This is a multiligual production about elderley abuse, origianlly created as an educational theatre piece for elderley of the Stellenbosch community. This play is a conversation between two psychology students and their grandmothers. Cindy grapples with the fact that her makhulu might not be as well as she thought she was, while Mandy hears stories from how her oumies friends suffer what sounds abuse in various ways, financially & physically.
Can you hear me?
A story of loss, love and hope. A young girl is missing. A distraught mother searches for her and the brother is locked in the house to keep him safe. The community rallies together and the hilarious neighbour joins the search.
This show is dedicated to all the missing children in our country.
‘Puppet Park’ is a newly written educational & musical production touching sensitive subjects regarding racism, homosexuality, family issues, abuse and bullying etc. Newly written songs will be added to assist with the message from stage. A message of love and acceptance. From the creative pen of Xander Steyn who has a list of productions that he has written, directed and choreographed – www.xanderartproductions.co.za – this is a production is a must see for every school and child in South Africa.
WHAT THE WATER GAVE ME
By Rehane Abrahams
Directed by Jade Bowers
:: Cast ::
Cherae Halley
This powerful piece of authentically South African theatre is an elemental exploration, which digs up gestures and stories that have been buried in the darkness of Cape Town’s history. Flowing from lush stories of ancient majicks to gritty tales of urban terror, the play traces the stories of four characters, with a storyteller who weaves their worlds together. Through the resources of imagination, the characters are able to transfigure their existing realities. Awarded a SILVER Standard Bank OVATION at the National Arts Festival 2014 this production has been called “as beautiful as it is compelling” and “a performance worth seeing.”
:: JADE BOWERS is a theatre director, production, set, sound and lighting designer, and also Theatrical Rights Administrator for DALRO. Named one of AfriPOP’s Top Five Female Theatre Makers in South Africa, last year she was also nominated for a Naledi Theatre Award. For more info find Jade Bowers Design and Management on Facebook and follow @jadeherself.
:: CHERAE HALLEY
Cheraé Halley was born in the Eastern Cape, East London and moved to Johannesburg where she completed both honours and masters in Dramatic Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand. She completed three years of South African Sign Language studies as an extra course. Having studied Applied Theatre and Performance Studies, Cheraé has a burning desire to create theatre with both Deaf and hearing people with particular interest in HIV/AIDS and using drama as process to educate and dialogue on the matter. In 2010 Cheraé was awarded the Drama For Life scholarship through which she completed her award winning, practice lead research MA research.
In 2012, having a passion for the stage, Cheraé performed in the recently published controversial play The Merry Wives of Zuma written and directed by Pieter-Dirk Uys.Cheraé is a member of the DFL Playback Theatre company in South Africa, and has completed both core training and advanced training courses in Playback Theatre.
Cheraé currently is the project officer for the HIV/AIDS Deaf awareness project at GALAGALA (Gay and Lesbian memory in Action) which travels across Deaf schools in Johannesburg using educational theatre in addressing HIV/AIDS. She facilitates Applied Theatre workshops for the University of Johannesburg Art Centre and since 2013,Cheraé has been coordinating and lecturing the Applied Theatre Studies IIIA course, (now including IIIB) at Wits University under the Division of Drama For Life.
Does anyone have any idea what the impact of the pandemic of HIV and AIDS is having on our children and their family life? How does one approach this sensitive subject? Did you know that a live theatre show like, Tand’ Impilo can open up a safe space to discuss the subject and this forum can save lives?
Playtime Antics is a nonverbal clown performance for children of all ages.
In theatre one of the more impactful styles of performance is that of ‘Clowning‘. Clowning enables the performer to stay centred on the audience, being accessible to them so that he in turn can open up to them and their energy. This informs his performance, ensuring true impact.
This style together with a non-verbal presentation also asks both performer and audience member ‘to listen with their eyes’, essentially employing other sensory mechanisms in understanding and comprehending – delivering what has been hailed a truly unique and enriching theatre experience
With this year’s performance, we will be exploring relationships on the playground…relationships which we seem to encounter in adulthood as well and therefore an all to pertinent theme to explore … is it possible to form and maintain meaningful relationships regardless of our differences…can the bully, the shy girl and the smart boy in class be friends?
Look Before You Leap: Being Right deals with democracy, human rights, racism and discrimination.
