Xoli, Bawdy, Sam and Karla are a group of grade 11 girls who attend the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), Makhanda. The all girls’ school is a 187-year-old private boarding school that delivers an IEB curriculum. Their brother school is St Andrew’s College, a 232-year-old all boys’ school. Classes are shared by boys and girls from Grade 10-12. These two schools are separated by a giant green gate which is locked at 11pm in the evening and unlocked at 6am in the morning by tired security guards in navy blue uniform. While St Andrew’s is a gateless grounds spanning 5 blocks, DSG has recently built a wall around itself with electric fence to keep the outside out and the inside in. The girls roil and suffocate inside.
They are baby anarchists. New free–thinkers. And dreaming together into future liberatory possibility.
Xoli and Sam are in love or falling in love. Something muted and grounded and real. On Saturday afternoons they bunk out of school grounds with Bawdy and Karla to the often deserted train station in the centre of Makhanda to get high, shit-talk, dream, wonder if they will get to the other side of now. They are thinking into critical liberatory pedagogies into building nations that are not the stifled prison-house they feel they are in. They all feel, acutely, the discomfort of something itching – they know something is not right with the world.
There is friction in Xoli and Sam’s fragile relationship; Bawdy fuels the fire while dealing with preganancy and the decisions she must make. Karla’s mother as recently passed and she is moving through the aftermath. They talk about school and boys and race. They talk about disciplinary cases happening at both the boys and girls schools. Bawdy insists the politics will play themselves out. There is an altercation, an ideological impasse at which point one must act. It is the realisation of something euphoric, of power to destroy, of having the real potential to dismantle; and something horrific, no longer romantic, real and with real consequences. Suddenly there is the sound of the school guard and they run. In the panic and commotion as the nearby public rush towards the rising fire, the girls separate pursued on foot. At the normal meeting place, all but one girl return – Sam.
Sam is handed over to her school which immediately begins the process of questioning, gathering evidence and building a disciplinary case. Sam exposes Bawdy. Heads must roll. Sam’s parents remove her from the school before the date of her official tribunal. Xoli gets expelled. Bawdy gets expelled. Karla gets one-month suspension which she will spend at her father’s lake house in Plettenberg Bay.
‘n Meertalige narrespel aangebied in Afrikaans en isiXhosa. Guppie bevind homself in André se kou. Die Republiek van die Kapok Boer Vereniging. Die RKBV het ontstaan na ‘n aardbeweing ‘n skeur getrek het rondom ‘n lappie aarde wat twaalf plase, ‘n kerk en ‘n foefieslide adventure park insluit. André oortuig die gemeenskap dat die mense van buite ‘anders’ is, en dat hulle moet bly op die eiland. Maar op ‘n dag maak ‘n nuwe maatjie, Nkululeko, kontak met Guppie. Die produksie sal die jongspan laat skaterlag, terwyl die produksie vrae vra wat die grootmense sal laat nadink oor ons huidige polêre samelewing.
“Dude! Wa’s My Phone?” is designed for high school students from Grade 10 to Grade 12 who are enrolled in Dramatic Arts. This age group is our main target audience, given the themes’ relatability, the cultural insights it offers, and its ability to captivate and educate a demographic highly connected to the challenges and opportunities associated with digital technology.
The play provides valuable insights and raises awareness about the consequences of smartphone addiction. Our interactive story creates an environment where young audiences are more receptive to messages encouraging a healthier balance between online and offline life.
“Dude! Wa’s My Phone?” utilizes humour, drama, and relatable situations to engage learners in a contemplative exploration of the role of technology in our lives. It delves into its impact on relationships, social consciousness, and the intricacies and absurdities that arise in the digital age. The production addresses the contemporary issue of smartphone addiction, examining the following themes:
- Addiction and Dependence on Technology
- Friendship and Connection
- The Intersection of Comedy and Tragedy
- Identity and Sense of Self
- Spark Dialogue and Reflection
Emily Jade was no ordinary child…
She was shy and timid but adventurous and wild.
She was odd-looking, unpopular but also quite smart,
Despite failing Science, Geography, Maths, History & Art.
You see, Emily could not stay focused – a major flaw –
She never stopped daydreaming – not ever, at all.
Young Emily, who always ‘has her head in the clouds’, decides to take up the challenge of ending the drought once and for all. She invents a marvellous machine which she flies across the African continent in search of rain clouds.
Physical theatre (Avril Cummins) combines with ‘documentary-style’ video footage, a simple, creative set, and heaps of imagination. This educational and whimsical fantasy delivers a strong message of hope, resilience and empowerment.
