The 5-star Pumba Private Game Reserve covers 6500 hectares of privately owned property in the Eastern Cape, and is malaria-free game viewing at its best. Pumba is situated only 22 km away from Grahamstown and 105 km from Port Elizabeth. ...

Immerse yourself in the world of art - peek into the imagination of the painters, ceramicists, crafters and sculptors as you absorb their varied creations. Take time to explore a myriad of art forms - from modern abstract works to ...

ONE ACTOR. ONE SQUARE METER. NO SET. NO PROPS. THIRTEEN CHARACTERS. EIGHT HUNDRED SOUND EFFECTS. RUMPSTEAK. A sizzling hot new show created by Gaëtan Schmid of The Dog’s Bollocks. RUMPSTEAK is an exhilarating ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at a French ...

Starting at the Albany Museum (the second oldest museum in South Africa), the tour includes an amazing variety of scenes and scenarios of 19th century military, judicial and religious life in Grahamstown. Of architectural interest are the buildings which include ...

In this show PAM focuses on a new dynamic pantsula dance fused with storytelling. We tell the story a former gangster who repents and becomes a tool to change others. He finds a way to lure others away from criminal ...

Courtesy of Ster-Kinekor An 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai is about to experience the biggest day of his life when, with the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a fortune on Who Wants ...

Raiders is comedy theatre at its best: both verbal and visual, it has dominated the last 20 years of the Fringe Festival; keeping fresh and spontaneous, it has become a cult institution. A visit to Grahamstown without A Midsummer Night’s ...

Monique, a high class escort, has always been able to give clients what they want. Thomas has always been what everyone has expected. Tonight Thomas' curiosity is going to get the better of him while demanding of Monique the one ...

The Eastern Cape city of Port Elizabeth is home to a group of dynamic young artists dedicated to the upliftment of their community through cultural activism. The film explores the collective identity of these activists through their ideologies and diverse ...

(A workshop physical theatre production) A taxi driver, affectionately nicknamed "Khudu" (tortoise) by his peers, journeys through various relationships (geographical as well as meta/physical) to determine where he is headed. One journey ends and another route/ine begins. Where can one ...

Set in a school environment, Examz - No Enigma explores people's attitudes towards exams. The play uses poetry, song, dance and storytelling to share tried and tested tips on how to prepare for an exam. Produced by Kwan Butana, directed ...

Part 1 (Sepoko Summit) reveals a ghost summit – the ghosts of apartheid and the phantom of democracy. Part 2 (A’Clow – A’Clone) provides an illusive circus in the sky where Pope Tutu on a tightrope collides with King Tata ...

Multi award-winning theatre practitioner, Aldo Brincat returns to Grahamstown with his charming production, My Father's Hat. The personal story of three generations of men from the same family who, while weathering the trials of life, indulge in their favourite hobby: ...

African Beat Production is a musical show that fuses different dance pieces and movements that have been influenced by the history and circumstance of South Africans over the years- e.g. kofifi, pantsula and gumboot dances. The show, which has been ...

A comic thriller set in the hippie drug culture and porn industry of the early 70s where an assassin is on the loose. This hilarious dark comedy has been described as "Agatha Christie on an acid trip" and generates a ...

Two-time award nominated stand-up comic (Defending the Laid Man and Politically Incorrect) and Festival favourite, David Newton is back with his hilarious third one-man show: Laugh. "Laugh fulfils the mandate - it makes you LAUGH!" - Argus Tonight. "You have ...

The music, the stunts, the dancing, the passion... Oh, what a feeling! This exciting and inspirational show lights up the stage with its raw spirit and sizzling dance moves. Get ready to ...

High Diving With a dynamic mix of physical comedy and tightly honed dialogue this new play shares the story of two star-crossed lovers as they travel through the hilarious and at times tragic minefield of inter-family relations and personal misunderstandings. ...

Every kid knows what happens when you die, right? Jack's having none of it. He's a hero and heroes fight stuff. He's just got to remember why. The Never Never's onto him. ...

Anzan and the Visitors (Director: Anton Krueger): Two inept burglars interrupt a masturbatory Anzan, but his visions of the scruffy pair as Bodhisattvas hamper their attempts to intimidate him. When an insecure correctional services official is discovered feeding his marshmellow ...