Focussing in particular on the issues of diversity and inclusivity such as poverty, inequality, race, gender, language, age, and disability, discrimination on the basis of race, religion, culture, gender, sexuality, age, ability and language, as well as the concepts of institutionalised racism, xenophobia, and other forms of “othering”, are addressed.
The story pivots around the election of a school’s Student Representative Council. The Learners are introduced to the candidates standing for election, their motivation for running and each candidate’s aims and objectives outlined in their campaigns’. The Audience become the electorate, participating actively in the democratic processes that support and promote the promotion and advancement of the candidates, while simultaneously being privy to the ‘real’ experience of the identity, concerns and motivations of the characters.
Personal and individual needs are placed in a social context that encourages acceptance of diversity and fosters commitment to the values and principles entrenched in the Constitution. The show deals with social relationships and human rights and responsibilities, including how knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusivity contributes to the development of responsible citizenship and social justice.
The aim is that audience will become (more) politically literate in terms of knowing, understanding and actively participating in democratic processes, both socially and politically. The importance of volunteerism, social service and involvement in a democratic society are emphasised, and the causes, consequences and prevention of pervasive social ills, such as HIV, and all forms of violence and abuse, are also addressed.
SENIOR PHASE (Grades 8 and 9)
- Topic 1: Development of the self in society
- Topic 2: Health, social and environmental responsibility
- Topic 3: Constitutional rights and responsibilities
FET PHASE (Grade 10 – 12)
- Topic 1: Development of the self in society
- Topic 2: Social and environmental responsibility
- Topic 3: Democracy and human rights
Complexion is about a girl who grows up in the township facing different challenges at different stages of her life. We see the world through her eyes from the time she is born, we are introduced to the various people in her life who shape and mould the complexities of her complexion.
I developed this play with an interest in telling stories about the world I know and grew up in. Not only did I want to tell a story about a young black girl who grows up in a township, I also wanted to speak back to how the township is a mechanism that informs, consumes and cripples children. Using some of my own personal narratives, observations and investigations I created a 6 minute work which I performed for my 4th year performance exam. I was encouraged to extend and develop the performance text. In the process I have been intrigued by how social systems have been normalized and how these norms have a way of shaping and affecting humans. Do we have the agency to change ourselves and/or our context? TO BE OR NOT TO BE… has been the leading theme of this play; to survive or not to survive? To be oppressed or to not be oppressed? To be …
An adaptation of Paul Gallico’s classic novella The Snow Goose. Tells the story of storm tossed snow goose who brings together a young girl, Frith, and a reclusive hunchback outcast, Rhayader, together. Set against the second world war and the miracle of Dunkirk. The Snow Goose is a story about bravery and friendship.
Produced by KBT Productions, directed and designed by Jenine Collocott (Sunday Morning, Dirt, A Day in the Desert, High Diving), performed by James Cairns (Dirt, Three Little Pigs) and Taryn Bennett (Kaput!), adapted by the director and the cast.
A Girl Called Owl charts a friendship that starts in the heat of the Overberg summer between two ten-year-old girls, finding them again six years later. Olivia arrives in the town with her Dad; she is the new girl, the quiet girl, the weird girl. Then she meets Kay, the girl with the scar. Horwitz performs over ten characters, from the two young girls and their teenage counterparts to both their fathers and a group of boisterous men. Owl is a story about climbing trees, punching boys and kissing girls, touching sensitively, and not without humour, on issues including: coming of age – identity and choice; teen sexuality; homosexuality; domestic abuse; being/feeling different; friendship; love; violence – physical/implicit; changing relationships with authority figures/parents/teachers. The lead character is a girl so the play may be classed under ‘women’s issues’. However, the way in which she relates to the men in her environment, and they to her, makes this play important for men as well.
Written and directed by Jon Keevy, performed by Briony Horwitz, with staging by Fiona du Plooy and music composed for the show by Brydon Bolton, A Girl Called Owl premiered as Owl in 2012, receiving praise such as ‘Horwitz delivers an enchanting performance. Her versatility as an actress is astonishing…moving and evocative.” (Cape Times); “… beautifully observed…totally delicious …” (Megan’s Head) and four stars from the Cape Argus. Since then it has travelled all over SA and at the 2012 National Arts Festival it was invited to the Brighton and Prague Fringe festivals. At Brighton it gathered more praise, including two 5-star reviews and a nomination by Latest magazine as Best International Performance.