Programme
2009
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AFRICA IS NOT FOR SISSIES!
(The Songs, Wit and Love-lexic Wisdom of Syd Kitchen)
Since the 70’s, guitarist/singer/songwriter Syd Kitchen has remained an innovative, active, non-compromising part of the South African musical landscape. A legend at Splashy Fen, he is the only artist to have played at all twenty festivals. He has a worldwide following and has recently returned from a successful season in New York. Experience Syd up close and personal in this solo show featuring his own music and anecdotes from his many decades on the road. Let his music tell you about what to do when ‘the boogie dies’, how to cope with ‘love-lexia’, why ‘Africa is not for sissies’ and which utensils you need to survive ‘The Great Kitchen of Life!’
VENUE FLEUR DE LYS
TIMES SAT 20H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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AUDIENCE WITH BEAUTY RAMAPELEPELE, AN
Come and spend an hour with motor mouth Beauty Ramapelepele, Ben Voss’ (Green Mamba, Black Mamba) alter ego and South African Business Woman of the Year 2009. From humble beginnings as a domestic worker to the world of South Africa’s business and social elite, Beauty has now become a leading satirical voice on South Africa’s airwaves and stages. She is currently enjoying regular spots on The Just Plain Darren show on East Coast Radio and has an up and coming contract with Jacaranda FM on the Just Plain Breakfast show, due to start airing in October. Famous for her online Presidential Horse Race, which enjoyed thousands of hits from around the world, and currently touring live around the country, you get the opportunity to spend some time with this Diva during her busy schedule at the notorious Witness Hilton Arts Festival. She’ll have you cackling uproariously at her personal rags to riches story and squirming mercilessly with her scathing philosophies on life in South Africa, a country of opportunists…sorry opportunities! She’s black, she’s beautiful, she’s bitchy and she’s not to be missed!
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES SAT 1230
DURATION 65
COST R 80
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BALD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, THE
Evan Roberts - accomplished & extraordinary musical director , producer and pianist, joins up with his bevy of "beauties"- actress & singer Liesl Coppin, versatile singer, musican and vocal director Shelley McLean and Durban Diva (!) Melanie Roberts - to deliver a diverse bag of music, in their inimitable piano and voice style, with their own arrangements. Evan effortlessly attributes his baldness to working with the gals over the last 20 years ... well, with Melanie for the last 20 years and with Shelley and Liesl for the last 10!
A wry look at life, their friendships, and their celebration of music, this revue travels time musically, in a seamless blend of harmonies, from Pussy Cat Dolls, to Bob Dylan, Take That to Justin Timberlake, Queen and the Beegees. Favourites such as Mr Bojangles, and the newly popular "Halleluja" are also in the mix. Genres of music from soul to blues, pop to rock, are covered, with a nod to country and a few special choices in between, from evergreen artists such as Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, Barbra Streisand.......
VENUE FLEUR DE LYS
TIMES FRI 20H00; SAT 16H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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BLACK OUT : THE ADVENTURES OF JOCK & DONUT
The curtain is coming down on our world? Is it the final curtain? Will there be an encore? Join Donut and Jock in a madcap adventure to help save our planet from a lunatic with the power to switch off the sun ...forever.
South Africa's Ellis Pearson takes a unique, seriously thought provoking, yet highly entertaining look at the climate change crisis. He has created a theatre epic to rival a combination of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and James Bond. Can the unlikely heroes rise to the occasion and help to bring back the light?
Five characters, four masks, ballroom dancing, a flying machine and a re-cycled motor car that runs on sugar cane and the gas from old smelly socks. And, all the while, time is running out for the Blue Planet. What more does any adventure require?
VENUE DRAMA CENTRE
TIMES SAT 15H30
DURATION 55
COST R 60
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BLUE PERIOD OF MILTON VAN DER SPUY, THE
Directed by Garth Anderson; written & performed by Greig Coetzee
Imagine Van Gogh. Combine him with Leonardo da Vinci and John Milton. Hit him quite hard on the head, and you have Milton van der Spuy - Renaissance Man and Sub-standard Genius. This comic but touching character has charmed audiences from Antwerp to Miami. Milton sees himself as one of the last great artists in a world without beauty. He's almost perfected his flying machine, except he's struggling a bit with the gravity. He will finish writing his rhyming haiku, when he finds a word that rhymes with 'orange'. He'll complete his Blue Period, once he's found a way to start it. And he hopes his head won't explode before he completes his Life's Work. A delicate piece of tragicomedy that juxtaposes the beauty of imagination against the mundane horrors of a small life.
“Whimsical… excellent… completely worth seeing” Critical Miami (USA)
“Poignant… hilariously funny” Artsmart
Best New South African Script – Cape Town Vita Awards 1998
VENUE DRAMA CENTRE
TIMES SUN 12H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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BOY CALLED RUBBISH
Once upon a time, about 15 years ago, Ellis Pearson & Bheki Mkhwane enchanted all children under the age of 95 all over the world, with their evergreen favourite piece of madcap theatre. The world fell in love with a little boy whose name was ... Rubbish - a truly South African legend of a child on a journey from degradation and deprivation to the discovery of his real worth.
Using a handful of props, all of which were found on a rubbish dump, Sean De Klerk and Sdumo Mtshali now tell the story of a little boy called Rubbish who grows up in the adverse circumstances of a squatter camp, tormented by his step-mother, Ma Dudula. Luckily, his special, imaginary friend gives him great courage so that he eventually becomes the hero of the local community.
Don’t miss it .... and beware of tomato sauce and flying paw paw!
Workshopped theatre that works like a dream
- B. Adkins, EP Herald
VENUE WILD GARDEN
TIMES FRI 12H00; SAT 14H00; SUN 12H30
DURATION 55
COST R 60
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CARNIVAL UNDER THE RAINBOW
A feast of street theatre! Stilt walkers, massive masks, drums – a pageant so colourful even the rainbow will be dimmed!! Created and directed by Max Webster and Mia Theil Have, this spectacle features a group of actors who have pooled their skills and their enthusiasm to entertain you every which way you turn at the festival. See them here, see them there, follow them to see what happens next.
This project has been funded by the NLB, and has grown from the 2008 NLB funded production, Feast Kakhula. Actors from 2008 have been joined by trainees funded by DACT and by stilt walkers trained by Richard Antrobus (STILTED) and funded by the NAF. Webster and Have have been important players in this festival for several now. They were responsible for the co-creation (with Ellis Pearson) for 2008’s Feast Kakhulu. They both have international experience ranging from developmental theatre in Nepal to working at the Young Vic in London.
VENUE TOP OF THE CENTENARY CENTRE STAIRS!
TIMES SAT 12H00; SAT 14H00; SUN 12H00; SUN 14H00
DURATION 40
COST FREE
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CHORAL MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA
A musical feast hosted by the Mayibuye I Africa choir, national winners of the 2008 Old Mutual Choral Competition. They will be joined by the Pietermartizburg Children’s Choir and the Midlands Youth Choir.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SAT 14H00
DURATION 60
COST FREE
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DAVID NEWTON: LAUGH
David Newton, two-time award nominated stand-up comic, hits the festival with his hilarious one man stand up routine. It’s called LAUGH – and it makes you laugh!!!
