A family of rampant consumers are struggling with power cuts. Father Sun speaks to them with a warm voice. He shows them how they are destroying mother earth by burning the ancient sunlight of Father Sun. They learn to use reduce consumption, use renewable energy and heal mother earth before it is too late.
Father Sun is a play about energy and climate change. The sun explains how air pollution from generation of electricity and people’s day to day reliance on oil are forcing climate change upon the earth. He reasons that climate change will have a dramatic impact upon the unique biodiversity of the Cape Town metropolitan area and in turn how this will impact upon communities in the form of floods, drought; natural disasters and subsequently food and water security. The family learns about alternative energy sources (wind; wave and solar power) and how to change their daily lifestyle. Father Sun uses images music and audience participation to make the learning experience fun.
Father Sun is 45 minutes in duration and is suitable for Grades 4-9. An accompanying drama skills workshop is also available.
Created in 2008, Father Sun was rolled out as part of Climate Change and Energy Week and Marine and Climate Change Week for the City’s Youth Environmental Schools programme that year and with City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management in 2009 and 2010.
Currently starring:
Mfundo Hashe, Nimray Kruger, Unathi Speelman Vincent Meyburgh and Simric Yarrow.
Prodigal is an entertaining, moving, absorbing one-man play telling a universally accessible story of loss, love and guilt. It is marked by a powerhouse performance from Tim Redpath, incorporating elements of mime and physical comedy. Written by Lorraine Knox and directed by Dani Marais.
Luke is a poor farmer’s son who rejects family and home in a gamble for quick cash and prestige in the seedy underbelly of Jo’burg. In this coming of age tale Tim Redpath’s split-second character changes take us on a rollercoaster ride of rebellion, pride and sacrifice.
Prodigal played an extended run to packed houses and standing ovations at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in July 2006 and 2007. In 2009 Prodigal had successful runs in Oxford and London and at the Edinburgh Festival where Tim won the Sweet Venue Best Actor Award for his performance. In March 2010 Prodigal returned to Oxford for a run at the Oxfringe Festival.
A deftly plotted modern classic, Prodigal follows the tale of a young Eastern Cape farm boy as he decides to leave home and seek his fortune in the fast-paced city of Jo’burg, South Africa. Snappy dialogue, split-second character changes, strong physical acting and innovative directing enables one man to bring a fantastic cast of characters to life. From a story-telling Xhosa woman to a morally dubious Middle-Eastern restaurant owner to an opinionated professor to a shady gangster, Redpath’s vocal and physical dexterity takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of pride, prejudice and sacrifice.
American Fullbright scholar Amy Biehl is killed in the Gugulethu township of Cape Town: it’s a senseless murder, carried out by four youths. The mother of one of them tries to make sense of it all by recounting events in an imaginary conversation with Amy’s mother. It’s a real ‘heart to heart’ communication of personal testimony in an imaginary response to this real event, showing how one unforgiving moment in an ordinary day had repercussions beyond the imaginable. Mother to Mother tells a powerfully moving story of forgiveness, reconciliation and understanding across cultures and continents.
Performer: Thembi Mtshali-Jones
Workshops: There will be a talk-back with learners after the show for 20-30 minutes.
Umlambo Wobomi /River Of Life is an African fairy tale about a rural tribe and their special princess Mamlambo, who all live by a beautiful river full of magical creatures. Set in an idyllic rural village where people live and work with nature and whose local river provides for their every need, River Of Life is a story of disconnection in a changing world. With her community in crisis, Mamlambo finds the courage to travel a path alone. She faces a hot dry desert, a teaming jungle and climbs the tallest mountain, all to find the Sangoma, save the river and her village.
Umlambo Wobomi /River Of Life is 40 minutes in duration and is best suited for Grades 4 – 7. An accompanying workshop is also available.
Umlambo Wobomi /River Of Life was the first production workshopped by the Laduma Jungle trainee team from Ocean View, Langa and Khayelitsha. Vincent Meyburgh directed the play with assistance from Nimray Kruger and Mfundo Hashe. It was first performed for the City of Cape Town’s National Water Week programme at Ratanga Junction in March 2011 and went onto two public run at the Masque Theatre in 2011 and 2012. It was part of the ASSITEJ SA Family Venue at the National Arts Festival in 2013, toured the West Coast Community at the start of March 2016 and was performed at the Masque Theatre during Water Week 2016.
A Dog’s Life broaches the specific needs of domestic animals in terms of their day-to-day care through dance and tri-lingual song. The play delivers important messages about the practical aspects of animal welfare.
A Dog’s Life is 45 minutes long and suitable for Grades 1-3. An accompanying drama skills workshop is also available.
As a response to increasing concerns about the plight of urban domestic animals, Jungle Theatre Company developed A Dog’s Life, which was adopted by International Fund for Animal Welfare as part of their Companion Animal Programme. It was rolled out through twinning programme at the Baxter Theatre in 2006 – 2008 and toured communities in Soweto in 2007 and 2008. Recast in 2010 with 6 Laduma Jungle trainees A Dog’s Life was performed in 2010 Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Camp Footprints and other community events. In 2012 and 2013 the show went out on the road to schools and communities, including Paternoster, with IFAW and to Stellenbosch with Department of Agriculture. In 2014 it was rolled out as a twinning programme at the Baxter and another twinnings programme just took place this June 2017 at the Masque Theatre.
