis also performs at festivals throughout the world on a regular basis. Clive Essame lives in Devon, in England, and has long been an admirer of Ellis Pearson’s work. He is a writer and community arts facilitator. He brings with him a wealth of experience as a dynamic, involved person who regards his physical disability as merely another aspect of his character.

Mayuri Naidu's The Sepia Seamstress has only one performance. This is the story of two Indian girls who end up on opposite sides of the spectrum and in love with the same man. A classic tale of traditional versus modern and the struggle for individual identity, it is directed by Clinton Marius and performed by Mayuri Naidu and Kajal Maharaj.

Croc E Moses is a seasoned musician and slam poet who has mastered his unique style of performance to critical acclaim. Formerly the founder and drummer of the hit SA band Fetish, Croc E has spent half his life developing his performance and he presents a special experience of lyrical, rhythmic poetry accompanied by guitar and ingeniously self-crafted backing tracks, as well as unaccompanied insightful beat poetry.

Stand up comic Sne will have two performances during the Fest. Her brand of humour is edgy and anything can happen!

Schedule March 27: Womanhood at 18h00; Impisi (Hexagon) and Bridesmaid (Studio) at 20h00; Croc E Moses at 21h15 in The Dive, and Stand Up Comic Sne in The Dive and 22h00.

Schedule March 28: The Sepia Seamstress at 14h30 in The Hexagon; Impisi (Hexagon) and Bridesmaid (Studio) at 16h30; Croc E Moses (Dive) and Sne, Stand Up Comic (Studio) at 18h30; and Womanhood at 20h00 in The Hexagon.

Tickets R40 per show (R30 for students and seniors). Tickets at the door or booked on 033 260 5537 or email: hexagon@ukzn.ac.za More information at www.hexagon.ukzn.ac.za

GREY MATTERS

Comedian Barry Hilton returns to Sibaya for fourth season of side-splitting humour.

The Cousin is back for his fourth season of side-splitting humour with Grey Matters! at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom’s iZulu Theatre for a short run from April 9.

In his latest show, Grey Matters!, Barry Hilton is sure to have audiences falling out of their seats with his witty impressions and observations on a host of social, political and family issues. Funnier by the year, he promises to share his view on life from the other side of 50. “I’m older and fatter, but not necessarily wiser,” says the greying comedian. Actually, I’m a bit like red wine – not the red bit, I just whine a lot.” His unique brand of humour has an uncanny ability to delight and entertain. Barry Hilton is undoubtedly South Africa's best-loved funny man!

Grey Matters! runs at Sibaya from April 9 to 13. Tickets R114 and shows are at 20h00 from April 9 to 11 with performances on April 12 and 13 at 15h00.

Early booking is advised through Computicket on 083 915 8000.

SWARNRITYA

Show celebrating swaras (music notations) and nritya (pure dance) to take place on March 29.

Natya Ananda is an institute of art that supports, promotes and propagates various art forms and artists. Its main focus is the dance style of Bharata Natyam in the context of holistic development of the individual.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Verushka Pather, artistic director, will present Swarnritya as an extension of the Consulate General of India’s community-building projects and outreach programmes.

Swarnritya celebrates swaras (music notations) and nritya (pure dance) and features seven Bharata Natyam students from the Geetanjali Academy of Arts in Port Elizabeth.

The programme also features esteemed artists, Shri Mahesh Narotam on flute and Shri Vishen Kemraj on tabla who will offer a classical recital exploring the beautiful emotions of ragas.

Flautist Narotam has respect for both eastern and western music. He has studied with respected gurus such as Jerambhai Bhana and Deepak Ram, and accompanied many acclaimed artists in South Africa, among them Durban artist Pregalathan Singaram and Verushka Pather, in classical programmes. His two daughters are Bharata Natyam graduates and his son is also an accomplished musician, who accompanies him on tabla for music programmes.

Swarnritya will be presented at The Hindu Centre on the Westville campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal on March 29 at 17h00. Entrance is free.

More information from Verushka Pather on 031 403 6469.

FINDING YOUR CREATIVE VOICE

FINDING YOUR CREATIVE VOICE (also visual arts)

Third workshop in the 2009 series to take place on April 18 in Hilton.

The third workshop of the 2009 Finding Your Creative Voice series offered by Terri Broll and Louise Hall will take place on April 18.

A common difficulty for many artists is finding their own unique creative direction. Particular attention to this aspect of creative activity can reduce frustration and lead to more fully developed work. This workshop offers exciting and innovative ways to facilitate ongoing direction in art making and discovering one’s own artistic style and voice.

The workshop will take place on April 18 at Kwanyoni at Hilton outside Pietermaritzburg from 09h00 to 16h30. Fee R490 includes lunch and refreshments.

Booking or more information through Terri Broll at terribroll@iuncapped.co.za or on 083 477 55 99 or Louise Hall at louisehall@sai.co.za or on 082 922 8881 or visit www.theworkingartist.wordpress.com/

THE ENTERTAINER

(Pic: Crystal Temmerman, Bandile Hlope and Tammy Saville with Sam Marais)

The music of Billy Joel on the Upper Deck at uShaka Marine World with Sam Marais.

Sam Marais is something of a legend in South African theatre circles. His credits cover two and a half decades of hit shows including musical triumphs like Aint Misbehavin’, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Queen at the Opera, Queen in Memoriam, Evita, Godspell, A Chorus Line, Barnum and The Wiz to name a few.

Now he’s back to head up The Entertainer which features the music of Billy Joel and is running at the Upper Deck from March 18 on the Phantom Ship at uShaka Marine World. With hits in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, Billy Joel is a six-time Grammy Award winning singer/song-writer who has provided a soundtrack to our lives for the past four decades.

This production has great substance and is rather theatrical with the show, reconstructing Sam Marais’s life through the music of Billy Joel. This classic show seeks to showcase the lyrical and musical genius of Billy Joel against the backdrop of New York City.