Also familiar as the presenter of SABC3’s reality travel show Couch Trip and cameo appearances on Top Billing, his razor-sharp wit and his ability to provoke his audiences and make them laugh uncontrollably at once taboo subjects, David has established himself as one of South Africa’s fastest rising comedy superstars.
David’s ability to explore any and every subject on stage once prompted the Cape Times to publish, “One gets the feeling that there isn’t any subject he (Newton) won’t talk about”. With ‘LAUGH’ Newton will no doubt continue this trend of calling a spade a ‘spade’ but with a title like ‘LAUGH’ audiences are left in no doubt of what David’s primary intent - ‘LAUGH!’
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES SUN 13H30
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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DAVID NEWTON: POLITICALLY INCORRECT
David Newton, SA Comedy Awards’ Stand-up Comic Of The Year 2007 nominee comes to Hilton with the show that earned him the nomination. Newton takes a hilarious look at political correctness universally. No sacred cow is left untouched! This is a hysterically controversial show, where David takes his Stand Up Comedy licence and drives full speed through ‘politically inappropriate’ territory. If we’ve all been thinking it and he shouldn’t be saying it, he most probably is. He will have you in stitches and dislodge some of your tightly-held perceptions about what is and isn't acceptable.
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES SAT 17H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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GIRLS BEHAVING BADLY
Shelley McLean, Marion Loudon, Janna Ramos-Violante & Elizabeth Perkins are all well known for their individual work as vocalists, actresses and dancers. Now their combined talents bring you “Girls Behaving Badly”.
These four gorgeous girls turn up the heat with this fast paced look at all the ‘naughty girls’ in music, from Diana Ross to Britney, Amy and Madonna. Its cheeky, its fun, and with stylish choreography and stunning costumes these ‘not so naughty’ girls are sure to have you up on your feet as they belt out hits from, Pussycat Dolls Gwen Stefani and Tina Turner and even include oldies from Connie Francis and Nancy Sinatra.
This fun cabaret is a powerhouse of talent. Hilton will rock as these good girls let their hair down and pay tribute to some of the world’s legendry ‘Bad Girls’ of the music industry. A rollercoaster of hits from the 1950’s to the present day!
VENUE FLEUR DE LYS
TIMES SAT 18H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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GUMBOOTS & GLITTER – IAN & RORY AT THEIR BEST
The inimitable music duo, Ian von Memerty and Rory Rootenberg, perform highlights from their favourite musicals. Rory shares some of the great moments as The Phantom in Phantom of The Opera, does some over-the-top expressions of his various personae – just how many splits can one personality have? - , and sings some poignant and moving music.
Ian sings songs from his very popular A Handful of Keys, sizzles through sequences from Big Band Blast as well as his latest stage triumph Captain Entertainment and presents a whirlwind History of South Africa through song and madness.
Join these two friends and old colleagues as they offer a performance filled with heart, great harmony, mutual enjoyment and some of the finest moments from their acclaimed careers. An electric performance !
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES SUN 18H30
DURATION 75
COST R 100
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UNFORGETTABLE
Come and experience the wonderful world of orchestra and young male voices as the Hilton College Choir launches their first CD, Unforgettable, to the public at The Witness Hilton Arts Festival. Favourite works such as You Raise Me Up, The Holy City, Unforgettable, Ave Verum Corpus, and many more Hilton favourites, promise pure listening pleasure that might inspire you to sing along! The concert is held in honour of Ruth Hodgson (wife of John Hodgson –recently retired Chairman of the Hilton College Board of Governors), who has been a strong supporter of the choir and music over the years.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES FRI 18H00
DURATION 60
COST R 60 ADULTS; R 30 SCHOLARS; UNDER 12 FREE
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HELLO AND GOODBYE
“My debt of gratitude to Michael, Dorothy and Mark for giving two of my most cherished characters a new passionate and vibrant life; it is the biggest one a playwright can have” – Athol Fugard
Fugard, described by Time Magazine as the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world, explains: “When asked to name my favourite among the 50 years of playwriting that lie behind me now at the age of 76, Hello and Goodbye is without fail one that comes to mind.”
The powerful and gripping two-hander, as pertinent today, 43 years after it was first performed, as it was when it was written, brings together on stage for the first time the husband and wife team of Dorothy Ann Gould and Michael Maxwell, both 2008 Naledi Award winners. It is directed by Mark Graham.
The consummate performances of these two multi-award winning theatre professionals have been hailed by the press as “mesmerizing” and “breathtaking”, “immaculate” and possessing “heart-catching, pensive beauty”. It is “a harrowing yet glorious experience”, with “unforgettable and courageous, powerful and intense” direction.
Set in the kitchen of a railway house in Port Elizabeth in 1963, the play softly cauterizes the wounded lives of its characters. A brother and sister who have not seen each other for years, unpack boxes and suitcases in search of an elusive inheritance and in so doing unpack the memories and truths of their empty and damaged lives. The sister, Hester, has survived in Johannesburg through prostitution, while her brother Johnny has stayed at home to care for their crippled father. Both of them have lost or sacrificed their own dreams in the time since they last saw each other and this brief encounter is characterized by anger, hate and fear, with flashes of tenderness and emotional subtlety. The encounter all but destroys any vestiges of familial love which have survived unacknowledged in their existences.
Hello and Goodbye is classic Fugard, unashamedly South African, placed in the environment in which he grew up amongst the ironies, dichotomies and pain of South African life under apartheid. Johnny and Hester are considered to be among the greatest roles in South African theatre and have been played by luminaries like Yvonne Bryceland, Janet Suzman, Bill Flynn, Sir Antony Sher, Ben Kingsley and Athol Fugard himself.
VENUE DRAMA CENTRE
TIMES FRI 19H30; SAT 19H00
DURATION 150 (INCL INTERVAL)
COST R 80
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HIGH DIVING
‘Like finding a million rand lottery ticket in the gutter… Jenine Collocott has the potential to shake up the industry.’ - Cue 2009
Imagine the most embarrassing situations revolving around dating and introducing your partner to your family!! With a dynamic mix of physical comedy, visual theatre and tightly honed dialogue this new play shares the story of two star-crossed lovers as they travel through the hilarious and at times tragic minefield of inter-family relations and personal misunderstandings.
With a multi-skilled cast performing the roles of a range of highly engaging support characters, this modern love story is set against the brooding backdrop of rural coastal and concrete urban South Africa.
