Playright Aldo Brincat is that first-generation South African of Mauritian, Egyptian and Maltese heritage. Born in mid-60’s South Africa, Brincat, along with his family, find their maturing years playing out against the backdrop of a country in turmoil.
Aldo Brincat’s award winning hit, The Moon Looks Delicious From Here, is a 70 minute, largely autobiographical solo performance, which is driven by a loving father and son relationship – each from different eras and motherlands. Here, Brincat plays an array of characters in and around a fragile young nuclear family – some foreign, some local – all of whom are finding or losing themselves in the ever-changing political landscape that is South Africa. Language, religion, ambition, sexuality, and political leanings are brought into sharp focus as our two lead characters fight off ‘otherness’, while attempting to assert themselves into a volatile new country. Key moments in their lives are juxtaposed against powerful developments in South Africa’s history during the 70s and 80s and, as the effects of apartheid (and its homophobic policies) begin to reach boiling point, family ties threaten to tear apart.
The Moon Looks Delicious From Here is universal in its theme, particularly at this time when the intersectional knock-on effects of migrancy, sexuality, heritage and identity are brought increasingly into our consciousness.
Written and performed by the international multi award winning interdisciplinary artist, Aldo Brincat, and directed by Sjaka September, with music by the multi award winning international composer, performer and producer, Bongiziwe Mabandla.
“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
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?
JTC has created 2 versions of this production i.e storytelling and street theatre. With a cast of 7 the latter version is a visual street theatre piece and uses daring stilt characterizations, animal masks, original music and Nama language. The storytelling version has 3 characters who portray hilarious frogs who lead the animals to discover their own talents and to stand up to the bully. The storytellers continuously link the folktale to the language, the culture & history of the Khoikhoi as well as to their personal experiences. Insights into the behaviour of humans and wild animals are revealed. Both versions make use of English, Afrikaans & Nama (Khoikhoi language).
When Lion Had Wings is 40 minutes in duration with the storytelling version most suitable for Grades 4-7 whereas the street theatre version is fun for the whole family.
When Lion Had Wings, was developed during the course of 2016 and made its debut at the Cape Town Fringe Festival and was subsequently performed at the Muizenberg Festival as part of Project Ripple; the Cape Town Embrace event in celebration of Universal Children’s Day; at Streetopia and at the Vrygrond Festival. During February 2017 the street theatre version 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. The storytelling version toured local primary schools during November of 2016, was performed at the Masque Theatre early December and toured the Northern Cape at the start of March 2017.
uNontombi is a traditional musical play which portrays two men fighting over a beautiful woman in a Zulu village. The young man Mkhonto make use of traditional powers to win the love of uNontombi as our story continues the audience witnesses a crucial turn where love is taking its direction. we see mbuzini a close friend of Mkhonto betrays him by proposing uNontombi and only to find out that she loves Mbuzini more than Mkhonto.
Four white-collar workers. Four rungs of the corporate ladder. One objective.
OfficeBLOCK follows four co-workers in their individual battle for power within the cogs of the corporate world. Trading in currencies of greed and self-promotion, they all make their plays at moving up the food chain…until being faced with the same question: how far would they go to get what they want?
Taking on life around the office water cooler in a series of captivating vignettes that lift the lid on the tyranny of conformity and the culture of corporate greed. The series is set in the seemingly familiar world of white-collar workers and dreary office surroundings where everything is business as usual…or is it? In a battle between personal and personnel, four co-workers negotiate life within the corporation, and the audience watches as things unravel at the suit-seams when the hunger for greed and power leads to the point of no return.
Featuring FTH:K’s signature brand of visual theatre, OfficeBLOCK is a rollercoaster of dark humour and non-verbal narrative, taking a poignant journey into the politics of people.
Devised by the ensemble under the direction of Jayne Batzofin
Featuring Christopher Beukes, Asanda Rilityana, Sinethemba Mgebisa, Marlon Snyders
Directed by Jayne Batzofin
Set and costume design by Jayne Batzofin
The play magically explores the story that every child can relate to. A young boy living a fun filled life; who is highly favoured by his peers for his good manners until one day when he decided to go against his mother’s will and his life changes forever. The boy finds himself trapped between what’s right and what’s wrong and all gets well when he finally decided to accept help from all those who care about him.
The play bears a strong message about life and the reality the characters face resembling that of young people face on their daily lives. Living in a society where it is not safe to talk to your uncles and brothers because they struggle to set a good example for the young ones. It’s a provocative and compelling theatre. It asks questions about whether the moral rehabilitation is possible, whilst telling an exciting, emotional and at times, humorous story.
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?
When a father of the house passed away he states on his will that he left 2.5 million for his son Zweli. Zoliswa the wife is not happy with that, because she was only given a house and then she decides to find ways to kill his son in order to get hold of the money. Zoliswa used Pastor Ngema to do the dirty work, she instructed Pastor Ngema to convince Zweli to transfer the money to her account. Zweli knew the set up and used his father’s old plan the Purple Apple to find the real truth.