Carbon – firm or pliable; supports life, and takes life. This physical theatre work investigates the many conflicting metaphorical corridors we find ourselves in, and our experiences of a country that simultaneously bolsters and stifles. In an attempt to make ...

A misfit princess, a zany songbird and a wicked jailer bring you quirky fun for the family. Join them on this amazingly adventurous journey to save ...

(Curated by Carol Brown and Jenny Stratton in collaboration with the Durban Art Gallery) De Vlieg was probably the only professional white woman photographer on the 'front line' during the apartheid struggle and her images bring a different and ...

It's Big! It's Wild! It's Back! The Tokoloshe monster rears its head once more in the all-new instalment of the incredibly popular, outrageously funny Tokoloshe chronicles. Come and join the multi-award winning Neon ...

Unomntu, the main character in this drama, abandons school and invites friends to her mother's house which they have nicknamed "Wrong Turn". One day her mother comes home unexpectedly, discovers them and freaks out. She struggles to reveal her lifetime ...

Under the Stars, Above the Tree takes both young and old to a world where a tree has overgrown the planet, and a boy is on a quest to see the sky for the first time. Through storytelling, puppetry and ...

Limpopo the Musical is a show that illustrates that the Limpopo Province is, undoubtedly, the "best place to be". It showcases the beauty of its people, the many wonders and opportunities that abound, the multiculturalism that gives it its diversity, ...

Origins of humans and evolution; humans diverted to different parts of the world and they meet as different races. Morals were compromised that led to another revolution and evolution; we are at present at that evolution.

Only Because of You is a theatrical play about unknown fallen heroes. It also tells the tale of two of these heroes' children whose fathers died before their birth. The children grow up in different provinces, and later other heroes ...

Courtesy of Ten10 Films (www.ten10films.com) A feel-good crowd-pleaser that reinvents Laurel and Hardy and turns them black. Elvis has to get to his wedding in Cape Town where Ayanda - his bride-to-be - awaits him. He detours to Durban ...

An energetic, interactive, vibrant and colourful melodrama themed ‘the evolvement of pop culture’, this production celebrates great artists of the 70's ‘Disco’ era, the 80's ‘Bubblegum’ period, the 90's ‘Pop’ culture through to the current hit makers and influential superstars ...

Mix Music is a mixed bag of music that resonates with African people. It includes umbhaqalga (township style music); gospel, masikandi (African Zulu dance music); disco, isicathamiya (miners usually play this type of music); Ikwela (similar to umbhaqalga); soul music ...

SA Comedy Awards Winner for Best One-Person Show! Sold-out Fringe performances! Bafana Republic 1 did it in 2007! Bafana Republic 2: Extra Time did the same in 2008! Now see the third instalment in Mike van ...

This play is about two men who end up sharing a prison cell. They share more than just a prison cell: music, dreams, their life stories. Later they find that that they share even more...they are related.

"Moshito Utswelapele" means 'the rhythm goes on'. Through a mixture of Zulu, Pedi, Tswana and African contemporary dance, these young, energetic dancers promise to take audiences on a fascinating journey through the world of African traditional folk dances and the ...

Where the Rainbow Falls, by Ismail Mahomed, (Runner-up for the 2008 PANSA Playwright Award) was inspired by a true life macabre family drama that shocked South Africans in 2001. A couple struggle to make a success of the family farm ...

Come and join Pierrot Mc Clown, European clowning at its best! Last years short appearance at the Festival deserves a comeback! Fully loaded with fun and laughter, this family show will appeal to all ages, even parents will enjoy it. ...

After Sold-out seasons & rave reviews in Cape Town & Johannesburg, the phenomenon that is Learner Husband is now on at the National Arts Festival. Comedian Stuart Taylor and director Heinrich Reisenhofer have teamed up to create the definitive relationship ...

In the study a writer is struggling to rewrite his lost script; he ends up drowning his sorrows in a bottle of whisky. In the rehearsal space actors are trying to rehearse the lost script...

A joyous poke, from a funny actor and a great musician, at the comic political landscape. Played to packed houses in Cape Town... to be enjoyed fresh at the Festival.

Education First tells of the day to day challenges facing the education system in South Africa today. This production seeks solutions for an education system which is on the verge of collapse ...