With the internationally acclaimed Janni Younge constructing the shadow puppets and consulting on the animation, veteran actors James Cairns and Toni Morkel, the two ‘exceptional new comers’ Deborah Da Cruz and Roberto Pombo and original music by Nick Warren and Andrew Ord, High Diving ‘will make you laugh and make you cry… you will not want it to end’ – Cue 2009
VENUE MEM HALL
TIMES SAT 20H00; SUN 14H30
DURATION 80
COST R 70
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JENNIFER BLOGG COLOURED IN
The time has come for Fett Diva Productions to present their brand new children's adventure play. After the sell-out-rave-review-success of their last production 'The Adventures of Jabulani Jo' Fett Diva saw awards and nominations left, right and centre including a nomination for Best new South African script and an award for best actress in a children's show as well as being nominated for best children's production. Their little monkey play is now being translated into other languages and performed overseas.
Fett Diva now presents 'Jennifer Blogg Coloured in'... this is the story of a small girl living in a world that has lost its colour... everything is black and white, forced to eat black peas, water black flowers, play in black puddles and listen to lessons at school about black and white Jennifer Blogg thinks that is the way the world has always been...
Until one day Jennifer falls asleep in class and dreams an amazing dream.
Jennifer takes an unforgettable journey through a world filled with colour, magic and crazy characters to discover if she could change her own
world. The audience is carried right along and encouraged to participate in true children's theatre style to help our cute brave and awfully daring heroine turn the world back to colour.
Audiences are guaranteed to laugh out loud, feel the excitement and use those lazy muscles of imagination. For a fun filled and crazy adventure unlike any other join Jennifer Blogg and see if she can colour the world in.
VENUE WILD GARDEN
TIMES FRI 0900; SAT 10H00; SUN 14H00
DURATION 50
COST R 50
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JOHNNY BOSKAK IS FEELING FUNNY
Directed by Genna Lewis; written & performed by Greig Coetzee; music composed & performed by Syd Kitchen
Imagine if Shakespeare and Eminem combined forces to write a South African ‘Natural Born Killers’ using Durban slang. Johnny Boskak Is Feeling Funny is a love story, a quest for faith and a car chase that takes you across South Africa from Durban to Secunda to Hillbrow to Hell and back again. Winner of a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival 2006, this is a tragicomedy about a hectic oke and his bubblegum, lip-gloss, double-come, kick-arse, troublesome cherry. A mini rock-opera for spoken word, a road movie for the stage, the script is brought to life with haunting projections of South African landscapes, and live music accompanying the performance. What is Johnny? A white trash dinosaur? Or is he the last cowboy hero in boots and blue jeans? What we do know is that he’s on the road, looking for love, redemption, an AK47 and the quickest way out of Secunda…
“The writing dazzles, Kitchen's live soundtrack has you hooked, and Coetzee himself is mesmerizing” The Guardian (UK)
“Savagely funny” The Stage (UK)
VENUE MEM HALL
TIMES SAT 10H00
DURATION 75
COST R 80
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KICKING IT COUNTRY
Take a journey with Darren King, Marion Loudon and Janna Ramos- Violante as they pay tribute to some of the legends of Country music such as America, Shelley West and the Eagles, to backing tracks, mouth organ, comb & paper, tambourine, oh . . . and voice. Celebrate the best of Country Music including artists such as Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. With great costumes complete with tassels, fringing and Stetsons, slick ho-down choreography and fun lines, the combination of great music, great voices and big personalities makes this a popular addition to this year’s Festival.
So join these cowgirls, and guy, on the road again with this fast paced look at all things country, from Dolly Parton and Sheryl Crowe to Leanne Rimes and Creedence Clearwater Revival. It’s cheeky, fun, and these 3 are sure to have you up on your feet as they belt out songs from Bonnie Raitt, the Bellamy Brothers and Bob Dylan through their journey of hits from the 50’s to the present day.
VENUE FLEUR DE LYS
TIMES SAT 12H00; SUN 15H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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LET’S MISBEHAVE
After 4 highly successful seasons in Durban & Cape Town ... and a break of 6 years .... now back by popular demand!
Sophisticated and naughty, this multi award winning music revue is devised and performed by Evan Roberts, Anthony Stonier & Carol Trench. Misbehaving can be fun - if you’re careful; musical misbehaviour is even more entertaining. You cannot afford to miss this slick, witty, stylish revue that takes a musical journey through the delights, pitfalls, joys and woes that result from misbehaving …in all its forms!
“ Cabaret at its best” - MT Daily News
“provocative, fun and polished” - GG Tribune
“slick and elegant; sassy!” - BS Mercury
“very considerable musical talents” - CS Artslink
VENUE FLEUR DE LYS
TIMES SAT 14H00; SUN 11H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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LONGING FOR DARKNESS
Based on the life and stories of Danish writer, Karen Blixen, author of OUT OF AFRICA. "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills...Up in this
high air you breathed easily...you woke up in the morning and thought:
here I am where I ought to be."
The Baroness opens her curtains to see snow-covered Denmark, but her
mind travels back to extraordinary memories of her life in Kenya: of
running a coffee farm, romantic safaris, meetings with the Kikuyu
tribes, and ultimately, tragedy. As the day progresses these memories
are transformed into fantastical stories as the characters of her
fiction come alive, and her imagination carries her on into the
darkness.
Conceived and performed by Mia Theil Have and directed by Max Webster. Mia Theil Have is a Danish actress and singer. She has performed at
the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, The Royal Opera House, London, and from
2002-6 toured internationally with the Odin Teatret. She currently
lives in London, where she is an associate of the Company of Angels.
VENUE OLD MUSEUM
TIMES FRI 18H00; SAT 19H00; SUN 10H00
DURATION 60
COST R 60
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MARINER’S TALE
'Full fathom five, thy father lies...'
When the wind whispers and the sea beckons, do you heed its call, or resist its magnetism? Creative Madness brings you their latest production incorporating puppets, masks, mime and music in a visual poem of aquatic antiquity, adventure and alarm.
Performed by Bryan Hiles and Peter Court in its very own diminutive tent!
VENUE CREATIVE MADNESS TENT
TIMES SAT 10H30; SAT 11H30; SAT 13H30; SAT 14H30; SUN 14H00;
SUN 15H00
DURATION 30
COST R 40
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MOLLY BLOOM
Obscenely brilliant! Molly Bloom, lying awake in bed at two in the morning, muses about her husband’s possible infidelities, her own sexual desires and fantasies, her husband’s desire to be cuckolded, love, her youth, her marriage, her losses and dreams.
Acclaimed South African actress, Jennifer Steyn (Marge in ETV’s Madam & Eve) performs Molly Bloom’s stream of consciousness monologue taken from James Joyce’s classic novel, Ulysses. Director, Nicky Rebelo ( perhaps best known for his TV roles in Louis Motors, The Big Time and as Zelco, the coach in Shooting Stars), has edited the last chapter of this bitterly controversial novel , which was written without any punctuation and which, if performed uncut, would run for over four hours. This version remains true to Joyce’s original text and intention and has lost none of its poetic beauty and erotic bawdiness.
When first published in Paris in 1922 Ulysses caused a scandal and was immediately banned in the USA and Britain. In England the ban was not lifted until the 1950’s. It has been hailed as both the greatest novel of the 20th century and the most celebrated book in the English language.