Produced by Wayne Scott and directed by Charon Williams Ross – the team who presented the sell-out Let’s Hear it for the Boys, Blondes on Deck will also include songs: The Entertainer, It’s Still Rock ‘n Roll to Me, Don’t ask me why, Moving out, Say goodbye to Hollywood, New York State of Mind, The Piano Man, My Life, River of Dreams, Just the way you are, My Baby Grand, The longest time, You may be right and Tell her about it.

The production will include backing singers Crystal Temmerman, Tammy Saville and Bandile Hlope with a five-piece band featuring Musical Director Shemuel Mahabeer on keyboard, Llewellyn Chetty on bass, Jarred Jaems on acoustic guitar, Dylan Kanny on drums and Thabani Gapara on sax.

The Entertainer on the Upper Deck will be staged Wednesday to Saturday nights at 20h00 with Upper Deck’s starting at 19h00. The show will run until May 16. Tickets R150 per person include a wide-ranging buffet menu. Bookings on 031 328 8068 or at Computicket.

The best place to park is in Parking B which can be found if you drive past Parking A, which is the top uShaka parking entrance, continuing down the road to eventually turn left following the signs.

THE MEDITATORS REGGAE CARNIVAL

(Pic:The Meditators in action!)
Carnival of bands, artists, poets, rappers and DJs for Zulu Jazz Lounge on March 26.

Coming up at the Zulu Jazz Lounge on March 26 will be an event that has become a carnival of bands, artists, poets, rappers and DJs!! It is definitely a must see!! Not to be missed!!

The Meditators is a nine-piece band established in 1991 and presently based in Chesterville outside Durban. They are proudly resident at uShaka Marine World for the fifth consecutive year, attaining maximum local and international exposure during this time as well the opportunity to finance the band’s own complete sound rig and new instruments after the Seaboard fire which destroyed everything in 2007.

They appeared in performance in the internationally acclaimed movie Stander in 2002. A partnership was forged with the Rita Marley Foundation when the I –threes performed a Woman’s Day concert with The Meditators at The Bat Centre in 2004, and again at the 2007 Bob Marley Birthday Celebration Photographic exhibition at the Zulu Jazz Lounge.

In 2008, they made their debut at Splashy Fen and were kept busy with gigs at local festivals and major events. The band successfully launched their third album, Jah Kingdom, produced by Izan Greyling (Sonic Studios) at The Zulu Jazz Lounge in Durban in October 2008 and will be back in the studio in February 2009 to begin work on their fourth album.

In conjunction with eThekwini Municipality and the More Love Foundation, The Meditators have created a platform to showcase the high quality of local reggae music in KZN and will host the 2nd Annual Reggae meets Jazz Afrika Day Concert on May 23/24 with a variety of local and visiting African musicians, bands and entertainers, and are currently in negotiations with The Wailers, from Jamaica in this regard.

The Meditators will support the Durban performance by legendary poet/reggae artist Linton Kwesi Johnson on his national tour. This will take place on May 2 at the Bluff Showgrounds.

The performance at the Zulu Jazz Lounge on March 26 takes place at 19h00. Entry R40. The entrance to the venue is in 231 Smith Street, next to the Playhouse. There is secure parking in nearby Albany Parkade.

OLD CHURCH AUCTION

Next auction to take place in Howick on March 30.

The next Old Church Auction will take place at Green Acres Centre in Howick on March 30.

On offer are Art Deco Goldscheider and Clarice Cliff ceramics; Stamps, Coins and Medals; Rare 1st Edition books; Cameras and Instruments; Fur coats; Collectable records, dolls and toys; Rhodesiana; Swords and other militaria.

Tribal artefacts include headrests, arrows, shields, etc while ceramics include Royal Albert, Shelley, Doulton, Wedgwood, Imari, Carlton Ware, Nippon, Rhead, Midwinter, Maling, Dresden, etc, and a rare jewelled Coalport vase.

Also up for auction are a Ming blue and white shipwreck vase; many South African and European paintings; gold wrist and pocket watches; lots of gold and diamond jewellery; a pair of Archibald Knox pewter Arts and Crafts candlesticks; Swarovski crystal animals; Antique French, English and cottage furniture; contemporary mahogany and suede eight-seater dining suite and sideboard; Georgian and Victorian silver and silverplate; WMF art Nouveau card tray; Josef Hoffman silverplate and glass barrel ~ and lots more still to be added. Telephone and absentee bids welcome.

The auction takes place at Green Acres Centre in Howick on March 30 from 10h00. Contact Clide Cannon on 033 330 3848 or 076 312 5328 or visit www.oldchurch.co.za

ALLIANCE CINE SUPPER CLUB

Alliance Française to screen “Paris” with English subtitles.

On March 27, the Alliance Française of Durban will host their Cine-Supper-Club which will screen the movie Paris with English subtitles. Directed by Cédric Klapisch in 2007, it stars Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini and Francois Cluzet.

Romain Duris plays Pierre, a professional dancer who’s suddenly diagnosed with a serious heart disease that could cost him his life. While waiting to receive the news as to whether or not he is able to receive a heart transplant, Pierre can do nothing but pass the time sitting on the balcony of his apartment and watch the world go by without him. But the more he observes, the more he realises the subtle and sublime beauty hidden beneath the depths of everyday occurrences, as the real Paris slowly begins to reveal itself and the complex tapestry of its inhabitants.

Tickets R90 (R80 members and students of Alliance) include dinner and movie. Booking and payment essential before March 25 as the venue is limited to 30 people. The Alliance Française is situated at 22 Sutton Crescent (corner Windermere Road). Phone 031 312 9582 or email durban@alliance.org.za

HOT POTS & HOT CROSS BUNS

Annual Easter exhibition from Zulu Zen potter Andrew Walford.

Zulu Zen potter Andrew Walford is to hold his annual Easter Exhibition, Hot pots & Hot Cross Buns, at his Shongweni Studio overlooking the Shongweni Valley from April 10 to 13. Unwind in the delightful country setting in the Shongweni valley overlooking Shongweni dam and Game Reserve. Relax admiring the world class Japanese style ceramics in his unusual studio and home.