Reverend Lephuka is trying to escape the demons of his past. Before becoming a priest he committed murder and now his past is haunting him in the form of a blackmailing psychiatrist. He plots to steal the information the blackmailer ...

Six women of diverse backgrounds and different shapes and sizes talk about their breasts. Topics touched on include: breast cancer, breast feeding, breast enlargements, the wearing of bras and how your upbringing influences the way you view your breasts.  ...

This is a new South African play which explores the cataclysmic meeting of the Middle Eastern struggle with the unsolved question of violence on the Cape Flats. The play merges two worlds crippled by oppressive forces and argues which path ...

Mark Sampson Feels Funny was the highest grossing stand up show at the 2008 Festival. It's a comic exploration of the ups and downs of life, featuring a giant game of Snakes and Ladders and a metre-wide inflatable dice. A ...

Eye popping, jaw dropping, and fun are just a few words to describe the magical experience you will have when you see Ran’D perform. He is a frequent performer at Monday Night Magic, New York’s longest running Off Broadway magic ...

The stage is set. The lights are up. Prospero's books are open. Miranda wheels the barrow and Ariel has disappeared. A dream is being built in this barren wasteland of ash and scattered dust. The dream of an island, its ...

Scenic Sounds is a movie of natural scenes accompanied by live piano music. It has a therapeutic approach and is designed to enhance the healing of the body, mind and spirit.

This is the story of Prince, a young boy who's on a quest to find a will to live. He has lost all hope since finding out he is HIV positive. This affirming musical play is embellished with scintillating dance ...

This theatrical piece depicts the lives of 'homeless kids' in South Africa. Though these children do not have 'normal' homes nor 'normal' lives like other children, they do have aspirations like 'normal' people. Throughout the play we get to share ...

My Alex is a musical production that focuses on the many African cultures that exist in Alexandra. Through acting, dancing, poetry, clapping and drumming, the production showcases the beauty of the traditions of the various cultures and their importance to ...

A production about a man who practiced witchcraft. In order to earn riches for himself, he sacrifices the children of his village to a feared vicious serpent who lives in the mountains around the village. The tables are turned when ...

The infamous Shebeshebe is an ungainly but enthusiastic pastor from an unknown denomination of a charismatic church. He delivers a sermon to his congregation in which he volunteers his own heartfelt testimony but proceeds to over-confess the various peculiar details ...

The team that created the hit show A Touch of Madness which explored the life of writing genius Herman Charles Bosman are back with a new humour and drama filled play which looks at Bosman's life as a school teacher ...

"Kgalema" is a Setwana word for reprimand or rebuke. The story is set out in the informal settlements of Rustenburg where conflict between the Basotho and Batswana erupt after the death of Makoti. His younger sister has to become his ...

Wamhle Ntombi is a play dedicated to young women of the Zulu race: it reveals the Zulu rituals intended to honour women and the habits and ceremonies that are ritually performed for young women. The play will mesmerize the audience ...

Through laughter and tears the cast of Prison Codes decode the numbers, language and culture inside local prisons with original songs to support the drama. The story, set in a Cape Town Prison, deals with the destiny of an intelligent ...

Woman in Transit ‘I have been sick for so long because my story has not been told’ - excerpt from one woman’s testimony during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s hearing. A story of how the unfolding of South Africa’s ...

Ngoma (Director: Segomotso Keorapetse): Ngoma tells the story of a man who is endowed with the spiritual gift of healing. He abuses his knowledge of the human psyche for salacious personal gain. Shark! (Director: Milton Schorr): Jeremy and Mark discover ...

Nibs van der Spuy is an acoustic guitar legend of southern Africa. His diversity as a songwriter, singer and finger stylist has earned him critical acclaim and rave reviews both nationally and internationally. "Spare simplicity and the sheer radiance of ...

Curated by Heidi Erdmann and co-curated by Jacob Lebeko, featuring the work of Roger Ballen, Zander Blom, Lien Botha, Jacques Coetzer, Abrie Fourie, Nomusa Makhubu, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Barbra Wildenboer, Dale Yudelman and Bernie Searle Each artist contributes a unique ...

Courtesy of Video Vision From its gripping early moments, Genova has an immediacy and truthfulness which draw us into the story of a family coping with tragedy. A British university lecturer takes a job in Genova, hoping he and his ...