Due to explicit content this production is for adults only.
VENUE DRAMA CENTRE
TIMES SAT 12H30; SUN 14H30
DURATION 100
COST R 80
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NIBS VAN DER SPUY LIVE IN CONCERT
Nibs van der Spuy is a discovery. With his beautiful filigreed acoustic guitar playing and thrilling airy voice, Nibs has set out to produce the most sensitive breathy songs on the continent. Receiving 5 star accolades across the globe, he now returns to mesmerise this year’s festival. Not to be missed!
Nibs plays around the world as a soloist where he has gained widespread recognition with the release of his albums ‘Beautiful Feet’ and more recently, ‘A Bird in the Hand’ He has shared the stage with such luminaries as Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and Crosby, Stills and Nash and his spellbinding acoustic style has been praised by major publications from the UK Guardian to the Sydney Herald.
VENUE FLEUR DE LYS
TIMES FRI 18H00; SUN 13H00
DURATION 70
COST R 80
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NOISES OFF
WITNESS HILTON ARTS FESTIVAL FLAGSHIP PRODUCTION FUNDED BY NLB
Have you ever wondered what goes on backstage? What tension and trauma is involved in the rehearsal process? How personal relationships among cast members play their part in the final production? Chaos! Mayhem!! Mirth!!!
This hilarious play by Tony Award-winning playwright Michael Frayn is a farce about producing a farce. It isn't one play but two. It is simultaneously a traditional sex farce, Nothing On, and is also the backstage farce that develops during the final dress rehearsal and subsequent season of Nothing On. The play tracks the rivalries and misfortunes of a chaotic, bickering theatre company, from opening night to the the end of an incident and accident-ridden six month tour. The cast features top-notch comic talent: Ben Voss, Lisa Bobbert, Darren King, Michael Gritten, Bryan Hiles, Belinda Henwood, Peter Court, Liesl Coppin and Roxy Nel. It is directed by Steven Stead, designed by Greg King and presented by Kickstart, KZN’s leading production company.
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES SAT 19H30; SUN 10H00
DURATION 150 (incl interval)
COST R 90
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PICTURES OF YOU
The highest grossing theatre production at National Arts Festival in Grahamstown 2009, Pictures of You is a quirky, visual story of undying love. At first sight, Frank and Janet’s marriage is the picture of perfection – neat, ordered, and respectable. But underneath lies a deeper truth – one of buried secrets, suppressed memories, and repressed desires that begin leaking out when Frank starts to dream.
Performed by Liezl de Kock and Dorian Burstein and directed by Rob Murray, Pictures of You features an enthralling narrative, fascinating full character masks by Janni Younge, magic realism, arresting imagery, puppetry, and an absorbing sound design by the award-winning James Webb.
For this theatrical feast for the senses, the critics rave:
“genius…something you simply cannot afford to miss” (Cape Times)
“an elevating theatrical treat” (M&G)
VENUE MEM HALL
TIMES FRI 13H30; SAT 12H30; SUN 10H00
DURATION 60
COST R 70
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PIXIE BENNETT BAND
The Pixie Bennett Band formed in Jan 2008 with Pixie Bennett, Garth and Rob Warren. They played at the KZN festival Splashy Fenn in their early days (again performing in 2009 ) and then went on to work the Durban music scene. In September 2008 they performed at the White Mountain Folk Festival and a few months later were joined by new comers Steve Murray (guitar) and Andrew Makins (drums) both formerly of Stealing Love Jones.
Pixie entered into SA Idols, making it to the top 7 in 2009. The band have recorded a demo at Face Studios and have been performing in different venues in SA.
The Pixie Bennett Band recently opened for South African R&B singer
Loyiso in Durban, and played at the Mr Price Pro Ballito International Surf comp and the Durban July.
VENUE SPORT CENTRE
TIMES SAT 19H30
DURATION 60
COST R 70
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PREGNANT PAUSE
JUST SWELL!!
“Belly laughs along a bumpy road” is probably the best way to describe this new creation by award-winning director, Sylvaine Strike ,in collaboration with award-winning performers, Michael Richard and Charmaine Weir-Smith. “Pregnant Pause” explores the joyous highs and challenging lows of pregnancy and parenthood. It is an authentically South African piece tapping into the South African suburban mindset as this couple embark on the most momentous journey of their lives. It is a journey fraught with complexities and challenges on every level resulting in a hilarious but always truthful and detailed exploration of life as a parent. This is a show for everybody – those who are parents, those who have parents, those who would like to be parents and even for those who could think of nothing worse than being parents.
VENUE MEM HALL
TIMES SAT 17H30; SUN 12H00
DURATION 80 (incl interval)
COST R 75
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SHEAR MADNESS
PERFORMANCES AT THE FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY DACT
Shear Madness is the world’s second longest running play (after Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap) and probably America’s greatest theatrical success story. It combines comedy and a juicy whodunit murder mystery! The ending of the play is different every time as audience members hear clues, question the characters and solve the crime. The humour also features current affairs so the cast amend the script depending on newsworthy events of the time.
The action takes place in a unisex hair salon. The characters include a chatty camp hairdresser (Marc Kay), his flirty streetwise assistant (Daisy Spencer), and the customers in the salon played by Claire Mortimer, Michael Gritten, Dhaveshan Govender and Loyiso MacDonald. It is directed by Themi Venturas. The end result is a surprising mixture of audience sleuthing and up-to-the minute improvisational humour.
In its 27 year run in Boston, USA, the production has used, 165 hair brushes, 1 300 bottles of nail varnish, 1 200 emery boards, 5 000 ounces of shampoo, 11 000 cans of shaving cream, 1 100 cans of hair spray and 225 bottles of blood!!
VENUE MEM HALL
TIMES FRI 19H30; SAT 14H30; SUN 17H00
DURATION 105 (INCL INTERVAL)
COST R 80
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SO FAR ...SO GOOD
Getting older? How did that happen so suddenly?
Join local poets, Ingrid Andersen (ex Grahamstown) and Clive Lawrance, for their witty and wistful musings on the vagaries of life, children and the strange process of becoming one’s own parents.
They are joined by John Roff, whose “natural music” is played on handmade wooden instruments. Kick back, enjoy the poetry and the music, have a glass of wine and a good laugh.
VENUE RAYMOND SLATER LIBRARY
TIMES FRI 18H30
DURATION 60
COST R 40 (incl wine)
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STILTED
Andrew Buckland recently returned form Las Vegas where he had been working with the internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil. Inspired by this experience, he directed Stilted immediately on his return. Created, conceived, and performed by Richard Antrobus and featuring newcomer, Chris Fisher, it is an extraordinary piece theatre, highly entertaining, very funny, curious and accessible.
The stage is filled with big things, small things, everyday things, unusual things, short things, tall things ...... a short person and a TALL person. A story unfolds as the two actors explore diametrically opposing views of life (literally!) through different acting styles. Can the twain ever meet?