The exhibition will be open from 10h00 to 18h00 daily. Tea, coffee, homemade lemonade, hot cross buns and quiche and salads are available. For detailed directions phone 082 794 7796 or 031 769 1363.

Future exhibitions include one at Kindlewood Estate at Mount Edgecombe from April 21 to 24 followed by one at Tinley Manor Beach on KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast (date to be confirmed).

A further exhibition will be held at the Shongweni Studio, Shongweni Valley on July 26.

Andrew Walford also runs weekend or mid-week course tailormade to suit clients needs. Stay at the Potters Loft flatlet which can sleep six and adjoins the studio. Self catering or meals provided.

Contact Andrew Walford on 031 769 136 or email: andrewwalford@telkomsa.net

(NB: A cottage is available for rent at Tinley Manor that sleeps four people and is two minutes from the beach. Next exit after Salt Rock, contact Leanda on 031 7691363 or 082 794 7796)

JOURNEY INTERCEPTING

Sarah Whitaker, Bheki Khambule, Sibusiso Duma, Welcome Danca and Alexander Chitungo at Fresh Paint.

Fresh Paint Gallery in Glenwood is currently featuring work by Sarah Whitaker, Bheki Khambule, Sibusiso Duma, Welcome Danca and Alexander Chitungo in an exhibition titled Journey Intercepting.

Fresh Paint can be found at 60 Davenport Road, Glenwood, Durban. For more information, contact the Gallery on 031 201 8367.

FEET PAINTING

(Foot painting by Andries Gouws)

Andries Gouws to exhibit seven paintings of feet at March 22’s Open Studio.

Well-known artist Andries Gouws is to take seven paintings of feet, the better part of his artistic production since May 2007, to the Johannesburg Art Fair from April 3 to 5 where they will appearing at the KZNSA booth.

“Even though I'm not counting on [m]any sales, it may be that they'll never be in Durban together again, so I liked the idea of giving interested people in Durban a chance to see them before they are sent off,” explains Andries.

He is therefore holding an open studio on March 22, 2009, at his home in Durban between 13h00 and 16h00. Those who wish to attend should contact him on email: gouwsa@durbs.com or 031 261 6750 for instructions on how to reach the venue.

Images of some of the paintings being shown can be seen at www.andriesgouws.com

FRIENDS OF MUSIC

Recitals by Ben Schoeman and Anzel Gerber as well as Jenny Stern and Emmanuel Bach coming up.

Durban’s Friends of Music will present pianist Ben Schoeman and cellist Anzel Gerber in a programme of Beethoven, Stravinsky, Debussy and Rubenstein on March 31 at 19h45 with mother and son duo Jenny Stern (violin) and Emmanuel Bach (piano) playing Stavinsky, Franck, Mozart, Wieniawski, Debussy, de Falla and Sarasate, on April 7.

Both events take place at the Durban Jewish Club, starting at 17h45. Booking is through Computicket.

LUCIA FOR ALL

(Pic: Anna Netrebko and Mariusz Kwiecien in the Mad Scene from ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’)

Classical Notes - by William Charlton-Perkins (courtesy of The Mercury)

Donizetti’s Lucia Di Lammermoor, Cinema Nouveau’s latest attraction in its Live-in-HD filmed-opera series from the Metropolitan Opera, is a must for theatregoers, never mind dedicated opera buffs. If ever a production was geared to win friends and influence people to the cause of opera, this is it. No wonder Mary Zimmerman’s sensational Victorian ghost story make-over of this bel canto masterpiece, set in the wilds of Scotland, was the hottest ticket in New York during its premiere season last year.

First staged with French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay in the title role (here she is the intermission anchor), this revival stars Russian diva Anna Netrebko as put-upon Lucy whose ruthless brother Henry tricks her into a forced marriage to save the family from financial ruin. Netrebko gives a riveting performance that grows in momentum. She subtly delineates the increasing mental fragility of the opera’s central character, as her treacherous brother shows her a forged letter in evidence that her lover Edgardo has broken faith with her. Numbed with grief, the poor girl gives in to brotherly pressure and publicly signs a wedding contract with newfound bridegroom, Arturo.

Mayhem ensues (and the famous Sextet) as Edgardo arrives on the scene and denounces her. More commotion sets in when it is learned Lucia has stabbed her bridegroom to death on their wedding night. The opera’s celebrated ‘mad scene’ and Lucia’s ultimate collapse swiftly lead to the tenor’s protracted final moments of despair. Zimmerman’s production skilfully sidesteps the inherent perils of anti-climax by allowing Lucia’s ghost to appear onstage. Corny as it may sound, this stroke of directorial genius ensures the lovers are visually reunited in spirit, bringing the curtain down with all the punch of the High Romantic idiom at its most potent (think Romeo and Juliet, think Giselle).

No regrets that Polish tenor Piotr Beczala replaces previously announced Rolando Villazon as Lucia’s ill-starred lover. The man sings his heart out. Evoking memories of the fabled Fritz Wunderlich, he deserves every decibel of the thunderous applause that comes his way during the curtain calls. Ditto all the soloists, in fact. Baritone Mariusz Kwiecien plays the heroine’s tyrannical brother, Enrico, with a convincing sadistic edge. Ildar Abdrazakov as Raimondo, the Ravenswood family chaplain, is suitably guilt-stricken at his own connivance in bringing about Lucia’s breakdown.

In every sense this production is superb theatre, high melodrama played out in a setting of decaying grandeur, the most convincing operatic adaptation imaginable of Sir Walter Scott’s gothic novel. Marco Armiliato conducts with effortless grace, and with all the requisite passion to ensure that Donizetti’s glorious melodies combust the drama throughout. Miss this wonderfully filmed Lucia di Lammermoor at your peril. I plan to take in at least two more viewings before its run ends on April 2.

