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To Grahamstown and Beyond....
Tuesday 4 August 2009
30 July 2009
Those who could not experience the Amaz!ng vibe at the National Arts Festival this past July can still get a taste of the Grahamstown magic at various theatres across the country in the forthcoming months.
One of the Festival Main programme productions that will be making its way to Cape Town in August is Mike van Graan’s hard-hitting Iago’s Last Dance, directed by Lara Bye. It will be running at the Artscape Arena Theatre from the 11th – 22nd of August. This challenging HIV/Aids drama premiered at the National Arts Festival this year, and also ran at the National Schools Arts Festival. Justin Wilkinson`s hilarious comedy Buttler’s and Botox, selling out at the Festival as part of the Fringe Comedy programme, will be on at the Artscape from 25 – 29 August.
The Baxter Theatre in Cape Town will be hosting sell-out comedian David Newton from the 20th- 22nd of August with his popular Grahamstown tribute, “Best of the Fest”. Newton brought three different comedy shows to the Festival this year, with sold-out performances across the board. Apart from Newton's two own one-man shows, he produced, directed and co-wrote “Dekaf” with upcoming comedian and actor Sivuyile “Siv” Ngesi, who will be the opening act for Newton’s “Best of the Fest”.
Jeremy Crutchley’s 40 characters, all played by him, will also make an appearance on the Baxter stage in the Festival sell-out, I am my own wife, written by Doug Wright and directed by Janice Honeyman. The season is extended to the 15th of August due to public demand. The Baxter will also see Festival veterans Luke and Nicholas Ellenbogen’s back in action with the evergreen A Midsummer Night’s Raiders from 19 August – 5 September. The Ellenbogens celebrated 20-years of Raider’s at this years’ Festival with sold-out performances.
Popular Festival duo, opera sensation Zanne Stapelberg and classical guitarist James Grace, who brought Canciones Espanolas to Grahamstown’s Main Music stage, will both be performing at the Klein-Karoo Klassique Festival, running from the 14 – 16 August in Oudsthoorn. Canciones Espanolos will also return to the stage at the Aardklop Festival in Potchefstroom on the 3rd of October.
Gauteng won’t be missing out either, with Ntshieng Mokgoro’s (Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Drama 2009) The Olive Tree, running at the State Theatre in Tshwane from the 4th – 23rd of August. The State Theatre will also be hosting Festival Fringe production, The Report to an Academy, written by Franz Kafka, directed by Karoly Pinter with Sello Maake ka Ncube, from 4 September – 4 October. Ben Voss, directed by Janice Honeyman, can also be seen in Festival Fringe Comedy favorite Beauty and the BEE at the State Theatre from 6 – 25 October.
The Market Theatre in Johannesburg also hosts two productions that were part of the Festival’s Main programme, as well as one of the Fringe favorites. Fred Khumalo’s Touch my Blood, adapted for the stage and directed by James Ngcobo, will run until the 23rd of August, alongside Theatre Tallipot’s spectacular dance creation Ma Ravan. Ma Ravan will also be at the South African State Theatre from 27 – 29 August as part of the Capital Arts Festival. Utlwanang Theatre’s political satire Mr. Flatnose, that formed part of the Fringe Comedy programme, will also be running at the Market until the 16th of August.
South African funny-man-turned-dance-sensation Rob van Vuuren, who starred as himself in Rob van Vuuren is Rob van Wurin at the Festival, will be entertaining audiences at the Joburg Theatre Complex from the 11th – 22nd of August.
The Wits Downstairs Theatre hosts Lozenge, the suppression of pain from 30 July – 8 August. This physical theatre production is directed by Kieron Jina, and was the official Wits School of Arts entry to the National Arts Festival in 2009. The Wits Amphitheatre will also welcome Atandwa Kani and Nat Ramabulana on stage from 28 July – 1 August and 5 – 22 August, with ID Pending and Hayani, directed by Warren Nebe. This is presented by The Company Laboratory, a professional company for Wits graduates hosted by Wits Dramatic Arts, in collaboration with the Wits Transformation office and the Carnegie Corporation.
The University of the Freestate’s Mmametsi, also featured as part of the Student Theatre programme at the Festival, will be running at the Sceana Theatre in Bloemfontein until the 31st of July. Suitcase Stories, directed by Amy Jephta and Nadia Caldeira was the University of Cape Town’s Festival production, and will be on at the UCT Drama Department’s Arena Theatre until the 1st of August.
Other Fringe highlights travelling the country include Iain “Ewok” Robinson’s stand-up show Spitfire (Kearsney College Auditorium, 15 August), and songstress Nianell performing in Polokwane on the 8th of August, as well as on the 20th of August in Durban.
Sepoko Summit by Ghamakhulu Diniso of Sharpeville will be one of the highlights of the Khanya Theatre Festival in Johannesburg CBD. This festival brings seven plays from the Baxter Theatre''s annual Ikwezi Theatre Festival in Cape Town to Joburg, and will be running until the 7th of August.
Festival hit The Parlotones will be performing on the 1st of August in Howick.
The Famished Road, based on the award-winning novel and writings of Ben Okri and directed by Helen Iskander, will form part of the Aardklop programme in Potchefstroom from the 1st – 3rd October.
While these and other 2009 Festival gems continue to delighting audiences across the country, the National Arts Festival management has now turned its attention to organising the 2010 event, which coincides with the FIFA World Cup and will be extended to 15 days, starting on 20 June 2010.
For those wishing to apply to participate on the main programme, you have until 15 August 2009 to do so.
Detailed proposals for the Main Programme should include:
· Background of the institution, organisation or individual submitting the proposal
· A narrative description of the production / exhibition / performance
· Brief narrative biographies of the principal artists in / proposed for the production / exhibition
· An artistic statement motivating why the work should be presented at the 2010 Festival
· A preliminary budget.
The following must also be included with the proposals:
Theatre : a play-script or a script in progress
Music: CD
Dance: DVD
Visual Arts: a portfolio (if applicable) or full details about the works for the exhibition.
Cross-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary proposals should include at least two of the items listed above in the proposal.
Proposals for genres which are not listed above must include samples of previous works and as much detail as possible so that the Festival Committee have all the relevant information on which to base their recommendations.
Please check detailed requirements for individual disciplines on the website, www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.
The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The Eastern Cape Government, The National Arts Council, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, The Sunday Independent and M Net.
Ends
Note to editors
About the National Arts Festival: The National Arts Festival, now in its 35th year, has proved its sustainability and has grown to be one of the leading arts festivals in southern Africa. Its objectives are to deliver excellence; encourage innovation and development in the arts by providing a platform for both established and emerging South African artists; create opportunities for collaboration with international artists; and build new audiences.
ISSUED BY : THE FAMOUS IDEA TRADING CC
ON BEHALF OF : NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
CONTACT : GILLY HEMPHILL
TEL : 021 886 4900
CELL : 082 820 8584
EMAIL : gilly@thefamousidea.co.za
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