Through testing the physical limits of suspension and gravity, and exploring restrictions of the body, ‘Stilted’ takes a fun glimpse into the exposed performer caught in an imposed world. Buckland added that part of what makes the work so exciting is that “the performers are tossed (and dropped) about the space with the lightness of a juggle-clown, and the heady academic questions of style and audience relationship are the subject of adept physical virtuosity disguised as inept tomfoolery”.
Antrobus remarks: “It’s fun, it’s risky, it’s stilted – from the set to the language to the themes, to the actors themselves. You don’t have to be an ardent theatre fan to enjoy this one – there’s something in it for everyone. And with Andrew Buckland behind the reins, ‘Stilted’ is sure to excite and entice the young and old alike”.
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES SAT 15H00
DURATION 55
COST R 80
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STRANGE CASE OF HESTER CILLIERS, THE
A Dinner Thriller
1909….A winter's night….A Randlord's mansion on Johannesburg's opulent Parktown Ridge… an extraordinary array of guests…Henry Beaufort and his glamorous wife, Julia, golden couple at the heart of Edwardian Johannesburg's dizzy and glittering social life, host a dinner at The Towers to celebrate the conception of their first child...unfortunately the dinner will end in a gruesome murder.
Join Michael Buchan, the unlikely detective, on his quest to unravel the dark secrets of the Randlord's mansion; the challenge is on to work out whodunnit and why…….!
Due to overwhelming demand, Annie Robinson and Paul Spence return to the Witness Hilton Arts Festival with the unforgettable story of an extraordinary woman.
You will be wined, dined and royally entertained! Five Star Catering by Rosebud of 'Porterble Pantry..........'
VENUE CAMPBELL
TIMES FRI 19H00; SAT 12H00 & 19H00; SUN 12H00
DURATION 180 (incl meal)
COST R 250
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STRICTLY ROB AND MARY
WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCE!
With a record-breaking win of the hugely popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing,
reigning SA champions Mary Martin and Rob van Vuuren present a stellar behind-the scenes account of their rise to the top. Join this hilarious and touching journey of how Rob learnt to love dancing, how Mary learnt to cope with a comedian in high-heel dancing shoes, and how together they conquered the hearts of South African TV audiences – and the dance floor!
No stranger to the limelight, Rob van Vuuren is arguably South Africa’s busiest
performer and somewhat of an enigma with his multi-talented, unrivalled theatre
experience. Making the most of his abilities as a director, producer, playwright & actor extraordinaire whilst harnessing his newfound passion for dancing, Rob has transformed his stage presence to create this breakthrough production and share his unique brand of story telling that electrifies the audience through clever and courageous comedy.
Mary Martin is one of the greatest dancing talents in South Africa. Boasting an
explosive show dance track record, including representing South Africa at the World
Championships and in numerous international competitions in Netherlands, UK,
Austria, Malaysia and China, Mary is currently the undefeated South African
professional Latin-American show dance champion. She has blitzed the
Strictly Come Dancing stage for 4 out 5 seasons to massive acclaim. Mary and Rob are ready to astound theatre audiences throughout SA with Strictly Rob & Mary.
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES FRI 20H15; SUN 15H30
DURATION 80
COST R 100
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TOKOLOSHE COME AGAIN
It's Big! It's Wild! It's Back! The Tokoloshe monster rears its head once more in the all-new instalment of the incredibly popular, outrageously funny Tokoloshe chronicles. After touring 'Tokoloshe come and go!' around the country, headlining at festivals like Hilton, Grahamstown, HIFA and Uplands, as well as performing at the Baxter, The State, The Playhouse and The Civic theatre, Durban's hottest comedy duo are fresh from a successful run in Grahamstown with the smash-hit sequel, Tokoloshe Come Again!
Already the show has been booked to be performed in three different provinces before the end of the year! Don't miss your chance to catch the hilarious and unpredictable antics of Liam Magner and Jacobus van Heerden.
Follow the story of Moses the little orphan boy as he struggles to gain recognition in a world off odds. Zulu-storytelling is about to get a fresh coat of paint! Come and join the multi-award winning Neon Anthems on a supernatural journey of magic, mystery and comic mayhem.
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES FRI 1800
DURATION 60
COST R 70
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WHITE MEN WITH WEAPONS
Directed by Garth Anderson; written & performed by Greig Coetzee
A South African theatre classic that has won rave reviews from Durban to New York. Winner of over twenty Awards including South African Play of the Year (1997) and Best Actor on the Edinburgh Fringe (2000). Coetzee’s 13 characters will take you on a rollercoaster ride through the old South African Defence Force, beginning just before Mandela's release from jail. A Korporaal from hell, a drug-crazed Durban Rambo and an Anglican chaplain with Tutu-phobia are just three of the many creatures you will meet during this funny, hard-hitting journey into the dark heart of the SADF. And along the way Mandela walks free, forcing these punch-drunk, bloodshot soldiers to face their final battle as the sun rises on a new country.
"A biting, multi-layered masterpiece." The Stage (UK)
“Hilarous… swaps characters like a chameleon on cocaine!” Mail & Guardian
VENUE MEM HALL
TIMES FRI 17H00
DURATION 85
COST R 80
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WIT
“Clare Mortimer’s performance will leave you reeling, WIT will leave you stunned,” claimed the critcs when WIT, the 1999 Pulitzer prize winning play by Margaret Edson, was deemed the best show in Grahamstown this year.
Produced by Kickstart, directed by Steven Stead and designed by Greg King, it stars the hugely talented Clare Mortimer, along with a multi-award winning supporting cast including Neil Coppen, Liv Borgen, Alison Cassels and Jimmy Lithgow. The play begins with Vivian Bearing (Clare Mortimer), a renowned professor of English saying, "It is not my intention to give away the plot, but I think I die at the end. They've given me less than two hours." Vivian has late-stage ovarian cancer. But to say that Wit is about cancer is misleading; it is really about finding a balance between head and heart. The play isn't a tearful lecture on how to die; it's a dry-eyed lesson on how to live. It is at once funny, sad, tragic and life-affirming, complex and simple. The New York Times critic called Wit, "the kind of theatrical experience of which legends are made."
“For quality drama, an intelligent theatre experience and the finest performance to date from Clare Mortimer, Wit cannot be recommended too highly. Dressed in hospital gowns, her bald head sometimes hidden under a cap, Mortimer’s every nuance, every utterance, displays an actress in full command of her difficult dialogue. She is fully confident, always credible, under Stead’s clean, crisp direction.” BS The Mercury
VENUE THEATRE
TIMES SAT 10H00
DURATION 95
COST R 100
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ZOO STORY, THE
Set on a bench in New York’s Central Park, it is a story of two strangers who start a conversation which will have devastating effects on their lives. Combining both realistic and absurd elements, Edward Albee has constructed a short but multi levelled play dealing with issues of human isolation, class differences and dangers of inaction within American society.