On the local vocal scene, good news is Durban’s celebrated soprano Bronwen Forbay has returned home to fulfil a teaching stint with her Alma Mater, UKZN’s Opera School and Choral Academy. Our finest vocal export in years, her US audiences’ loss is our gain: Forbay will be the KZN Philharmonic’s soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah in the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on March 29 at 15h00, singing under the baton of Naum Rousine. She is also set to sing the flamboyantly exciting soprano solo part in Haydn’s Nelson Mass, when the KZNPO and the Durban Symphonic perform of this great work at Mariannhill Cathedral on April 5 at 15h00. The other soloists will be Ronel Laidlaw, Lionel Mkhwanazi and Richard Salmon. Forbay will also sing soprano solos from Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s C Minor Mass and Haydn’s Creation in the first half of the afternoon’s programme.

Note too that Durban’s Friends of Music will present pianist Ben Schoeman and cellist Anzel Gerber in a programme of Beethoven, Stravinsky, Debussy and Rubenstein at the Durban Jewish Club on March 31 at 19h45, and mother and son duo Jenny Stern (violin) and Emmanuel Bach (piano) playing Stavinsky, Franck, Mozart, Wieniawski, Debussy, de Falla and Sarasate, on April 7. Both events take place at the Durban Jewish Club, starting at 17h45. Booking is through Computicket.

Finally a reminder that two Durban performances of Messiah are in the offing over the Easter period, when the Durban Symphonic Choir and The Playhouse Company Chorale join forces with KZNPO and conductor Naum Rousine. The Playhouse Company’s semi-staged production is directed by Mark Hawkins and will feature soloists Hanli Stapela (soprano), Violina Anguelov (mezzo soprano), Bongani Tembe (tenor) and Tami Zungu (bass). These performances will be in the Opera Theatre at 19h30 on April 9, and on April 12 (Easter Sunday) at 15h00. Tickets R65, R85 and R105. Book through Computicket on 083 915 8000 or call 031 369 9540. – William Charlton-Perkins

SUCCESSFUL END TO TIME OF THE WRITER

Time of the Writer 2009 came to a rollicking conclusion in Durban.

The finale was a performance entitled I Write And Draw What I LikeM – inspired by Steve Biko’s I Write What I Like – the central thread of the discussion was on freedom of expression in South Africa.

Overall, it was a powerful week for literature in Durban with six well-attended evenings of discussion and dialogue at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. The success of the evening performances was mirrored in the vast day programme. Conducted at various tertiary campuses and community centres, and stretching from Caversham in the Midlands to Luthuli Museum on the North Coast, these events elicited high-levels of audience participation. A core element of Time of the Writer is the stimulation of a culture of reading and writing amongst the youth and the schools visiting programme reached approximately 4,000 learners from 30 schools during the festival week.

The day-long Publishing Forum focused on a variety of topical issues such as book promotion, independent bookstores, literary journals, graphic novels, self-publishing and genre writing. The festival also hosted four book launches and a unique live cartooning session. The thematic focus of the festival was overwhelmingly on African issues, a distinguishing feature of Time of the Writer that continues to set it apart on the South African literary calendar.

Principal funding partners of the 12th Time of the Writer festival were the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS), French Institute of South Africa, Stichting Doen and City of Durban.

MARIMA FESTIVAL

Still time to register for South Africa’s fourth National Marimba Festival.

Registration for South Africa’s Fourth National Marimba Festival in Boksburg closes on April 9.

The 2009 National Marimba Festival, which has become an undisputed highlight of the country’s cultural calendar, will be hosted at St. Dominic’s School in Boksburg on July 25 and 26. This year’s festival promises to outstrip the success of its predecessors and a record number of participants are expected to enter.

The Marimba Education Foundation in partnership with St. Dominic’s School, in anticipation of this vibrant musical experience, is calling for as many participants as possible to register in this year’s competition.

“We are delighted to offer a limited number of sponsorships to deserving bands who are in need of assistance. We are trying our very best to get as much sponsorship as possible this year as we realise that many bands will find it difficult to attend without some financial help,” says Joan Lithgow, festival organiser.

There are great prizes to be won including two marimbas and as there have been some changes made to the rules, entrants are advised to read them carefully prior to entering. Entrants can register on line at www.mef.org.za or contact Joan for entry forms.

More information from Joan on 082 2664 229 (office hours) or e-mail joan@mef.org.za for entry forms and competition details.

FOR GENERATIONS

Kurt Egelhof returns to his home town with show that explores the mind.

Kurt Egelhof, who has made good in far-off fields boardrooms and cities, returns to his home town of Durban to share his long-awaited triumphant return to the stage.

Having received rave reviews throughout its tour, For Generations is an exploration into the state of mind that exists in every single one of us. It is tempered by the ancient rhetoric: Who Am I, Where Do I Come From, and Where Am I Going?

By presenting the work in a dramatic narrative style, For Generations attempts to engage its audience enough to invoke 'their own' personal narrative, to embrace an own version of their own stories. The men from our lives, our fathers before us who through their own very real hopes and dreams, opened the universe in preparation for our arrival, may have passed on too early, with too much information unshared before we were able to receive it.

And in this time, when the image of men as role models for their sons on how to become a good, decent upright person seems to be at an all-time low, comes a wave of inexplicable insight from what must be an inexplicable source: the sound of our forefathers' voices coming up from deep inside of us. This is how the piece was made, as Kurt tried to listen to his ancestral voices from beyond the grave.

Presented in association with TheatreBIZ, For Generations, is also the story of Everyman and Everywoman. A story worth telling, it is performed by Kurt under the skilful direction of Nic Fine.

For Generations runs at Catalina Theatre from April 9 to 25. Tickets R75 (R45 pensioners and students) there are BUY 1 GET 1 FREE performances on Saturdays at 17h00 and Sundays at 14h00.

CORIOLANUS

Shakespeare’s blood-soaked political Roman tragedy set to get new lease of life at DUT.

Shakespeare’s seldom-staged blood-soaked political Roman tragedy, Coriolanus, gets a new lease of life as staged by the DUT.

It is a play of action before thought. Shakespeare’s final tragedy which shows us how little people and politics have changed over time. This poignant political thriller is as relevant now as it was in the 1600’s when it was written – marrying a fighter of superhero proportions to a story of political intrigue. The context of economic hardship, patronising leadership, society caught in an unwelcome war, people unhappy and looking for change is as familiar now as it was in Roman times.