Expectations dissolve and plans unravel in this offbeat and moving tale about a woman looking for meaning in life. Playfully charting Phyllis's journey through the absurdities ...

MORE SOUTH AFRICAN DEEP FREEZING Written and Performed by Juliet Jenkin and Frances Marek Directed by Alex Halligey Audrey and Maude are the divas of the deep-freeze deep in the frosted heart of the country. Come into the cold ...

Tony Frost (After the Rain) presents lessons from the wild for leaders and organisations.

What do you get when you combine the cutting-edge magic and misdirection of Stuart Lightbody with the mind bending psychological illusions of Bryan Miles? An interactive experience of psychology, suggestion, illusion and misdirection that will blow your mind!

This is the story about two cousins with a love for street dance - one is a pantsula dancer, one is a breakdancer. One wants to build his dancing career, the other is a regular street hoodlum. Their friendship, conflict, ...

Lion of Gaza is the true story of King Nghunghunyani of the Vatsonga-Machangana nation, set in the Gaza region of Mozambique during the 19th century when the Portuguese encroached and invaded the land. King Nghunghunyani learnt from his grandfather that ...

Black stereotypes! Contrary to popular belief there is a new generation of black people who don't bitch about the "struggle", aren't hated by dogs and secretly imagine bush-circumcision (well into one's manhood) like an episode of Grey's Anatomy! From the ...

Terence Marais made a highly successful Festival debut last year, and returns in 2009 to give Festinos another amazing experience of the art of piano playing. Highly rated by conductor, Richard Cock, and described as "an excellent pianist" in Cue ...

A dynamic cast from one of Johannesburg's top performing arts schools will take you on a fantastical journey through the memoirs of Patricia, an aged usherette. Whistle Stop offers an eclectic mix of musical theatre, dance and drama, and includes ...

At some stage in life we all go through a period of reflection, where we examine the journey we have travelled. In So[u]le, the symbol of a shoe and/or shoes plays an important role in defining that journey. The main ...

Looking back to their roots this Xhosa dance ensemble presents a beautiful cultural dance display. "In the old days we used to do Xhosa dances when we did traditional work; we seem to have forgotten our culture - let us ...

A woman raises her daughter under poor conditions, washing clothes for neighbours to earn a living. After her daughter passed matric, she goes to university where she fakes her identity and betrays her mother.

Hurry, hurry, hurry! Step right up and witness the feats of the travelling Alchemists of Alchezar. Summon the Alchemists for all supernatural needs! Plunge into the basement of your ...

A thorough research into the aspects of the most threatening phobia - fears of the known threats of learners and parents in South African schools. Against this background of uncertainty, criminality rears its ugly head, infiltrating the minds of future ...

Botswana's finest creative and performance talent, Shanti Lo, embarks on a national and international tour with the launch of his production Shanti Lo - In Concert at this year's National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Boasting a full complement of a ...

A musical theatre show based on the African cultural journey, this production shows how western influences have shifted people’s mindsets. People no longer believe that the African way, with its traditional values, customs and traditions, has a place in modern ...

This beautiful story of Ama-Mpondomise rituals follows the story of a baby, born strong and healthy, who, as he grew older, became very ill. His parents took him to doctors and a traditional healer to no avail. A second traditional ...

Multi award-winning performance poet Iain 'Ewok' Robinson sets fire to the stage once again with his fast paced one man show. In blending two worlds, the street and the secluded secret hideout, Ewok combines the correct measurements of reality ...

Living in Strange Lands finds Tsafendas in his prison cell soon after his assassination of Prime Minister Henrik Verwoerd. It allows him to tell his own story, from when he grew up in Mozambique to when he joined the Communist ...

A tale, told through dance, of two personalities and the choices they make. Character 1 has a strong personality: she chooses to be a leader, a trustworthy person that respects herself as well as others. She speaks out against ...

"... flawlessly played out..." - The Cape Times. "... shocking allegory is cleverly contrasted with biting humour" - Cue. "... intense skill and a faultless performance." - Cue. "... gift for intelligent comedy..." - Argus. James Cairns' iconic one-hander ...

"Brilliant acting and humour" Cue 2008. Spun is back for its second year of non-stop fly-kicking comedy! The story of a small town boy who stumbles upon extraordinary circumstances, in ...