A hilarious one man show that gets the audience involved every step of the way. Vinnie is from planet Zok and needs help to get back home. He gets the children to help him to juggle, make music and ride a one wheel bike. Vinnie learns so much about planet Earth, in the end he wants to stay.
Vinnie comes down to earth to share his magic and to learn about different cultures. The show uses innovative puppetry, unique juggling tricks, original music, physical comedy and audience participation to entertain, inspire and enlighten earthlings. Vinnie From Zok encourages people to take part in the show and learn about different levels of communication in a multi-cultural society. Learning about different cultures is fun! It also inspires them to learn the different skills that Vinnie uses in his show including juggling and drumming.
Vinnie From Zok is 45 minutes long and suitable for Grades R-3
The one-man show Vinnie from Zok was created and performed in 2000, thanks to funding from the Consulate General Netherlands. It was performed all over Cape Town metropolitan area and received a great response from audiences in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and Langa. The play was also taken to audiences in the Netherlands and has most recently been performed at the Muizenberg Community Festival, Synergy School, Soetwater Environmental Education Centre, Planet Kids and Red Cross Children’s Hospital.
Starring:
Vincent Meyburgh
Sometime in the future the earth is one mega city ruled by Robot. The last tree on earth is captured by Robot’s slaves and locked in a tower. The Jungle Spirit is dying. Her last hope is to appear in the dreams of ordinary people.
A story teller uses traditional Xhosa intsomi technique to convey a tale about the importance of trees and urban greening for the wellbeing of all. With nature and wilderness being the source of inspiration for art and music, different cultural styles are made accessible through the disciplines of music; mime; puppetry and storytelling evoking the feeling of freedom and developing the imagination
The audience takes part in creating the event as well as being directly involved in the action of planting a tree – a living memory of the event and the responsibility of its survival handed to the community.
Jungle Jive is 45 minutes in duration and is suitable for Grades 4-9. It is accompanied by a tree planting and a drama workshop is also available.
Jungle Jive was created in 2001 and rolled as a sub-autonomous project with Abalimi Bezekhaya between 2002 and 2003 to over 40 schools and communities. Jungle Jive continued to tour schools in 2005 with continuation funding. The play was revived by the 2007 trainee team and was performed for the Youth Environmental Schools’ Arbor Weeks in 2007 and 2008 and toured extensively in the presidential poverty nodes of Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain in 2008.
!Kama Indlovu holds the key to the elephant world. He discovers three very different children fighting about elephants. !Kama takes them on a journey into the mysterious origins of Indlovu People. They get involved in magical puppetry, catchy music and comedy. Their relationship with these majestic creatures is changed forever.
Indlovu People reflects upon the history and interactions between humans and wild animals in man’s quest to dominate the earth. It reveals a chain of events that has created an issue of elephant overcrowding in Kruger National Park and the effects of enclosing wild animals in nature reserves. Indlovu People considers the range of elephant management options put forward by stakeholders and asks the audience to form their own opinion about this ‘problem species’.
Indlovu People is 45 minutes in duration and is suitable for Grades 4-9. An accompanying drama skills workshop is also available.
Indlovu People was commissioned by International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2008 as part of their Elephants Secure Habitats programme to raise awareness about issues surrounding elephant management in Southern Africa. The play was created under the direction of Stuart Palmer for schools’ twinnings run at the Baxter Theatre in May 2009. Heather Mac joined the team as guest director for a public performance in 2009 and under her direction the play has been adapted and ran at Out The Box festival and National Arts Festival in 2010 where it was part of the Cape Town Edge programme.
Hoerikwaggo is a fun; interactive, educational play focusing on the importance of the Table Mountain range as an example of biodiversity. The play concentrates on the natural environment with particular focus on indigenous flora, the diversity of animal life and broaches: fire prevention; baboon management; protection of species; fynbos and biodiversity awareness; the importance of alien clearing and cultural heritage. Hoerikwaggo is a trilingual production that draws on local archetypes and characters and uses comedy; song; dance and audience interaction to provide engaging education.
Hoerikwaggo is 55 minutes in duration and is suitable for Grades 4-7. An accompanying drama skills workshop of 45 minutes is also available.
Hoerikwaggo was created in 2005 in conjunction with Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) educators to develop a curriculum relevant show and workshop for the intermediate phase. The play has toured schools and the National Arts Festival and was incorporated into TMNP ‘Kids In Parks’ schools outreach programme in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Hoerikwaggo was performed for Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden’s Biodiversity Expo in 2010 and 2011. Hoerikwaggo returned to the stage in 2013 with a school tour and public run at Kalk Bay Theatre followed by a school tour and public run at the Masque Theatre in 2014. Hoerikwaggo was re-cast and performed at the Langa Civic Hall for learners from Langa and Kalksteenfontein primary schools in October 2015.