ILifa

Children who suffer at the hands of adults often have no idea that they have rights and what better way to teach them through a story?

Vulnerable children and good adults are mesmerized by this adventure. They become emotionally involved as they watch the ‘baddies’ denying basic rights to the children they have taken prisoner.  Being part of this highly interactive show, makes them feel:

• excited when Themba is told he must find his Inheritance,
• empathy when he is captured and used as a slave with other children,
• appalled by the greedy gluttons who scoff at the notion that everyone is equal in South Africa, even children,
• warmed by the loving guidance of the guardian angel,
• repulsed by the anti-heroes,
• shocked when Themba stands up for his rights and his fellow prisoners,
• angry when the bad guy tries to hurt Themba,
• protective of the children when they escape,
• and delighted when Themba triumphs and the rights of children which is their real inheritance are indelibly imprinted in their minds and emotions.

The children in the story triumph over the abusers in the end which gives them the courage they need to speak out.  The more children who can see this show the better.

iLifa was inspired by the 40th anniversary of the National Arts Festival and the 20th anniversary of our Democratic Constitution.

A girl discovers a world under the sea: Riding on the spotty whale shark, chatting with the clever hammer head and singing with the colourful cat shark. Danger lurks around every corner and she learns some secrets of the deep.

Partly based on Lesley Rochat’s ‘Sue Finds Happy Eddie the Shy Shark’, Shark Dreams tells a local tale about a girl whose love for the sea takes her on a magical shark adventure. Shark Dreams showcases the many different types of sharks and educates young people about ocean and beach safety including: the role of the shark spotters in protecting beach goers; the meaning of the flags on the beaches; critical safety tips when swimming and using the beach. The play creates understanding and awareness about the important role sharks play in marine ecosystems and the food chain and dispels myths created through misinformation and hearsay.

Shark Dreams is 45 minutes in duration and is suitable for Grades 4-9

“Exquisite costumes and brilliant acting skills.” Strand Moslem School

Shark Dreams was created in 2009 in conjunction with the Save Our Seas Shark Centre for City of Cape Town’s Environmental Resource Management Department’s Youth Environmental Schools (YES) programme. Shark Dreams was rolled out as an outreach programme to schools in Cape Town’s south peninsula; performed for World Environment Week and Marine Week in 2009 as well as the Blue Flag Beach campaign in 2010. The AfriOceans Conservation Alliance has also provided funding for community and schools outreach performances. Shark Dreams has also been performed at the Marine and Coastal Educators Network conferences where it has received a standing ovation.

Currently starring:
Nimray Kruger, Unathi Speelman, Simric Yarrow and Vincent Meyburgh.

Moya is a young rising soccer star, his goal scoring record has made him a hero in his township. He has an asthma attack during training and ends up in hospital, where Moya has a nightmare about a Death Monster who feeds on smoke and pollution. Unable to play soccer, Moya is dropped from his team and loses the affections of his bling-bling girlfriend. Determined to find out the causes of his misfortune, Moya embarks on a journey of discovery into the causes of air pollution and the threat of climate change. He finds ways to heal himself and his environment and destroys the Death Monster.

Moya meets different characters who give him advice and information. He confronts industrial giants and meets the municipal air quality management team and finds out about local by-laws. With a new outlook on life he finds a new sustainable lifestyle.

Moya – The Air We Breathe is 45 minutes in duration and is suitable for Grades 8-12. An accompanying drama skills workshop of 45 minutes is also available. It was developed for a high school audience for the City of Cape Town’s Environmental Resource Management Department and was performed at 10 high schools for Air Quality Week in February 2008. Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning commissioned a reduced version for their 2 Precious 2 Pollute Campaign in 2010.

Currently starring: Unathi Speelman, Nelson Chileshe Musonda, Mfundo Hashe and Ntombifuthi Mkhasibe.

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.

Sometimes, in war, famine and radical times of change, there is someone still standing. And sometimes, they are not alone. Amongst the dunes of post-2050 earth a mirage of humanity glimmers in the heat.

Directed by Helen Iskander (Nominated ABSA ‘Best Director 2009’ award at the KKNK, for The Famished Road). Designed by Jemma Kahn and performed by Kyla Davis (ImpACT award winner for Theatre 2010) and Mongi Mthombeni (NAF Golden Ovation Award Winners for The Butcher Brothers (2010) and Naledi Award winners for Best Cutting Edge production 2010) this collaboration of award-winning artists brings you an exquisitely visual new play of epic proportions.

Planet B was originally performed as part of the SA Devised Season at WITS Theatre in 2011 and subsequently went on to tour to the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown 2011 and the Out The Box Festival, Cape Town 2011 (where it received a special mention for Excellence at the Handspring Awards.) The play also formed part of the official cultural programme at the international COP17 conference on climate change in Durban (Dec 2011).

The Pollution Revolution is an original edutainment play that formed part of Well Worn’s pioneering Climate Change Action Programme, funded by the NLDTF and in partnership with Earthlife Africa JHB’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Project.

The play toured to 150 primary schools in Gauteng in 2010/2011 and performed to audiences of over 30 000 school learners and teachers. The play was also performed at the Family Festival of both the National Arts Festival and the Out of the Box Festival in 2011.

The 45 minute high energy, physical theatre play aligned to the Grade 4-9 Social Science, Life Orientation and Physical Science curriculums and covered themes of climate change, global warming, energy, water, waste, biodiversity and personal/social/ecological responsibility. Each school performance was accompanied by a ‘Climate Action Toolkit’: a learning resource researched, designed and compiled by the Well Worn Theatre Team. The resource included activities and learning materials to support teachers in carrying the learning over from Stage to Classroom.

The Pollution Revolution was written and directed by Kyla Davis and co-devised and performed by Craig Morris, Jaques De Silva, Joni Barnard, Jerry Mntonga, Taryn Bennett and Lerato Moloi.

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.

Despite being predominantly French-speaking, Cameroonian audiences were charmed and entertained by the new South African children’s musical Snake Magic when it was staged in Yaounde recently as part of an international arts festival.

“It is a work that is able to transcend language through its use of puppetry and music and seems to enjoy a universal appeal,” says its creator, well-known Cape musician Heather Mac.

Adapted from an African legend, the play was selected for staging at the African Festival of Children’s Theatre in Cameroon last month. “As only 20% of the population speaks English, we were concerned that some of the children may not understand the narrative. I was delighted to be proven wrong,” she laughs.

Mac relates that Cameroonian children became so emotionally engaged with the story, that during one performance in a scene when one of the characters is frightened, audience members stood up and told her how sorry they were. “Some even gave the cast member fruit and snacks to help her! It brought tears to my eyes that in country where poverty surrounds everybody, such generosity exists.”

Snake Magic features Deon Nebulane, Lindelwa Kisana and David Muller is currently on at the Baxter’s Sanlam Studio at 11am until December 20.

During its first run at the Kalk Bay Theatre earlier this year, critics were extremely complimentary about the way Mac has breathed life into this uniquely African tale. “We’ve basically integrated a vibrant musical score with an adventure-filled story and in the process we’ve created the ideal holiday fare for the whole family,” she says.

Mac and the cast feel the show has grown since its first staging and believe its new incarnation and has been polished in such a way that it gets children in the audience to really engage with its underlying message. “Snake Magic tackles many different current issues that face children today, namely bullying, jealousy, gender conflict, animal rights and conservation,” says Heather.

“We hope that the play is one of the ways we can help nurture respect within children by highlighting the value of their environment, ‘mother earth’ and the importance of being kind, honest and caring within our family and our community.”

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.