Directed by Debbie Lutge with set design by Josef van Scalkwyk and costumes by Debbie Lutge, Coriolanus will be presented by the Department of Television, Drama and Production Studies. The busy department’s first production of the year, it features a cast of first, second and third year students.

Coriolanus runs at the Courtyard Theatre, Mansfield Road, DUT campus, from March 28 to April 3 at 19h00. There is secure parking at Gate No. 4 opposite the Courtyard Theatre.

Tickets R15 (R10 scholars) booked through Duven Naidoo (Theatre Manager) on email: duven@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2532 or departmental secretary Lebohang Sibisi on 031 373 2194 or email; lebohangs@dut.ac.za

SADLER’S WELLS DANCE CONTEST

UK’s leading dance house goes online to find global dance talent of the future.

Sadler’s Wells, the UK’s leading dance house, goes truly global, with its international online dance contest. Marking the start of a four-year worldwide competition that offers an annual winner a cash prize and the chance to perform at Sadler’s Wells, the dance house is calling all dancers and choreographers aged over 18 to take part.

The web-based competition which uses YouTube to host the entries is live via www.globaldancecontest.com

Seeking the next generation of dance talent, the winner will perform in front of a potential audience of 1,800 people on the main stage at Sadler’s Wells Sampled, the theatre’s acclaimed dance showcase weekend featuring international stars, taking place annually in January. The contest builds up to a final showcase of each year’s winner in 2012.

The panel of judges made up of leading figures from across the arts, is chaired by Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and CEO, Alistair Spalding, and includes Arlene Phillips, a judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, The Royal Ballet’s Zenaida Yanowsky, and British artist and Turner Prize winner Martin Creed.

Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director Alistair Spalding says “Judging by the popularity of the dance clips and comments on YouTube there is huge talent and a massive appetite for every conceivable form of dance out there in the global community. Not everyone is lucky enough to receive formal dance training or to perform on stage and I’m incredibly excited that Sadler’s Wells can offer the potential stars of the future a chance to demonstrate their creative skills. The lucky winners will have a truly remarkable opportunity to perform alongside some of the greatest names in dance today and perhaps begin a career not otherwise imagined.”

Comprising two stages, the Sadler’s Wells Global Dance Contest invites anyone in the world over the age of 18 to enter. For the first stage, entrants must create and capture on video their own original piece of dance from 30 seconds to three minutes in length, to upload onto YouTube. First stage entries, which can be any kind of dance style, must be in by July 17, 2009. The videos will then be judged by the panel members who will shortlist 10 entries. In the second stage of the contest, the 10 shortlisted entrants will create a longer piece of five minutes or more to submit for public vote. The public vote opens on September 1 and the winner will be declared on November 18, 2009.

The winner will receive £2,000 and be brought to London from wherever they live to perform alongside leading artists from the international dance scene at Sadler’s Wells Sampled, the theatre’s critically acclaimed, annual dance taster weekend. They will receive support and guidance from the theatre to help them ensure their work looks great on stage. At the end of four years in 2012, the collective winners will get to perform their work in London, during the Olympic year.

More information on www.globaldancecontest.com

AGNES OF GOD

(Pic: Janna Ramos-Violante as Sister Agnes)

Three fine performances in John Pielmeier’s excellent drama. (Review by Caroline Smart)

Is she an Innocent … or is she a hysteric? Was it rape or was it a miracle birth? Can one be truly objective if one has renounced religion but has to analyse a soul who is driven by God?

That’s the challenge facing court psychiatrist, Dr Martha Livingstone, who is tasked with identifying whether a young nun, Sister Agnes, is legally sane after what begins to look like the murder of her child.

Independent theatre companies, those who struggle on without the benefit of sponsorship or government funding, take a great risk in presenting pure drama in these cash-strapped times. In order to survive and generate income, they tend to put on the kind of work the general public – not just the theatre aficionados (and these are dwindling by the day) – will pay to see: There is a long-standing theatre saying: “You have to do nine potboilers before you can do an Agnes of God”.

The reference to Agnes of God being that in a drama such as this, actors have the luxury of being able to explore their craft, define nuances, be challenged by moods and vocal dynamics and generally revel in a chance of performing roles that are beautifully moulded in a powerful dramatic production made up of a memorable script and skilfully crafted scenes.

Fett Diva Productions is currently presenting Agnes of God in the Square Space Theatre and the cast - Janna Ramos Violante (Agnes), Tamar Meskin (Dr Livingstone) and Alison Cassels (Mother Miriam Ruth) – certainly do justice to John Pielmeier’s script and Tanya van der Walt’s direction. Stephen Woodroffe has designed a clearly defined set which identifies the three areas of action and his lighting is very effective.

Dr Livingstone is the eternal optimist – a chain-smoking lapsed Catholic, she rails against religion and all it stands for. Mother Miriam Ruth is fiercely protective of Sister Agnes to the point of being less than truthful. And Sister Agnes herself? On the face of it, she’s a poorly educated young woman who has had a baby which is found strangled by its umbilical cord in a wastepaper basket in her room at the convent.

In the complex role of Agnes, Janna Ramos Violante gives a luminous and compelling multi-layered performance - at times naïve, vulnerable and charming, at others a virago – as this despairing soul who believes she is being punished for sins she doesn’t understand. Tamar Meskin skilfully handles the mercurial role of Dr Livingstone whose blunt and probing exterior hides a complexity of emotions. Providing the buffer between the two, Alison Cassels’ solid portrayal of Mother Miriam Ruth is that of a forthright yet unyielding modern-thinking figure whose defence of Agnes has its own agenda.

While this is a thought-provoking and gripping drama, it is also extremely entertaining. Ironic humour bubbles beneath the surface and the action is fast-paced.

Fett Diva Productions was scheduled to present Agnes of God late last year but Alison Cassels had an unfortunate accident (coming out of the Square Space Theatre, so be warned!) in which she broke three bones in her ankle. This not only meant that the production had to be postponed but effectively put Alison out of work for four months. All kudos to her that she managed to negotiate the various levels of the stage with only the slightest hint of a limp.

