Tactics

TACTICS is a collection of daring short plays written by young South African writers who have worked with The Framework.

Five short plays are performed by performers, they will play different parts, and the plays will be performed in a different order to create a completely new whole. In keeping with the Framework’s ethos, no two performances will be the same.

All the plays are multiply cast, allowing the actors to play different roles each time. Both actors and audience formulate relationships and meaning afresh at each showing. To this end, the actors have been Framework-trained, but not rehearsed, so that they have to thrash out their virgin choices before the audience.

The Framework’s team brings this new, totally edgy, intersection between text and performance in a style that demands the following of the performers: Play yourself, play the best part of yourself, don’t ever apologise and play to win.

It is low cost: there is no set, no costumes, no lighting and no sound equipment. The performances can take place in any simple performance space, without having rehearsed in that space.
Props are provided by the audience who are asked to bring things to give to the performers. These are supplied to the actor at the moment of necessity at the beginning of the act or scene – whatever they may be: a blow-up dolphin, an Alice-band, a laptop, a sock etc.
Each actor has prepared two or more roles. Which of the two (or more) he or she will perform on the night is decided by a game of chance five minutes before the show.
A multi-venue production style that revisits classic and other texts, in which the performance is informed by the venue, audience engagement and the performers themselves. No two shows are alike.
The productions use adapted text, which is contextualised during performance. This makes it entirely of the moment. Its spontaneity allows each performance to be uniquely relevant for each audience and venue.

Mat is a successful photographer who has his life exactly how he likes it – ordered, neat, and beautifully composed – until the day his girlfriend tells him she is pregnant. In an attempt to process this disturbing information he goes out for a run. Straying from his regular route, he ventures into a strange part of the city where he makes a gruesome discovery that changes everything.

The naked truth of what it means to follow your heart.

A comedy.

In many ways a tragedy.

But mostly a comedy.

One Woman, One Show explores the reality of the stories that make or break us, it looks at what it takes to do what you believe in. A show that tackles self-image, identity and relationships, a ‘tragi-comedy’ that looks at the REAL world of ‘showbiz’

Every year a stork migrates from the lush Dutch landscape to the deep warm South of Africa. He knows lots of stories. One of which is the true story about Nongqawuse, a 15 year old Xhosa girl that radically changed the history of the Xhosa people. One day Nongqawuse comes back from the river. She tells that the ancestors appeared to her with the prophecy that the dead will arise, the white people and unbelievers will be driven into the sea and the once powerful Xhosa people will be as strong as before. To make this happen they have to kill all their cattle and burn all their grain. This prophecy brings hope to the people. They are tormented by colonial wars and mysterious cattle diseases. But it also brings discord among the Xhosa people, manipulation and betrayal and in the end a terrible famine. Everyone points at Nongqawuse. But was she really the cause of the disaster that ensued? Maybe this mystery can never be unravelled. Everyone has his interpretation of the facts. Will a bird with homes in both hemispheres ever be able to understand?

Red Earth is a co-production with Speeltheater Holland and premiered in Grahamstown 2006 and was later performed in the Netherlands more than 200 times. In 2013 Red Earth will be on tour in South Africa.

If you are reading this message, you are obviously aware that water conservation is a crucial issue in our county? However, did you know that through our Last Drop Show we have proved that we can change learner’s behaviour so that nearly 50% of the water your school currently uses can be saved?

Watch this video to get an idea of the power of The Last Drop.

With a Grant in Aid the Knysna Municipality engaged Lunchbox Theatre to bring their educational theatre shows to Knysna schools. And so, an exciting inter-school Water Wise Competition was launched.

Saving water was encouraged through The Last Drop, a fun and educational live theatre show followed by a Water Heroes Workshop to entrench the message and new behaviours.

The competition included Plettenberg Bay Primary and Formosa from the Bitou Municipality and Hornlee Primary from Knysna. The Bitou shows were funded through a crowdfunding campaign supported by the Department of Arts and Culture.

Water readings were taken at each school before the show and 3 times thereafter. Hornlee Primary School reduced their usage by 52.7% from May to June 2016 and won the title of the Water Wise School of the Year in Knysna. The winners certificate were handed over to teachers and kids at the school on 25th August.

Our story starts in the year 2060 and we have just found the last drop of fresh water.

There are no more trees, no fruit or vegetables, we can no longer build houses and everyone is suffering. Something must be done!!

Join Neptune and his younger brother Triton as they try to save us all from this terrible drought. They are joined by the mad professor and the villain Davy Jones on a fun, interactive and informative journey through time searching for ways to put an end to the problems so we can save our future.

This program includes a 30-minute theatre show followed by a 30-minute interactive theatre workshop. The workshop acts a reminder of the themes raised in the show. It offers the learners an opportunity to come onto stage and enact various scenarios that are relevant to water conservation.

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.

Did you know that troubled children who have either witnessed or experienced abuse are far more likely to mistreat animals? It is hard to understand why any child would mistreat an animal. This show provides a platform for discussion which can lead to remedies as the reasons cover other problems. It also shows children how to treat and love animals.

This entertaining, interactive and informative show teaches children about how important it is to respect animals as they fall in love with our endearing puppet, Wafi.

The child is thrown out of home and meets a stray dog, Wafi, who is in the same predicament. The two form a special friendship and discover new ways to take care of each other. A villainous man, Mr Jacobs, takes them in and puts them to work stealing for him to cover their food and board. They attend an Animal Welfare meeting at the local community centre to steal as much as they can, but end up getting so involved in all that is being taught that they forget to steal. Mr Jacobs is so angry that he accompanies them to the next meeting.

The show looks at the development of these relationships and compares the various attitudes towards domestic animal welfare.

With songs, actions, interesting characters and an adorable life like dog puppet, this show has proven to be a hit with all who see it and the children fall in love with Wafi.

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.