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.
In the beginning the first ever cursed was when God cursed Adam and Eve after the forbidden fruit saga, but now allow us to take you on the journey of the supernatural curse that was altered by the great one Nkwenhle and NQULABETHU when cursing this family from eNtathakusa “Hlase Family” with the “Delunga”, a spirit that feeds on female twins.
This supernatural power play will invoke the whole place, whole play, and characters CURSE. Two characters, break and take us through the family curse, a secret that builds up and takes down the family of Hlase twins. This play will be about two twins Cebisa (boy) and Nongcebo (girl), born and bred eNtathakusa.
It is all about the twins who did not know that they were related because when their young their parents separated after having a fight, they went or took different parts, separated some of the things and some of them were Cebisa and Nongcebo. The mother natured Nongcebo and the father groomed Cebisa when they were both eight months into the world.
They grew apart, lived different lives, and adopted different styles up until they met up when they were old and fell in love, They take us into this relationship phase they just started only to find out, that they started their family too, and have their twins without knowing that they are related.
This show will be narrated by our storytellers which is Nkwenhle and NQULABETHU who has so much knowledge and knows so much about THE CURSE. Things keep on getting worse and more cursed because they only realise that at the end they are related and they are cursed with the spirit of Delunga a spirit that feeds on female twins. We will be introduced to challenges and different ways to resolve challenges but the question is, will these challenges be solved since they were CURSED at the beginning?”
“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
A story of loss, love and hope. A young girl is missing. A distraught mother searches for her and the brother is locked in the house to keep him safe. The community rallies together and the hilarious neighbour joins the search.
This show is dedicated to all the missing children in our country.
You hear music everywhere around you: on radio, on the streets, in church, but do you know how music is made? Have you ever attended a real concert? With this project, we bring jazz music to schools. Children experience South African jazz during a real concert. They get to meet and greet the musicians and their instruments. There is also room for any questions you always wanted to ask. This concert is not only great fun for children, but also for their teachers and parents. So let’s all swing to South African jazz classics and the latest songs.
Optionally the children can be prepared for this experience by a music introduction class by one of our music teachers.
As the Luthuli Museum we are thankful for the opportunity to have partnered with iSupport Music Business in conducting the fun and educational day for the children of Groutville. The programme allowed the museum an opportunity to uphold one of Chief Albert Luthuli’s values to enhance education. The programme proved to be a very fun filled day and was enjoyed as an extra mural activity for children as they learned a lot on this day.Luthuli Museum
Miem doesn’t want to take a bath, however the bathroom inhabitants would like to convince her otherwise… Bloeb! is an object theatre performance for ages 2-6 years old. This production underlines with the CAPS theme of personal hygiene and by means of artistic magic, we would like to make this topic more magical and fun for children.
The magic key sends Kalla on an adventure to the Litter Queen’s palace. He meets her two side-kicks, Rat and Poison, and experiences what it feels like when litter is not picked up, but thrown around. The audience helps the action along, by finding key words that are placed around the auditorium. A fun, literacy adventure!
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.
Jade Bowers (2016 Standard Bank Young Artist, Naledi Theatre Awards Best Director for Scorched) and Ameera Patel (Naledi Theatre Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Scorched) join forces to present ‘Black’. Based on CA Davids’ 2014 novel ‘The Blacks of Cape Town’, Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning writer/director Penny Youngleson has written an adaptation for stage which intricately balances the poetry and pain of discovery, of unpacking history and the drama of family politics. Accomplished actress Patel tackles her first one-hander, under the directorial hand of Bowers, and with musical composition and accompaniment by Daniel Geddes.
While based abroad, historian Zara Black (Patel) learns via an officious but vague letter from the South African government, that documents once sealed and implicating her father in an act (which, while not clearly defined, was committed against the anti-apartheid movement decades earlier) will soon be released to the public. The resultant unearthing of her own past begins with Isaiah Black – the grandfather that ‘started it all’ when he stole a handful of diamonds from one of the world’s largest diamond mines in Kimberley. This act, however, is overshadowed by what the family considers his far greater crime – concealing his (mixed) race to escape the harsh realities of the mines before abandoning his mother and ultimately changing his name. His choice of surname is not without irony; because having been classified as mixed, he had passed as white, but had given rise to a line of coloured children and grandchildren. His granddaughter Zara finds herself alone and displaced in New Jersey, caught up in the excitement of an American election of a new and historic president, while trying to make sense of South Africa of the past and present: constructing a history for herself and her family from fragmented recollections and family lore.
Londoloza is a South African childrens’ play that tackles nature and water conservation. The show is an awareness of how can save water, use it in a responsible manner and the show also looks at the various things that effect our environment such as littering and pollution. All of which are linked to wasting and polluting water. The show is comprised of 4 actors, who use dance, singing and puppetry in order to get the narrative across. The show encourages recycling and informs its audience on the various methods there are to recycle or re-use items instead of littering or throwing them away. Thabo and Namhla are childhood friends who love their community and find various ways of saving water and taking care of the environment. Mabutho and Makapisi are the community rebel children who do not care about preserving water and the environment. They are rude and bully Thabo and Namhla every time they try to do something good for their community. It is not until Mabutho and Makapisi ruin the whole environment and wastes all the community’s water, that they get a wakeup call and finally turn their lives around after seeing the effects of not taking care of their environment and water. This show is highly interactive and allows the children to be part of the story so that they are actively involved in the development of the story. The cast will ask the audience questions and at various intervals ask some of the audience to come up on stage to help the characters in the show with whatever they need at the time. This show will run for 30 minutes and at the end the cast as well as the audience (teachers are also welcome)will have a brief questions and answers session after the show to unpack some of the things that came up in the play.