This play, set in the rural areas around Emangwaneni in KwaZulu-Natal, revolves around two star-crossed lovers, Ntombenhle from a middleclass family and Zakhele from an extremely poor family. Ntombenhle has been chosen to marry Cijimpi the son of the village ...

This 4-piece band, comprising piano, acoustic guitar, bass and drums, describes its sound as "acoustic soul". Well known in Port Elizabeth for their live performances and musically powerful, original compositions, Usiba Noncwadi will be making their Festival debut this year. ...

I Themba (Director: Zane Mandise Maqetuka): This film tells the story of a musician who dreams of landing a record deal. Because of his background and the exploitation he finds within the music industry, he struggles to achieve his goal. ...

A father has abused his family for years. The effects become so unbearable that the mother decides it is enough. Wanting to live a happy life with her family she decides on action. Will her plan work?

What is a right of passage? How have similar rituals formed and perpetuated identities throughout history? These are the questions that started Emmanuel on the four-year meditation that culminated in this exhibition. There are five drawings and a 12-minute video ...

Tina Piek is well known throughout South Africa for promoting first-class performances that refresh and invigorate the traditions of dance. She is committed to the continuity of dance old and new as an effective tool for bridging cultural differences, and ...

The aim of this Scathamiya music group formed by ex-convicts is to fight crime by engaging with the community through their music. Their first album is available and they are working on their second. They are all local Grahamstownians whose ...

Her Lady Macbeth (2007) was hypnotic, her Romeo and Juliet (2008) electrifying. Imagine how she'll do Carmen, that heartless hussy with a gypsy death wish! Masilo is a meteoric talent with conceptual chutzpah who finds old stories as fascinating as ...

We kick off the 2009 Festival with the beautiful voices of two talented vocalists: from Oslo comes Norwegian singer Guro Gravem Johansen, Assistant Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music, where she specialises in free improvisation, and from Cape Town ...

Courtesy of the Labia a.k.a. Il y a Longtemps que Je t'Aime Juliette moves in with her younger sister's family after a long estrangement in this beautifully nuanced study of familial tension and individual regeneration. After 15 years in prison, ...

Fresh from his contract with Cirque du Soleil, Andrew Buckland returns to direct an extraordinary piece of hilarious and thrilling theatre featuring one of the most exciting performers of the top physical theatre company in the country. Absurd clowning, mime ...

3Fates bring you… Yes! The heart core of sex and how we see it. Yes, that terribly tricky topic: Are you Safe yet Sorted? Boisterous and surprising: real girl and guy stories to make you smile and nod... blush and ...

From the creators of Hoot and The Chilli Boy comes the hilarious new show, Monkey Nuts, performed by multi-award winning actor Matthew Ribnick. Don't miss the hysterical brilliance of acclaimed writer/director Geraldine Naidoo in this hour-long comedy that will ...

The 2008 hit returns! A picture perfect marriage. Buried memories and repressed desires. A quirky visual story of undying love. "genius…something you simply cannot afford to miss" (Cape Times); "an elevating theatrical treat" (Mail & Guardian); "compelling, seductive and very ...

A collaboration between Compañía Nacional de Fósforos (Argentina) and Rubyfunk Productions (South Africa) Presented by Proyecto 34ºS Under an African baobab in the Argentine pampas, the Tokoloshe, ...

Millions of Barack Obama supporters celebrated a new dawn in American politics as he won the US elections on 4 November 2008. As the world celebrated the possibility of real change, comedian Ava Vidal was facing a nightmare. In this ...

Would it be too much to ask you to be honest? Seven characters enter a space and assemble the broken puzzle of their lives. But there is something they are not telling us. This ensemble production by an international cast ...

First Light Movies aims to inspire, aid and champion young people from all backgrounds to tell stories about themselves and their lives through the medium of film. FLM provides the funding and expertise to enable five to 19-year-olds, throughout the ...

Just Do It Productions presents: In-Gene-Uity A Comedy by Janet van Eeden Directed by Ian Roberts Roots run deep… When Jean and Lucy adopt the son of their deceased domestic worker, they think love and affection are the only things ...

This production focuses on a young scholar, Lerato, who is married to drugs. The "marriage" is untenable and her situation worsens. A fascinating exploration into the underworld of drug usage amongst young South Africans.