“The Cloud Catcher” has been performed across South Africa, including at the Assitej World Conference (2017), entertaining and educating young audiences about the drought affecting much of the country.
Performed by Avril Cummins
Nina has just woken from a bad dream. Or was it a dream? Either way, she can’t fall back asleep in case it comes back. But it’s bedtime now and the dark is making her feel strange, too… How is she going to navigate through this dark night and the nightmare stuck in her head?
Night Light uses live music, video projection, shadows, light-play and live performance to explore a night in the life of Nina, a young girl trying to deal with the thoughts and feelings which are haunting her as she lies in bed. The play evokes those moments when we feel alone: afraid of the dark, or going through life changes and unable to express ourselves. Aimed at 9-12 year olds who are at a delicate time, caught between the expectations of growing up and still haunted by childhood fears, this magical and mysterious piece encourages children to listen to their inner voice.
Generously supported by the National Lotteries Commission, Well Worn Theatre Company proudly present their latest production for young audiences. ‘Galela‘ is a thirst-quenching new play about a community deeply affected by our country´s water issues.
Splash! Splutter! Then shhhhhh… Only ripples left. Would you dive in next?
Three best friends bravely embark on a project to make their town´s drinking water safe again. They soon discover, however, that they have waded into hot water and that the problems affecting the town dam are deeper and murkier than at first glance. Still determined to make a difference and to secure the future of their friends and family, the trio dive in to fix the mess, proving in spectacular fashion that children with the biggest imaginations will save the world.
Nationally acclaimed eco-education company, Well Worn Theatre, proudly present the latest production in their three-year touring play programme generously funded by the National Lotteries Commission. ´Galela´ is the thirst-quenching story of a small community deeply affected by our country’s water issues. Directed by multi-award winning Thembela Madliki (‘Nyanga’ NAF 2016 and ‘Bayephi’ NAF 2017), ‘Galela’ features the energetic physical theatre talents of Lerato Sefoloshe, Mlindeli Emmanuel and Tebogo Machaba, and is geared for children aged 7 to 12, though parents, teachers and older siblings will also enjoy this epic adventure play!
An IsiXhosa name meaning ‘pour’, ‘Galela’ is the thirst-quenching story of a small community deeply affected by drought. The show dives head first into the deep end of the serious water issues affecting our country, and though geared for children aged 7 to 12, this epic adventure play will whet all peoples creative appetites, and also refresh or fill ALL South Africans with some much needed, every day, water-saving tips. ‘Galela’ premieres at the 2018 National Arts Festival followed by a tour to primary schools and festivals across South Africa, in the aim to entertain, educate, and imaginatively engage learners and audiences about issues of drought, water consumption and water pollution.
To book a performance of ´Galela´for your school, organisation or event, please email wellworntheatre@nullgmail.com or call Kyla on 0767152414
Poster Image by Ellen Heydenrych (Hey_Ellen Illustrations)
A surreal and larger than life outdoor performance tells the story of a girl through movement and dance. Hiding in a tree house, she cries herself to sleep and dreams the sounds of her garden, which turn into music. She dreams of two old giant butterflies dancing a dance of love. The male catches the pregnant female’s eggs and hangs them on a leaf where they hatch and grow into giant caterpillars. A hungry black crow is hunting and the haunted girl wakes up inside her dream to challenge the predator and protect the miracle of life.
Butterfly Dreams is the creation of Jungle Theatre Company’s Laduma Jungle team and was developed as the final part of a National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund funded trained programme. It was directed by Vincent Meyburgh with set and costume design by Monique Fagan of Junkanew. Through the actors’ involvement in choreography, writing, composing, designing and making, Butterfly Dreams fosters a closer link between the actors’ experience, characters’ stories, the music and creation of images.
The production was performed as community event at the start of the school holidays in December 2011. It was partly commissioned for the KKNK in 2012 and was staged at a number of festivals during 2012 i.e. Khayelitsha Cocktale Festival, International Kite Festival, Harfield Village Carnival and Hout Bay Green Faire. With funding received from the National Arts Council and Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport the show was recently re-developed during 2015 and performed in Muizenberg early December 2015 and the Company Gardens in March 2016. During February 2017 Butterfly Dreams was performed as part of JTC’s Our Beaches Our Stories project which brought public art performances to public recreational spaces i.e. Monwabisi, Strandfontein and Muizenberg Pavilions, promoting natural and cultural heritage.
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?