Agnes of God runs until March 29 in the Square Space Theatre on the University of KwaZulu-Natal campus with performances at 20h00. Bookings on 031 260 3133 or tickets at the door. For an all-too rare dramatic experience, don’t miss it! - Caroline Smart

SHADOW DANCE

(Pic: Greg Bauermeister’s “Washington DC”, oil on canvas, 2008)
Solo exhibition by Greg Bauermeister at artSPACEdurban.

Shadow Dance is a solo exhibition by Greg Bauermeister due to run at artSPACEdurban.

The body of work in oil on canvas is the result of images and feelings accumulated by the artist from travels both abroad and locally. The vision expressed in these paintings is very much that of the mundane and the ordinary transformed into something mysterious and brooding. The distorted images serve to reinforce this view and the dark shadows heighten this feeling. The disconnectedness and dispiritedness of the images and people expressed in the paintings speak of the loneliness in a crowd so often felt in cities and places in our world today.

Shadow Dance runs at artSPACEdurban from March 30 to April 18.

YEStoDAY

("Avian Minotaur" – a sculpture by Gerald Baise that stands a metre high )

YEStoDAY is a solo exhibition by Durban-based Gerald Baise to take place in the Main Gallery at artSPACEdurban.

This exhibition refers to sculptures made over the past 28 years – yes(terday) and today - and includes new work from the past two years.

“Once again this is all about wood as a living material that provides a varying resistance and takes one on a journey which continues until the spirit enters the piece as my teacher, the late Basil Jones, used to say,” explains Gerald Baise. “That journey is about shapes and tactility and not about esoteric mission statements. The work speaks for itself and if there is no voice then let it be so.”

YEStoDAY runs at artSPACEdurban from March 30 to April 18.

SCRATCHING SURFACES

(Pic: Saying Hello” oil on canvas with photographic image by Lara Mellon)

Lara Mellon, Maggie Strachan, Joan Martin, Lesley Magwood-Fraser and Rene Leslie at Kizo.

Scratching Surfaces, the forthcoming exhibition at Kizo, brings together five women artists. Lara Mellon, Maggie Strachan, Joan Martin, Lesley Magwood-Fraser and Rene Leslie.

The artists share a passion for the landscape (the surface) and the inhabitants of KwaZulu-Natal. Expressive mark-making (scratching) and, in particular, the traditional medium of drawing is what initially drew them together. They all grapple with the integration of their “scratching” with the surface of their chosen medium – which tends to be two dimensional, but varies. The artists however share the sentiment that they are all just “scratching the surface” in terms of their potential as artists.

Over years, the five exhibiting artists have steadily earned their worth in the art industry of KZN and are now embarking on an international career. Lara Mellon and Maggie Strachan have collaborated in two international shows, one of them being hosted in London and the other in Germany. They bring their international experience to this exhibition.

Scratching Surfaces runs at the Kizo Art Gallery, Gateway, from March 26 to April 26. The exhibition will be opened on March 26 at 18h30 by Carol Brown. More information from curator Nathi Gumede on 031 566 4324 or email: nathig@kizo.co.za or visit www.kizo.co.za

ROLLING BALL

Zothe Shange’s exhibition running at Tatham Art Gallery

Edendale artist Zothe Shange’s Rolling Ball sculpture exhibition can be seen at the Schreiner Gallery in Pietermaritzburg’s Tatham Art Gallery until May 3.

Gallery hours Tuesday to Sunday from 10h00 to 18h00. More information on 033 392 2801.

DUT EXHIBITION

Durban University of Technology showcasing prints and drawings from its collection.

The Durban University of Technology is showcasing prints and drawings from its collection at the Cecil Renaud Theatre, above the library on Steve Biko Campus in Durban. Featured artists include William Kentridge, Andrew Verster, Helen Sebidi, Dan Rakgoathe, Bezem, Dumile Feni, Stembiso Sibisi, Breyten Breytenbach, Tito Zungu, Jeff Rankin and Bronwyn Findlay.

The exhibition is open to the public from Monday to Friday (08h00 to 16h00). For more information contact the Art Gallery on 031 373 2207.

NEVER CRY WOLF

True story of biologist who spent months in the Canadian wilderness to study wolves.

Starring Charles Martin Smith and Brian Dennehy, Never Cry Wolf is the true story of a biologist who spent months in the Canadian wilderness to study wolves, learning more about himself in the process.

Something is killing caribou herds in the icy Canadian wilderness, and it’s up to biologist Tyler to find out who or what is responsible. If it’s wolves, as everyone suspects, the Canadian government will eradicate them. As Tyler spends months in sub-zero temperatures studying the wolves, he discovers some very interesting things -- and finds himself torn between going home or protecting these animals he has grown to respect.

Never Cry Wolf can be seen on M-Net Stars (Channel 105) on March 19 at 19h30.

FOR RICHER OR POORER

Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley play rich city couple pretending to be Amish farmers.

Directed in 1997 by Bryan Spicer, For Richer or Poorer is about a rich city couple on the verge of divorce who pretend to be Amish farmers to hide out from a trigger-happy IRS agent on their tail.

This fish-out-of-water spoof of Witness stars TV stars Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley as Brad and Caroline Sexton, a rich Manhattan couple who are about to get divorced. However, their marital woes take a backseat when they discover that their accountant has embezzled their money and cooked their tax returns. With an overzealous IRS agent on their tail, they flee New York until their lawyer can sort it all out – and end up in a conservative Amish community. How will the spoiled and lazy Sextons cope?!

For Richer or Poorer can be seen on M-Net Stars (Channel 105).on March 24 at 19h30.

DROP DEAD FRED

Phoebe Cates and Carrie Fisher star in story of a woman and her imaginary childhood friend.

Drop Dead Fred directed by Ate de Jong and starring Phoebe Cates and Carrie Fisher will be broadcast on March 23 at 19h30 on M-Net Stars (Channel 105).

