In Grommels, a big grey wall surrounds a small grey world. In this world, colour is just a memory… a dream. This is the world of two peculiar beings: Bluegrommel (Robert Hindley) and Yellowgrommel (Angelique Filter) – the last two colours left. Every day, the Grommels wear their hats. Yellowgrommel catches sunlight. Bluegrommel catches rain. Until a day arrives that is unlike any other Grommel day… A live audience appears! They are being watched, closely… The wind rises, thunder roars, and the whispers of the little wall-people become a whirlwind. The grumbling Grommels butt heads, each stubbornly chasing their own needs, until they are separated on opposite sides of the wall. For the first time, they are alone.
The Grommels take the audience on a playful journey as they rediscover the true meaning of connection. In a quiet moment of magic, the colour of the Grommels’ hats mixes in water, creating something the Grommels could have never imagined – green! Perhaps they are not the last colours after all. Nature floods back onto stage in a rush of nostalgic imagery. In an age where humanity seems uprooted from the natural world, Grommels plants a small seed of hope.
Xoli, Bawdy, Sam and Karla are a group of grade 11 girls who attend the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), Makhanda. The all girls’ school is a 187-year-old private boarding school that delivers an IEB curriculum. Their brother school is St Andrew’s College, a 232-year-old all boys’ school. Classes are shared by boys and girls from Grade 10-12. These two schools are separated by a giant green gate which is locked at 11pm in the evening and unlocked at 6am in the morning by tired security guards in navy blue uniform. While St Andrew’s is a gateless grounds spanning 5 blocks, DSG has recently built a wall around itself with electric fence to keep the outside out and the inside in. The girls roil and suffocate inside.
They are baby anarchists. New free–thinkers. And dreaming together into future liberatory possibility.
Xoli and Sam are in love or falling in love. Something muted and grounded and real. On Saturday afternoons they bunk out of school grounds with Bawdy and Karla to the often deserted train station in the centre of Makhanda to get high, shit-talk, dream, wonder if they will get to the other side of now. They are thinking into critical liberatory pedagogies into building nations that are not the stifled prison-house they feel they are in. They all feel, acutely, the discomfort of something itching – they know something is not right with the world.
There is friction in Xoli and Sam’s fragile relationship; Bawdy fuels the fire while dealing with preganancy and the decisions she must make. Karla’s mother as recently passed and she is moving through the aftermath. They talk about school and boys and race. They talk about disciplinary cases happening at both the boys and girls schools. Bawdy insists the politics will play themselves out. There is an altercation, an ideological impasse at which point one must act. It is the realisation of something euphoric, of power to destroy, of having the real potential to dismantle; and something horrific, no longer romantic, real and with real consequences. Suddenly there is the sound of the school guard and they run. In the panic and commotion as the nearby public rush towards the rising fire, the girls separate pursued on foot. At the normal meeting place, all but one girl return – Sam.
Sam is handed over to her school which immediately begins the process of questioning, gathering evidence and building a disciplinary case. Sam exposes Bawdy. Heads must roll. Sam’s parents remove her from the school before the date of her official tribunal. Xoli gets expelled. Bawdy gets expelled. Karla gets one-month suspension which she will spend at her father’s lake house in Plettenberg Bay.
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
Human beans, come to the theatre and allow your imagination to take flight! Follow Roald Dahl as a young boy and journey with him through Mrs Pratchett’s sweet shop, his early school years and meet his favourite teacher. Plunge into scrumdiddlyumtious worlds of dirty beasts; filthsome creatures, crocky-wocks and vitches. Get ready to take a leap, a jump, and fly with us through Dahl’s magical worlds.
‘Puppet Park‘ is a newly written educational & musical production touching sensitive subjects regarding racism, homosexuality, family issues, abuse and bullying etc. Newly written songs will be added to assist with the message from stage. A message of love and acceptance. From the creative pen of Xander Steyn who has a list of productions that he has written, directed and choreographed – www.xanderartproductions.co.za – this is a production is a must see for every school and child in South Africa.
The piece will incorporate singing, dancing, acting and physical theatre. Its aim is to be edgy and very provocative in order to capture the pupil’s attention for the duration of the piece.
At the end of the piece the students will be given an opportunity to discuss some of the issues that they witnessed during the piece with a skilled facilitator.
The show looks at the never ending battle between the queens wives, the disruptive lack of modesty in the laymen, the bad luck that seems to follow the heir and the laughable bad decisions made by the king’s close friends. This seeks to show the similarities between the king and queens and the so called commoner, the most evident similarity being the chaos that comes with the every day life. So maybe we are all kings and queens with our portion of chaos?
The traditional African stories are told using physical and vocal gestures to elevate and honor the ancient art of oral tradition. The storyteller, the bare stage and the graceful gestures will take audiences on imaginative trips across the African continent, moving from Nigeria to Lesotho and every place in between.
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?