This production of Edward Albee’s first play, The Zoo Story, has achieved impressive critical acclaim and a Fleur du Cap nomination for best actor. It features Scott sparrow and Nicholas Pauling and is directed by Chris Weare.
“ an intelligent portrayal of life with excellent acting” Cape Argus.
“Both actors are phenomenal. Zoo Story is a beautiful experience” Cape Times
“Sparrow and Pauling’s acting is exemplary. Their characters are intricately engaging and linger long after the stage lights have been dimmed” (Cape Argus)
“…should be seen by anyone serious about theatre or who is interested in seeing the extraordinary talents of a new generation of young stage performers on display” Marianne Thamm.
VENUE DRAMA CENTRE
TIMES FRI 15H00; SAT 10H00; SUN 10H00
DURATION 60
COST R 70
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CONCERT 1: TWO PIANOS
Duo pianists, Nina Schumann and Luis Magalhães, open the series with a brilliant and entertaining programme of music for two pianos. Including the grand Chaconne in D minor by JS Bach and Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Overture transcribed for two pianos, they dazzle with two charming suites for two pianos by Russian composer, Anton Arensky. While not reaching the same wide acclaim as fellow Russians Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, Arensky's music is light, elegant and in this case idiomatically scored for two virtuoso pianists. His Suites Nos 1 and 2 lead up to the barnstorming Paganini Variations by Lutoslawski, a demanding work featuring two pianists in full flight. The Schumann/ Magalhães Piano Duo are based in Stellenbosch and have received critical and public acclaim for their outstanding performances and recordings of music by Rachmaninoff locally and internationally.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES FRI 20H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 2: Baroque Violin Music from Italy
Violetta Osorhean, Associate-Concert master of the KZNPO and David Smith (harpsichord and organ) delight with music from the Italian baroque for violin. featuring works by Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741), Pietro Locatelli (1695-1764), Tomaso Albinoni (1671 – 1750), Francesco Veracini (1690 - 1768) and Francesco Geminiani (1687 – 1762). Reflecting the excitement from the major cities of Italy, where performer/composers, aided by the legendary violin-making workshops of Cremona, were creating string music, the lyrical lines and dancing rhythms of this music are sure to delight. David Smith plays a reproduction of a harpsichord, Flemish in its ancestry, but French in its expanded compass and refinement of detail. Its design follows the main principles of similar authentic instruments. The harpsichord was purchased as a kit from the Zukermann factory in Stonington, Connecticut, in 2002, and gradually built in Mariannhill by Chris and Gloria Brouckaert, being eventually completed in March 2008.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SAT 10H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 3: MOZART’S KEGELSTATT
Don’t miss this classical chamber music performance for clarinet, viola, flute and piano. Performed by visiting British clarinettist Joanne Rozario, David Smith (Principal Viola of the KZNPO), Sabine Baird (Principal Flute of the KZNPO) and Christopher Duigan (piano), this lunchtime hour features Trios for clarinet, viola and piano by Mozart and Bruch. Mozart’s popular Kegelstatt Trio, supposedly composed while occupied with a game of skittles, is contrasted with richly romantic pieces by Max Bruch. Sabine Baird plays music for flute by JS Bach, Fauré and Chopin- his charming Variations on a theme of Rossini. The programme ends with the four players combining in Saint-Saëns jaunty Tarantella. A light, classical and melodic selection.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SAT 12H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 4: CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN - CLASSICAL PIANO
Christopher Duigan, one of South Africa's leading concert pianists, plays a classical programme of passionate piano solos. In a programme including Beethoven’s magnificent Sonata op 57 Appassionata, one of the landmarks of the piano literature, Chopin’s Ballade No 4 and Liszt’s dazzling Mephisto Waltz, a powerful virtuoso work, he concludes with a selection of piano etudes and preludes by Rachmaninoff. A recipient of several of South Africa's most prestigious awards, Duigan currently maintains an enviable performing schedule on South Africa’s premier concert stages. He was recently named a South African piano icon and ‘ a national musical treasure’ (Classic Feel June 2009).
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SAT 16H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 5: OPERA GALA
Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Aukse Trinkunaite joins Federico Freschi (baritone), a favourite with audiences nationally, in a programme of operatic highlights and song for a gala evening concert. Together with duets by Rossini and Mozart, they perform solo arias from Rossini’s L'italiana in Algeri, the celebrated Habanera from Bizet's Carmen, Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix from Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Delilah along with a magnificent selection of Russian songs by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. A must for lovers of opera, song and full-blooded vocal performance.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SAT 18H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 6: SEVILLA: MUSIC OF SPAIN: VOL 2
Following sell out performances in the Grahamstown and Oudtshoorn National Arts Festival, James Grace launches his new CD Music of Spain Val. 2. Including music by Albeniz, Rodrigo and de Falla, plus standard and lesser-known concert works, this outstanding concert guitarist will also perform the haunting Adagio from Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SAT 20H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 7: ROSSINI & FAURE CHORAL MUSIC
Savour the lofty vocal lines of Giacchino Rossini's Petit Messe Sollenelle. Neither Petite nor solemn, Rossini’s celebrated operatic drama and vocal writing is much evident in this choral setting. Featuring the original scoring for small choir, four vocal soloists, piano and organ, the Durban Chamber Choir under the baton of Carol Stranax are joined by Christopher Cockburn (organ) and Christopher Duigan (piano). The music offers opportunity for an evocative and profoundly moving experience. The choir also perform selections from one the most universally loved choral works, Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem. A beautiful experience of religious choral music in the Hilton College Chapel.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SUN 10H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 8: I GOT RHYTHM!
Exploring a universal phenomenon in music, Christopher Duigan presents an innovative exploration of music with repetitive rhythms. With dance music going hand in hand with toe tapping rhythms, expect to hear a wide range of compositions from around the world while demonstrating 2, 3 and 4 beats in a bar, and beyond! Featuring the march, waltz and other rhythmic patterns, the programme includes Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No 2, Take Five, Flight of the Bumble Bee and Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm. This follows on the highly successful compilation - Play, Piano Play! Don’t miss this, a perfect start to a Sunday outing.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SUN 12H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 9: PMB YOUTH CHOIR
The Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Youth Choir undertook a tour to Argentina in April, where their varied repertoire and spirited performances were enthusiastically received wherever they went. You will be equally delighted by the infectiously engaging style of these children as they do what they love best - entertaining through song.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SUN 13H30
DURATION 60
COST R 60
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CONCERT 10: SAX-DELIGHT
The enigmatic, sultry, sensuous and raunchy timbres of the alto saxophone are explored this varied presentation with Joanne Rozario. With a variety of guest musicians including James Grace, Federico Freschi and Christopher Duigan (taking a turn at the organ) Joanne takes us on a whirlwind tour of Baroque solos, improvisations for sax and organ, popular songs in jazz style, film music and a fascinating combination of saxophone, guitar and piano. The Pink Panther, Milhaud’s catchy Brasilierra, Piazzolla’s Libertango and selection by film music BY composer Richard Guinness are included. A surprising presentation with many unexpected twists and turns.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SUN 15H00
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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CONCERT 11: LAST NIGHT OF THE HILTON PROMS
A revisit to the popular Last Night of the Proms concept ends the festival series with a bonanza selection. Together with assembled choirs from the Pietermaritzburg Youth Choir and other local choristers, this gathering of festival soloists offers an unprecedented celebration. Expect to hear and sing along to the standard sequence of Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia and Jerusalem. In a world music frenzy, in a nod to other world cultures, Aukse Trinkunaite sings traditional Russian folk songs, James Grace and Christopher Duigan perform in dazzling flamenco style, Federico Freschi leads an Italian sing along and the Pietermaritzburg Youth Choir entertain with traditional African music. A fun and light-hearted universal celebration of a world in union. Audience participation is encouraged!