South African theatre is moving out of an era where the subject matter is based on Apartheid / Post-Apartheid Binary. The time has come for the next generation to take a stand. Using slam poetry, Duduetsang expresses what the youth ...

A young woman's reflection on her life; dealing with a past that haunts her; her mind chasing her thoughts as she fights to heal herself in an effort to move forward with her life. She unpacks the contents of her ...

Come on an educational journey through some of the world's finest whiskies. Learn how to impress the barman (and your friends) with your global whisky knowledge.

We are all interconnected in the labyrinth of life. Our lives touch one another whether we know it or not. As we evolve we are linked by fewer and fewer degrees of separation. The piece follows the story of characters ...

"Powerful, farcical and illuminating" - Cue 2007; "An original and evocative theatrical experience" - Cue 2008. Under the directorship of Gary Gordon, New Voices is a concert performance featuring the First Physical Youth Company and new works created by young, ...

This is a story of Vuyani and Zanemvula, two brothers who hail from Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape. After the death of their father, Vuyani marries his long time girlfriend Nomsa who becomes Nomonde by tradition. Vuyani is a mine ...

Joburg, Jozi, Egoli, Ganster's Paradise - the city of many names. Jostling through story junctions and high rise dramas, this multimedia, melting media, physical theatre piece unpacks what it means to be a member of the metropole. Three distinct departure ...

UK Theatre Company presents a world premiere of sean burn's poetic play that focuses on three women searching to discover friendship, love and themselves. As the walls close in, the mind dissolves and mist covers the eyes -can we really ...

A satire about pitching for a government tender to produce an African musical dance extravaganza at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Simon Dunne and Givon Chauke, two over-zealous candidates from Elastic Djembe Productions, present their fantastic concept to a panel ...

Felix is a 22 yr old wannabe rock star who runs away from home in the search of adventure. Fred is a 12 yr old bird watching nerd who has been sent ...

This is a unique traditional stage play with a true African flavour. Revolving around the life stories of people from the olden days, the show is based on the tradition of the Bapedi, their way of celebrating marriages, the inheritors ...

Pourkoipa: A dance piece dealing with the world's problems - crime, food costs, global warming and the high cost of living. Eternal Link: A collaboration of dance and fine art, from ancient African art and customs to how modern rituals ...

(World Premiere) Award-winning author and Sunday Times columnist Fred Khumalo used the old Sophiatown gangsters' greeting as a title for his compelling memoir. It tells of a young man growing up in Hammarsdale (outside Durban) in the 1980s when every ...

Last year's production, The Lost Chapter of My Xhosa Genesis, revealed a lot about the AmaXhosa history. It left the audience debating and questioning themselves about their origins. In My Xhosa, those questions and debates are answered but still more ...

Lana English, female lead of The Phantom of the Opera, Victor Siljeur and Jean Halls bring the joy of music to scintillating life in Belles & Beaux. Opera and other music styles are sung with a quirky, light-hearted edge, in ...

Ex-cadre Buntu Somdaka has lived in the US for 18 years and is married to an Afro-American. Now he is plagued by nightmares that bring him home to Langa in the Western Cape. Will the sangoma be able to help ...

South African pianist Catherine Foxcroft is the darling of the critics and brings enthusiastic audiences to their feet time after time. She has a radiant stage presence which adds glamour and a sense of theatre to her memorable performances. She ...

As you listen to the creative genius of music-making whirlwind Guy Buttery, you can’t escape the feeling that this extraordinary musician has a mind of a prophet and the musical prowess of a Guru. “… his music has a subtle ...

(South African Premiere) Appropriately timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, this Pulitzer Prize-winning one-hander introduces Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite caught up in the great European dramas of the 20th ...

Gospel Africa Opening Concert featuring the Voice of Glory and Still 4 Eva choirs

Shosholoza addresses the plight of South African mineworkers and carries a number of strong messages about reconciliation, cultural acceptance, and AIDS. Loc'tion Jam's dancers and musicians provide a vibrant show that seeks to express the good AND the bad that ...

The Jazz Festival in Grahamstown is renowned for the amazing mix of musicians gathered for a week together, teaching at the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival by day and performing on the Main Jazz Stage at night. 300 students ...