It tells the story of a woman whose life has fallen apart and goes home to her mother, but it’s her imaginary childhood friend, the mischievous Fred, who helps her to pick up the pieces.

Lizzie is an introverted young woman who has never really learned to enjoy life. But this all changes when, in one dramatic lunch hour, she loses her money, her car, her job and her husband. When she returns to her domineering mother, she finds the jack-in-the-box that helped her cope as a child. Inside is Drop Dead Fred, the imaginary childhood friend only she can see. And he’s determined to make things right for poor Lizzie. But whatever Fred does, leads to chaos.

BEATLEMANIA ON TOUR

(Beatlemania)

Showtime Australia presents Beatles tribute at iZulu Theatre.

Following the recent successful run in Durban of Queen It’s a Kind of Magic by Showtime Australia, Beatlemania on Tour is the next dynamic show from the same production house.

Performed by the globe-trotting “Beatles Experience”, this tribute show promises its audience a nostalgic musical journey through all The Beatles hits. Employing authentic Beatle instruments, amplifiers and costumes, coupled with faithful renditions of everyone’s favourite Beatles classics – this show recreates the spirit of the Fab Four in ways that have audiences raving.

The performers are Chris Frazer as John Lennon – rhythm guitar, lead guitar, piano, mouth organ and lead vocals, Cameron Charters as Paul McCartney – bass guitar, piano and lead vocals, Paul Green as George Harrison – lead guitar, piano and lead vocals and Michael Brady as Ringo Starr – drums, percussion and lead vocals.

Musically, no detail is overlooked. The Beatlemania artists perform every song live and in its original key expertly recreating the true sound and excitement that was The Beatles.

Beatlemania on Tour will run at the iZulu Theatre stage at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom from March 25 to April 5. Shows are Wednesdays to Saturdays at 20h00 with matinees on March 29 and April 5 at 14h00. Booking through Computicket: 083 915 8000

CRIME AT TIME OF THE WRITER

Time of the Writer’s latest festival focused on crime writing. (Report by Margaret von Klemperer, courtesy of The Witness)

Crime is South Africa’s hottest topic, cutting across groups and classes. It crops up at dinner parties, in taxis and in newspaper letter columns. You might think that would be enough, but it seems we still want to read about it – the country has a growing stable of writers whose books, whether thrillers or crime fiction, sell.

On Monday, the first morning of the Time of the Writer Festival in Durban, I tracked down three who are finding that crime does pay, if only in terms of royalties from their publishers – Angela Makholwa, author of Red Ink, Mike Nicol (Payback) and Margie Orford (Like Clockwork; Blood Rose). My first question to them all was: why do South Africans want to read about crime?

“If it’s written as fiction, it distances it a bit from people’s fears,” says Makholwa.. “For some reason people find it fascinating to read about serial killers. They love it, and they love the fact that it scares the wits out of them.”

Nicol and Orford see it slightly differently. Both say that crime fiction is fantasy. “For the most part, things end well, and the baddies go to jail,” Nicol says, although he does admit that local crime fiction is often more ambiguous and open ended, perhaps a reflection of the society we live in. For Orford, whose third novel about investigator Dr Clare Hart is due out this year, it is first and foremost a way of showing contemporary South African society. “When I came back here in 2001 from Namibia, I was overwhelmed by the sense of violence and fear here, and I wanted to write about how South Africa is in the present. Crime writing parachutes you right into that.”

The novels the three write are very different, but all fall into the crime genre, although the line between crime fiction and thrillers is increasingly blurred. As Nicol points out, South African retailer CNA refuses to have shelves labelled “Crime”, presumably because they are concerned that it will put people off. So they display them as “Thrillers”. But call them what you will, they are attracting a growing readership.

Makholwa wrote Red Ink as a way of making sense of an experience she had by turning it into fiction. “Doing that liberated me,” she says. “I could explore it voyeuristically, bringing in fear, suspense, humour.” This is not trivialising or glamorising crime, though killers like the idea of being the subject of books and films, and copy-cat killings have happened. “That’s something to think about as a writer,” she says.

In the years immediately after 1994, South African writing was heavily ‘literary’, and locally produced popular, or mass market, fiction was a rarity. But good crime writing is good writing.

“I have a literary background,” says Orford. “I can ‘litter’ as well as anyone! And I am finding that the more I write, the more nuanced I can make my work. We live in an ambiguous society – we have the nicest people here, unless they are trying to kill you. There’s not much in between. I’m interested in violence and its effects, and in the resilience of people. But you don’t want to belabour readers. You have to tell a story. South African readers think South African books are going to ‘klap’ them, and we have to get away from that.”

Makholwa admits that in a country where literary writing has been at the forefront, she was concerned about how Red Ink would be received. “I thought it might be dismal,” she says. “But mass market fiction is very important; it’s how people get into reading.” And she has had a great response from across the spectrum - from high school kids, black men and white women. Invited to speak at a book club in Soweto, she found herself with fans who had taken her book to heart, and were eager to give her an in depth analysis.

Nicol admits that for many years after he went to university he became a snob. “If it wasn’t high literature, I wasn’t reading it. It was only ten years ago that I went back to crime, and there is a whole lot of stuff that is really good – good writing, good characters, good dialogue, and social commentary. There’s everything we want in a book and you can read it on the beach, and leave it in the sand if you want.” He agrees that post 1994, there was a perception that South African writers were wagging their fingers at readers. “The crime genre doesn’t do that.” And increasingly, it offers humour as well as a good scare.

Those wagging fingers and klaps have made some readers reluctant to go local. Also, Nicol feels publishers must try harder to make their authors into celebrities. “They’ve got to make writers entertaining and attractive, make them sexy. Already the book launch is changing. You used to get a lecture – and all you could do was try to get as pissed as possible before it started. Now authors know they have to sing for their supper – they have to get a couple of laughs, and then people will think: ‘great, funny guy. Let’s buy the book’.”