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SUN 16H30
DURATION 60
COST R 80
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SCHOOL ROCK BANDS FIGHT IT OUT!
A new happening at the Festival in 2009 is a showcase of schools’ contemporary Rock music talent. Join them all in the Sport Centre to hear just how great this talent is! The afternoon’s gigs will be adjudicated by Pixie Bennett and her band . The winning band will receive a sponsored prize and will open the Pixie Bennett Band performance that evening. (SEE PAGE ...)
VENUE SPORT CENTRE
TIMES SAT 15H30
DURATION 150
COST R 35
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FESTIVAL MASS
The Sine Nomine Singers will be singing Hassler's Missa Secunda in a liturgical context in the Chapel. Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) was a German composer and organist, who studied under Andrea Gabrieli in Venice, and became a master of the Venetian choral style. He was Court Organist at Augsburg, Nuremburg and Dresden, and his religious music reflects the 'intertextuality' of the Renaissance. Hassler's music was greatly admired by Baroque composers, and influenced the religious music of Bach. His Missa Secunda is a delightful setting of the traditional Catholic liturgy, ranging from the declamatory Kyrie to the poignant Agnus Dei.
There is no charge, but a retiring collection will be taken.
VENUE CHAPEL
TIMES SUN 18H00
DURATION 60
COST FREE
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CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP WITH INGRID ANDERSEN
- Set aside the inner critic for a while and rejoice in your creativity -
In this creative writing workshop, Ingrid Andersen focuses on the process of setting aside one’s critical voice, drawing on the creativity within and giving it expression.
Ingrid’s workshops have been acclaimed by participants, many of whom have written creative prose or poetry for the first time in their lives. Whether you’ve written before or you’re just beginning – come and enjoy the journey.
Ingrid Andersen has been published in major South African and international poetry journals for the past 15 years. Her first volume of poetry,” Excision”, was launched at the Grahamstown Festival in 2005. “Piecework”, her second, is in the process of publication.
Number of participants limited to 15.
VENUE LIFE SKILLS ROOM
TIMES SAT 10H00
DURATION 180
COST R 100
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DINNER PARTY
Join the talented Shelley McLean to make everything from invites to beaded serviette rings & wine glass charms. Also included are table decor ideas as well as Gifting and Menu Designs. Not to be missed by the hostess with the mostest!!.
VENUE ART SCHOOL
TIMES SAT 11H00; SUN 10H00
DURATION 60
COST R 100
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FUNKY WALL DECOR
Beautiful hearts to hang on the wall or to use in a mobile. They also make great coasters. A variety of techniques demonstrated, including Mosaic with semi-precious stones, dry brushing, serviette & foam combo... Stunning results using simple techniques. Another Shelley McLean creative masterpiece!
VENUE ART SCHOOL
TIMES SAT 13H00; SUN 12H00
DURATION 60
COST R 100
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IMAGINE THAT! – ELLIS PEARSON
“During the workshop the students are very active and I urge them to focus, play, have fun and discover. We discover how the imaginative and disciplined movement of the human body becomes "mime", and that mime really helps to tell the story we want to tell. We realise that in theatre - or "drama" - one can transform into anything in the whole universe. The students become funny human characters, elephants, the wind, melting butter, paper packets, fish and many other creatures and things! The students are urged to become more observant of the world around us, because creativity comes from noticing 'details'. We look at how to use space and rhythm and musical sounds to create 'pictures' that help to tell the story we want to tell. Throughout the workshop I point out that theatre-making (story telling) reminds us to appreciate and value nature and the world in which we live.”
VENUE OLD MUSEUM
TIMES SAT 11H15
DURATION 90
COST R 60
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NIBS VAN DER SPUY GUITAR WORKSHOP
This fascinating guitar workshop with legendary South African guitarist, Nibs van der Spuy, is aimed for all playing levels and will include various styles and techniques and inspire all guitarists to take their playing to new creative heights.
VENUE BAND ROOM
TIMES SAT 11H15
DURATION 90
COST R 60
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ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD, THE
Donal McCracken is Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences and Senior Professor of History at UKZN. He speaks about his latest publication.
Enough elephant tusks to fill a thousand ox wagons – that’s how much ivory alone was shipped out of Durban bay between the 1820s and the 1880s. It amounted to at least a million kilograms, or a thousand tons, of ivory and represented the slaughter of 20 000 elephant. Piles of elephant tusks were then a common sight at the dockside in Port Natal. But that was not all – rhino horn; buck horn; buffalo, hippo and wildebeest hide; lion, leopard and wildcat skin; as well as live wild animals, all were exported, much coming from the last surviving great African kingdom in southern Africa, Zululand.
The three pillars of the Zululand and Maputaland wilderness were the wild game, the avifauna, particularly game birds, and the indigenous forests. This book charts both the onslaught on them and the efforts made to preserve them from the destruction that seemed imminent and inevitable.
But the book also tells the story of the local African population and their attitudes; it looks at the white and African hunters who pursued the game; and it traces the foundation in the 1890s of the first Zululand game reserves and their struggle for survival against all the odds. Had not the pioneers of Zululand conservation embarked on this early conservation movement, the Zululand wilderness with its tremendous diversity of fauna and flora would have disappeared completely – and with it one of Africa’s brightest jewels.
VENUE CFI
TIMES SAT 11H00
DURATION 60
COST FREE
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FROM WHITE MEN TO JOHNNY BOSKAK
A talk/discussion with Hazel Barnes and Greig Coetzee. An anecdotal hour covering Coetzee's theatre journey from 1985 onwards from the Hexagon Theatre to New York and back. Immediately thereafter, Coetzee’s book will be available at a cocktail party.
VENUE RAYMOND SLATER LIBRARY
TIMES SAT 17H00
DURATION 60
COST FREE
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LIFE AS A CREATIVE JOURNEY: LOSING THE PLOT AND FINDING LIGHTNESS OF BEING
Are our destinies defined by plot or character? Are we chained to our circumstances or can we choose our own tunes to dance to? Is it our actions or our interactions that determine the quality of our lives and what we leave behind us?