This incisive, hilarious Drama for Life Festival success story will smack you, bump you and wake you up to your relationship with sex, partners and "the truth about us."

A comedy about three twenty-something year olds working in a second-hand bookstore in Melville, Johannesburg. Will is a wannabe filmmaker. Britney is a struggling actress who can't get work because she sounds too British to be on South African TV. ...

BLUE SKY PRODUCTIONS THE HUMAN VOICE (LA VOIX HUMAINE)  By Jean Cocteau (translated by Anthony Wood)    Directed by : INGRID WYLD Featuring : NINA LUCY WYLDE  PREMIER Nina Lucy Wylde,  (SABC Land of Thirst) teams up with acclaimed director Ingrid ...

Meet Christine, Ernest and Cadence, three people stuck in a rut. Follow these three unwitting characters as they deal with life's curveballs - jail, dead fish and ruby red stilettos, supermarket aisles ...

  Feeling the squeeze? Your bank manager tightening the screws? Feeling well cooked and getting a raw deal? Time then for a spoonful of Credit Crunch! Yes Brent is back. The man who still goes back to ...

Cape Town’s People’s Choice Award winner is back with improvised comedy at its best! You could see a Film Noir on Mars, or a cabaret song about a cheese obsession... everything is made up on the spot and audience suggestions ...

The Stereotypes is a 7-piece hip hop, funk outfit that cross all genres of music. The band members, who come from all walks of life, each bring their own unique sound to the Stereotypes. They hail from Cape Town and ...

Reflections is a provocative musical production that reflects on the lives of four talented gay men who grew up in poor families. Despite the challenges of being ostracised and neglected by their parents, communities and school friends, they are determined ...

A gin swirling, cigarette puffing, broke, has-been actress has to contend with her beautiful and domineering Shadow, her over bearing daughter and a past steeped in sex, scandals and drugs while avoiding eviction, possession and the dreaded scale….

Courtesy of Nu-Metro a.k.a. La Bellera esta en los ojos de quien la Mira This powerful dissection of sexual philandering and power play in a toxic affair between an arrogant older man and a vulnerable young woman is ...

Based on the multi award-winning book Thirteen Cents, Onekemetse Sebenyane and Bokamoso Makole team up with theatre personality Aldo Brincat, to stage this powerful and disturbing production. Revolving around the life and times of a street child turned rent boy, ...

It was just not any other ordinary evening. It was a special evening, where woman and men came to express their feelings through creative dance movements. This edu-training production encourages people, young and old, to refrain from engaging in the ...

CAPE ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS The Cape Academy of Performing Arts, now in its 7th year at the Festival, is presenting for the first time two very different programmes to ...

In 16th century Italy, a young woman is celebrating becoming a courtesan - the only profession offering women of her time personal control and freedom. In 21st century SA, a young woman is beginning a career in advertising ... This ...

This production examines the power relations between three women and cuts across issues of financial blues, sexual orientation and the effects of religion.

The story is based on the way the adjudicator process was conducted. Adjudicator number 3 was the one who created the havoc: she paid a woman in the community to come up with bogus projects that would benefit her. Eventually ...

This play is set in a local hospice centre, where victims of HIV/Aids are waiting for their departure from the world - they relate stories on how they contracted Aids. The production emphasises the need for the law to protect ...

Press release – Molly Bloom Molly Bloom to premiere at the 2009 National Arts festival in Grahamstown. Acclaimed South African actress, Jennifer Steyn will be performing Molly Bloom’s stream of consciousness monologue taken from James Joyce’s classic novel, Ulysses. Nicky ...

In Athol Fugard’s Hello and Goodbye Hester Smit visits her brother Johnnie after being away for 15 years. She is searching for something – or is she? This play, about the riveting reunion of the siblings, is one of Fugard’s ...

Turn to the Traveler takes you to the border posts of Oshikango in Angola and Beit Bridge in Zimbabwe, blurring the geographic, political and theatrical perceptions of fiction and reality. Master musicians Victor Gama, Chiwoniso Maraire and Dizu Plaatjies perform ...

Today, size does matter. Enough doesn't exist, perfection is nothing, love doesn't count, but in culture, tradition is everything! A splendid performance by four young talented local actors, telling a story we're yet to encounter. Men!