If you enjoy crime writing and thrillers, for your next beach or fireside read try something local. The settings are familiar which adds to the fun and there are some excellent reads out there. Check local crime writing out at the Blog Nicol runs - http://crimebeat.book.co.za - and catch local writers this week in Durban at The Time of the Writer. For the full programme, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za – Margaret von Klemperer

MANDLA LANGA WINS COMMONWEALTH WRITERS’ PRIZE

Mandla Langa wins with “The Lost Colours of the Chameleon”.

An international judging panel has awarded the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book Award, Africa region, to The Lost Colours of the Chameleon by Mandla Langa (South Africa). The Best First Book Award was awarded to Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan (Nigeria). Each author wins £1,000 and goes into the next stage of the competition to choose the overall Commonwealth Best Book and Best First Book winner, who receive £10,000 and £5,000 respectively.

The announcements of all eight regional winners took place on March 11 as part of Commonwealth Week, a series of special events taking place on and around Commonwealth Day. The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize aims to reward the best Commonwealth fiction written in English, by both established and new writers, and to take their works to a global audience. The judging panel for the Africa region was chaired by Elinor Sisulu (South Africa). She was joined by judges Kole Omotoso (Nigeria) and Billy Kahora (Kenya).

Upon winning the Best Book Award, Mandla Langa commented: “I’m dumbfounded and thrilled at the news, which I’m savouring slowly. The regional award gives impetus to my writing and enables me to have even bigger dreams.”

The announcement of the two winners took place at The Time of the Writer Festival in Durban, South Africa.

In a unique aspect of the Prize, the regional winners will be invited to take part in a week-long programme of community events and public readings during the final pan-Commonwealth judging in New Zealand in May 2009. They join other winners from Canada and the Caribbean, Europe and South Asia and South East Asia and the Pacific. The week's programme will culminate in the announcement of the overall Best Book and Best First Book winners in a special ceremony as part of the 2009 Auckland Writers’ and Readers Festival in New Zealand on May 16.

PHILLIPPA YAA DE VILLIERS

National Arts Festival announces winners of Writing Beyond The Fringe.

Writer, poet and playwright, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, was announced as the winner of the National Arts Festival’s Writing Beyond the Fringe initiative, and has been selected to participate in a four week funded exchange programme at the Passa Porta Literary Festival in Belgium.

The Passa Porta Festival in Belgium brings together writers from different countries for a one month residency during which they explore themes of multiculturalism, multilingualism, openness, boundary-crossing, exchange and dialogue.

The National Arts Festival’s Writing Beyond the Fringe project was initiated to give writers who have previously had work staged at the National Arts Festival Fringe a fresh injection of creative inspiration. Some 36 writers submitted manuscripts for the project. These were judged by Tim Huisamen, lecturer in language studies at Rhodes University and Romie Singh, Education Producer at ABC Ulwazi. The final selection was made by representatives of the Passa Porta Festival and de Buren Literary Project.

Phillippa, who submitted The Day that Jesus Dropped the Ball... and other stories was selected for the exchange programme from a group of four finalists nominated by the South African adjudicators. The other finalists, James Cairns, Kurt Egelhof and Brink Scholtz, will join Phillippa in a series of readings of their stories as part of the 2009 National Arts Festival. Each of the writers will have their manuscripts produced as Digital Radio Books which will be translated into four different languages and made available as CDs and free Internet downloads. The four writers will also each receive three thousand Euros.

The 35th National Arts Festival runs from July 2 to 11 and is sponsored by The Eastern Cape Government, Standard Bank, The National Arts Council, The National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund and the Sunday Independent. For further information visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za or phone 046 603 1103.

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

(Pic:Anne Hathaway and Rosemarie DeWitt as sisters Kym and Rachel)

Chaos, crises and conflict in new film by Jonathan Demme. (Review by Billy Suter, courtesy of The Mercury)

Mutterings overheard from some leaving a matinee performance of Rachel Getting Married, the acclaimed new film by Jonathan Demme, suggested some people had been anticipating something altogether different.

So let’s put minds at ease immediately – Rachel Getting Married, notwithstanding its cheerful title and starring wide-eyed and sunny-smiling Anne Hathaway, is far removed from the froth and fluff of Hathaway’s earlier successes, The Devil Wears Prada and The Princess Diaries.

Penned by novice scriptwriter Jenny Lumet (daughter of director Sidney), the film is a drama of chaos, crises and conflict, of anger and hurt, pain and guilt, regrets and resentments, the film is a dark and broody drama, but it is not without humour and flourishes of fun. Hathaway has never been better, the film affording her her first meaty adult role, which led to her receiving an Oscar nomination this year.

Demme, who gave us The Silence of the Lambs, is also on form, unfolding his tale simply and sparingly, like a documentary, peeping here, glancing there, exploiting natural light often, sometimes employing hand-held cameras and making novel use of music, rather than a formal score.

Hathaway is the principal character, the self-absorbed and flamboyant Kym, the Rachel of the title (an excellent Rosemarie DeWitt) being her older sister.

Rachel’s colourful garden wedding at the home of her dad (Bill Irwin) and stepmum (Anna Deaveare Smith) has allowed Kym a weekend away from the rehab centre where she has been off drink and drugs for nine months, marking her best success yet in a decade-long battle with substance abuse. But as much as she is relieved to escape rehab for a short time, it’s not all plain sailing for chain-smoker Kym.

The awkwardness and embarrassment of her family members is sometimes glaring, and the tension between Kym and Rachel grows by the hour as old wounds and unfinished business are uncovered during the wedding preparations and build-up to the big event itself. As this drama unfolds, so we discover the reasons for the family dysfunctions, the cause of all the pain and guilt, the reason for the divorce of Kym’s folks (long-time-no-see Debra Winger appears late in the film for a standout performance as Kym and Rachel’s mother).

The film may be a little too talky and slow for some, but provides rich pickings for anyone appreciating good ensemble work and some stellar individual performances.

By the way, music fans might care to note that the role of Rachel’s groom, Sidney – who does a wonderful a cappella rendition of a Neil Young song – is played by Tunde Adebimpe, lead singer of the rock group TV on the Radio. (Rating 7/10) – Billy Suter