Comedy-drama. In a country on the Mediterranean Sea that has seen many decades of war, two brothers live a peaceful, unfettered existence. Then a foreign occupation disrupts their lives in unimaginable ways.
Kaput has played to many school audiences, including the National Schools Festival in Grahamstown 2012, with an over-whelming audience response.
Directed by James Cuningham (Jutro; Black and Blue; Sunday Morning), featuring Helen Iskander (Planet B; The Famished Road; Baobabs Don’t Grow Here), Taryn Bennett (Sie Weiss Alles; Doctor Collinger’s Funeral Services), Dorian Burstein (Pictures of You).
Molalatladi is chosen by his villagers to be the new leader of the village after defeating the Ogres that terrorized and oppressed them for years. He wants to lead his village and create a better life for them but Ogres plant a seed of greed in his head. This leads to his downfall.
Foursight explores a High-school killing a year after the event and is told through the experiences of 4 characters. In attempting to understand how and why it happened the play cracks open the shells of our education system, bullying in schools, the media, the teenage mind and the role of absent the parent, who is willing to take responsibility? The play tackles identity, prejudice, self-image, violence, abuse and tolerance. Few stones are left unturned.
One day Nomonde finds out that Che is playing with her life. Players, sex, love, family and tv shows…
What is true, what is real, what is fake?
In this play which is a mixture of puppetry,drama, dance and music we follow Nomonde in her search for a way out.
This play has been made based on research about loverboys, interviews with youngsters on several schools.
THE WALKING TALL EDUCATIONAL THEATRE PROJECT – produced by (PAST) The Palaeontological Scientific Trust – a Johannesburg based public benefit organisation that since 1994 has been dedicated to the mission of protecting, preserving and promoting Africa’s ancient cultural and natural heritage.
Our production is a physical theatre production performed country wide and increasingly in the rest of Africa.
Walking Tall inspires learners to recognise, understand and value their African heritage by using physical theatre to ignite an interest in the origin sciences. Using performing arts to teach science is the perfect way to spark curiosity in learners and demonstrate that science is fun.
Walking Tall is an interactive educational theatre project that teaches learners the story of life on earth from its early beginnings to the present day – using physical theatre to cut across language and cultural barriers, and to explore complex subjects like human evolution and the origin sciences.
The Walking Tall project was launched by PAST in 2002 as a way to inform learners about Africa’s rich fossil heritage, and to establish origin sciences as an exciting career choice for young Africans. Africa boasts many of the world’s most important fossil finds of human ancestors and more ancient organisms, yet relatively few African scientists currently work in this specialised field.
Over the past decade, Walking Tall has performed to over 1 million learners around the world and worked with thousands of educators – helping them integrate scientific ideas into everyday classroom teaching and introducing learners to interesting career options in the field of origin sciences. Performances are followed by question-and-answer sessions, and teachers are provided with curriculum-based resources. Walking Tall also offers origin sciences workshops for educators. PAST monitors the educational impact of the Walking Tall project through a stringent learner and educator evaluation process under the management of its Chief Educational and Scientific Strategist.
Walking Tall is co-directed by Greg Melvill-Smith and Craig Morris, and is performed by three physical theatre performers, the current team leader is Buntu Tembani.
In 2011 the Walking Tall project expanded to include ReVerse, a theatre offering aimed at adult audiences. Please see the PAST website for more information on ReVerse.
Take the Walking Tall Journey
Should you wish to find out more about booking Walking Tall or ReVerse please contact:
PAST’s Executive Assistant Ann Smilkstein at ann@nullpastafrica.co.za or +27 11 717 6668 / +27 11 717 6689.
Doctor Collinger’s Funeral Service, directed by the celebrated Janet Buckland, and starring Daniel Buckland (The Travellers 2005) and Taryn Bennett (Frogs 2007). This exciting work played to packed houses, enjoyed acclaim by critics and was the talking point of the 2007 National Arts Festival. Embark on a dark, hilarious and exhilarating adventure; through death, love and laughter.
Focusing on whales, this high energy physical theatre show explores the comparisons between whales and humans and lets us in on some of the secrets of these mysterious creatures of the deep.
The wondering whale watchers are on a quest to be like whales as they swirl their audience into an exciting adventure of juggling to catch food, bubbling underwater music and receiving e-whales from a whale called Wonder.
They explore the relationship between whales and people through the ages and look at how these beautiful creatures communicate, what they eat and how they form part of the ecology of the planet.
Through this fun adventure for the whole family the wondering whale watchers discover a new way forward for the relationship between whales and people.
This show was originally created by Jungle Theatre Company in 2001.
The age old African art of storytelling comes alive on stage with this original production of traditional African animal folklore tales. Through comedy, song, dance and drama these stories are made relevant to a contemporary audience as they bring their ‘lessons’ into a modern day context.
Our story begins with a family preparing for a feast. Khokho (great grandfather) is returning home after a long journey of collecting stories from around Africa and his granddaughter and great granddaughter are hard at work readying themselves for his arrival.
We join Khokho on the last leg of his journey and discover that a villain, who wishes to steal his suitcase of stories, is secretly pursuing him.
Along the way Khokho rests often, as he is tired from his long journey, and opens his suitcase to recount the many stories that he has gathered. These stories come to life using physical theatre and the creative use of props and costumes.
We are constantly aware of the villain in the background and are humored by Khokho’s ability to unwittingly ward him off.
The themes of the stories are linked to incidents that we see occurring back home between mother and daughter. They tackle issues such as respect, patience and greed.
Khokho’s final story is told after his well-celebrated arrival back home. He cleverly incorporates local townsfolk and his family to enact the story. Then much to the villain’s surprise Khokho involves him in the story and through this the villain learns about sharing and the power of storytelling.
Do you know why trees are important and do our children know? This show teaches, in a fun way, about why trees are important, what they give us and why they should be conserved. This hilarious show is the perfect, ‘fun’draiser!
Our story takes place in a small, tranquil village where the villagers are working hard to beautify the area in preparation for a wedding ceremony. However, peace is disturbed and the ceremony disrupted, when greedy developers swoop in and begin to wreak havoc on the land. As more trees are chopped down and building continues, Mother Nature has to step in and through the voice of an old man, a great magical tree, airs her concerns to the developers and encourages them to change their ways before it is too late…The Tree Show and workshop program celebrates indigenous trees as a vital part of our existence. This fun and interactive show uses song, dance and drama to engage the audience in a lively and interactive storytelling experience. We look at current threats that trees face in the light of unsustainable development and conclude that we, as custodians of the planet, should work together with nature instead of against her.
The show is completed with an interactive tree planting workshop at the venue where the show is performed. Children from the audience become involved in the planting of an indigenous tree that they will then be able to watch and nurture as it grows over the years. This tree stands as a reminder of the importance of trees to life on the planet.