Author, Elana Bregin, explores these and other intriguing questions, with reference to her novel Shiva’s Dance and drawing on Buddhist philosophy and Life in general.
VENUE CFI
TIMES SAT 13H00
DURATION 60
COST R 60
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ZEITGEIST (USA 2007)
Director: Peter Joseph
Featuring: Osama bin Laden, George W Bush, David Icke
Courtesy of Flamedrop.com/Cinemania
Presented by KwaCinema
An extraordinary documentary about (a) the origin of the Christian faith, (b) how American banks seized world power at the beginning of the 20th century and (c) how
these two items are related to the wars in the 20th and 21st centuries. The film proposes that totalitarianism is the demand of the uncritical masses.
Religion, State and Media all work towards this end, propagating the lie of Democracy as an absolute freedom, whereas in reality it thinly disguises the way we are all chained to the powerful.
VENUE CFI
TIMES SAT 15H00; SUN 11H00
DURATION 120
COST FREE
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ZEITGEIST ADDENDUM
(USA 2008)
Director: Peter Joseph
Featuring: Jiddu Krishnamurti, Jacque Fresco,
Roxanne Meadows
Courtesy of Flamedrop.com/Cinemania
Presented by KwaCinema
This is divided into four parts: Part 1 deals with the current monetary system and its flaws; Part 2 is with an interview with John Perkins on his role as an economic hit-man, taking out opponents to the American banks in Latin America; Part 3 introduces The Venus Project, a proposal created by Jacque Fresco for a sustainable future; Part 4 examines the emergent and symbiotic aspects of natural law and what it means for humans.
VENUE CFI
TIMES SAT 18H00; SUN 14H00
DURATION 120
COST FREE
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2010 IN GRAHAMSTOWN – 15 DAYS OF AMAZ!NG
Organisers of the National Arts Festival explain some of the plans that have been put into place to ensure that the 2010 Festival is a massive success for both artists and audiences. Meeting the challenge of competing with the soccer head-on, the 2010 Festival will be a bumper 15-day feast of dynamic scheduling, creative marketing, and excellence in art. The National Arts Festival welcomes your views and suggestions and hopes to engage in constructive debate during this session and in the run-up to this milestone Festival.
Fringe Manager Kate Axe Davies and Festival Administrator, Terri Procter, are joined by Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), veteran Fringe performer, James Cairns, and media representatives, Caroline Smart and Illa Thompson.
VENUE BOARD ROOM RAYMOND SLATER LIBRARY
TIMES SAT 16H30
DURATION 90
COST FREE
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SERIOUS THEATRE – QUO VADIS?
Steven Stead, director of the nationally acclaimed production of Wit, examines the play itself and the issues it raises; the style in which it is written ,enabling a gentle and life affirming humour to permeate the script; and how the selection of a script of this nature resulted in his first experience as a director on the Main programme at the National Arts Festival and the ramifications of this for serious theatre in South Africa.
VENUE RAYMOND SLATER LIBRARY
TIMES SAT 15H15
DURATION 60
COST FREE
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US CONSULATE COCKTAIL RECEPTION
A superb networking opportunity for those interested in the arts and those working in the arts and arts related media. Take this opportunity to chat over a glass of wine, meet each other and swap ideas.
VENUE RAYMOND SLATER LIBRARY
TIMES SAT 18H00
COST FREE
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Look out for JOHN ROFF!
If you see this interesting-looking chap at the market this year, he is likely to be demonstrating a range of fascinating world music instruments. His name is John Roff, and he’s an environmentalist, educator musical instrument maker and ‘musician of many colours’. You might see John doing any of these things:
Crafting bamboo flutes
Grooving on Mbira and Kalimba
Tuning and playing an Ozone Drum (a steel tongue drum)
Showing someone how to play a bamboo flute
Playing Chalumeau, Amadinda, Xaphoon, Mountain Dulcimer, Jaw Harp, Shakuhachi, Didgeridoo…
Sharing these fascinating instruments and their stories with interested visitors.
John loves music of many kinds from all over the world, and is happy to talk and answer questions about his musical instruments and interests. Meet him at the market or contact him at johnroff1gmail.com
Keep an eye out for STREET THEATRE – Carnival Under the Rainbow will not only be giving scheduled performances (see page xxx) but will also pop up spontaneously – and on stilts!! – all over the place
Pop into one of the many ART EXHIBITIONS:
NORMAND DUNN GALLERY
The Anton Benzon @ Crouse Art Gallery will be exhibiting in the prestigious Normand Dunn Gallery.
In Durban, their spacious and airy gallery space called The Anton Benzon @ Crouse Art Gallery can be found at 254 Lillian Ngoyi / Windermere Rd Morningside, Durban – a stone’s throw away from Windermere Centre. It showcases excellent works of art by inspirational South African artists and deals exclusively in original South African fine art.
This will be their second year at the festival, and they look forward to meeting appreciators and collectors of fine arts at the festival.
The gallery now stocks dramatic large format works by well-known sculptor Owen Llewellyn Davies. For the past few years his focus has been on major commissions which have kept him extremely busy. His subject matter is extremely varied and includes life sized equestrian work, birdlife, polo pieces, children, wildlife and animals. He is also well known for his international once-off commissions and limited edition pieces.
Crouse also stocks a selection of quaint and quirky Pod People created by artist / sculptor Audrey Rudnick.
Crouse Artdealers specialises in original SA art. They offer art of our country’s best artists like Anton Benzon, Diane Erasmus, Errol Boyley, Kobus Kotze and the Kotze family, Este Mostert, Lienkie Lombard, Marie Vermeulen Breedt, Bea, Luther Marais, Father Frans Claerhout, Cornelius Bosch, Andre De Beer, Christian Nice, Johan Smit, Chris Tugwell, Portchie, Ina van Schalkwyk and many more.
For more information to phone Michelle on 083 385 0654 while at Hilton or visit their website – www.crouseartkzn.co.za.
Or browse around a BOOK STALL:
Or do all your festive season shopping 3 months in advance (think how good you’ll feel!) in the CRAFT MARKET.
Or EAT & DRINK!!!!!
Now, we know that you are at the festival to see as many shows as possible and may have a very tight schedule so ……
If you are in a mad rush and need a quick bite go to the FOOD VILLAGE
If you have a bit more time, buy a drink in the SAB FESTIVAL MARQUEE and grab a quick meal
Indulge yourself in the COFFEE AND GATEAUX TENT with a delicious Caffe Pronto cuppa and a slice of gateaux.
If you want to chill and relax for a while head off to THE BISTRO where you will find a bar, sushi and Italian food.
If none of these options appeal to you, trawl around the craft market and DESIGN YOUR OWN PICNIC, buying delicacies from the numerous food stalls, find a spot on the lawn and soak up the atmosphere.
Feel like listening to MUSIC? Here is the schedule of live music in the BISTRO, the SAB FESTIVAL MARQUEE and out and about.
In between the music listen out for East Coast Radio’s ON THE COUCH live chats to the performers, artists and festinos.
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