Join this duo on an extraordinary journey into alternate dimensions and discover the power of the infinitely small, where nothing but everything makes sense, through a gracious merging of drama, physical theatre, mime and song. Written, performed and directed by ...

(Sound by James Webb, video by Storm Janse van Rensburg) Large-scale projections of cross-sections through bones and tissue form the theatrical landscape within which Pather uses dance and sound to dissect the containment of remembered pain. He says we are ...

Xeno [subtitled: Foreign Affairs] is a play on the experiences of several African nationals who have to battle xenophobic stereotypes in foreign [African] lands. The play traces the life of a Nigerian petty business man, his Motswana wife, and several ...

Uit Bontkoei Blond & Bitterglas... Melina Smit in BLOMTYD Afrikaans is ’n aardse, ritmiese en klankryke taal en nêrens is dit duideliker as in die onpretensieuse gedigte van die ons ouer digters. ...

Conrad Koch, SA’s numero uno comedy ventriloquist, brings you his best show yet. He’s bribed his way into an MA in Anthropology. He’s worked around the world. He’s entertained everyone from Saudi princes to Free State gold miners. He’s directed ...

Juanita Finestone-Praeg’s most recent collaboration, ‘Inner Piece’, premieres on the Fringe Festival, and is the result of research conducted in 2008 while in Canada.  This layered, nuanced, multi-disciplinary work is inspired by the Japanese poetic form of the Haiku and ...

Top young jazz players from around the country flock to Grahamstown each year to try their luck for the national bands, and attend the Festival sometimes as established bands. From the Moses Molelekwa Arts Foundation in Soweto comes the Taiwa ...

A story about stories; about how we make sense. The performers pick themselves and their imaginations apart in this physical theatre tale of tales.

An ambitious drifter, his long-suffering partner, and the ghosts and victims of a million failed scams and past misdeeds. A final winner-takes-all hustle. Welcome to the shadowy, clown noir world of Quack! From the makers of Pictures of You and ...

Woza Joshua! is an adaptation of Mbongeni Ngema, Percy Mtwa and Barney Simon's play, Woza Albert. It begins with farm invasions by war veterans and explores the subsequent events that led to the near collapse of the economy. This is ...

A conflation of composers from South Africa, Israel and Sweden is certainly worth experiencing. Pianist Andre Petersen began his education and career as a classical musician, but jazz has become his strength and love. He is firmly established on the ...

Courtesy of Video Vision This film has a Golden Lion from Venice, two Golden Globes and a Bafta (Best Actor) and was nominated for two Oscars, and it deserves them all and more. Rourke is magnificent as a battered dreamer ...

"So you did the UK work visa... Got the hell out of SA! Got to doss on a mate's couch in Ealing. Got to be foreign scum in the First World! Got an NI number, got a bank account, ...

In the Blue Beaker – a comedy about suicide Synopsis This is an absurd black comedy which takes place in a psychiatrist’s waiting room. Rene Mengham longs to be institutionalised. He dreams constantly of the safe and protected environment of ...

I was a Man is a play about a man who thought the struggle for a New South Africa was his legacy to his family. He suddenly realises that a personal struggle is much more challenging when his wife unexpectedly ...

Live and Kicking Late Night Comedy is back! At the perfect comedy club venue, the Bowling Club is warm and intimate with a great bar. The best value comedy show on the fringe returns with three different top local and ...

‘Belseck and Welch move fluently between the two languages, and the play is a fascinating exercise in what is lost and gained in the process of translation. Why We Left is a quiet understated piece of theatre that relishes the ...

This thought-provoking piece of physical theatre reflects the realities of modern day life. We live "behind the walls" both physical and mental. Are we allowing our lives to be manipulated like fiction? Are our voices and faces no longer significant? ...

There is a good reason why Politically Incorrect was the second best selling show of Fest '08 and nominated for "Best Stand-up Comedy of the Year" by the SA Comedy Awards! David Newton is a Festival favourite! If you only ...

Julius Desiree Sese-Min (with a dash) is the charming and charismatic protagonist of Bloodshot, a penetrating look into the quagmire of modern day African politics. Betrayal, loss and genocide permeate a story which follows the exhilarating ascent to liberation, and ...

The nightly NYJF jam session includes professionals from the Main Jazz Stage in spontaneous collaboration, musicians attending the NYJF and locals eager to play.