Abigail Kubeka

Abigail Kubeka Joins Mayibuye iAfrika Freedom Songs Concert

Legendary Soweto songbrid Abigail Kubeka has been announced as the surprise guest star at the one-night-only limited-tickets Mayibuye iAfrika Concert: A Celebration of Exiled Musicians and Composers.

Renowned South African guitarist Billy Monama, the driving force and producer of this important cultural event, will also be performing with several other legendary South African artists including Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, Judith Sepuma and Titi Luzipo live on stage in Johannesburg.

“We had hoped to keep Abigail’s presence on stage a secret for a while longer, but a stage performance in Johannesburg from Abigail Kubeka is something you cannot keep a lid on for long,” says an excited Billy Monama.

Monama confirmed that Abigail Kubeka would join the legendary line-up, setting up the Mayibuye iAfrika concert as the not-to-be-missed musical event of the year. Monama also confirmed that ticket sales are approaching sold-out with only a small number left – he urged the public and African music fans with an appreciation of Black Consciousness and African Freedom Struggle History to book before it was too late.

The concert will be held at the iconic Theatre of Struggle – the Market Theatre in Newtown Johannesburg – on 9 September 2023. Conducted in two parts by Grammy-Award Winning composer JB Arthur, the event will pay homage to a first exile generation of indomitable composers and a second exile generation of musicians.

Part one will comprise choral freedom songs from the earliest compositions of ANC exiles in Tanganyika, now Tanzania. The fresh arrangement will feature work by Vuyisile Mini, Zinakele Nkaba and Wilson Khayinga.

Under the direction of Monama and led by The Grazroots Project Orkestra featuring bandleaders and composers: Sydney Mavundla, Lucas Senyatso, Themba Mokoena and Mduduzi Mtshali, the second segment will pay tribute to the anti-apartheid stalwarts and towering figures in the local and international music landscape, Letta Mbulu, Dorothy Masuka, Busi Mhlongo, Miriam Makeba, Jonas Gwangwa and Hugh Masekela.

Mayibuye iAfrika: The South African Freedom Songs will be remembered as vital to documenting and disseminating South Africa’s generational music knowledge and a source of musical inspiration.

About Billy Monama:

A guitarist since 1997, composer, arranger and author Billy Monama has gone on to perform and record with a host of South Africa’s legends including Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, Mbongeni Ngema, Abigail Kubeka and others. While his music is often ineffable, Monama exalts South Africa’s jazz genius through his arrangements and performances.

Notes to Editors:

Artists featured in the line-up are available for radio, print and TV interviews.

Tickets are available at web tickets at R350 per person, tickets for pensioners and students available at R175.

Reuben T Caluza

A multimedia concert unearths the buried music of South African composer, Reuben T Caluza

Reuben Tholakele Caluza (1895 to1969) was once a household name in South Africa. For decades though his music was largely forgotten in the sound archives of music history. Now, a multimedia concert at The Market Theatre by acclaimed contemporary musicians, sets out to change that.

As part of Heritage Month, Reuben T. Caluza – The B-side will celebrate a musical legacy of one of South Africa’s most accomplished composers. The performance will feature imaginative new interpretations of songs based on the original recorded album, called The Double Quartet, that Caluza made in London in 1930.

Caluza’s lyrics were often commentaries on the social issues of the day, ranging from the brutal apartheid laws coming into effect in the early 1900s, to his critical views on the growing aspirations of the Black middle class living in the cities of Joburg and Durban. His work was influenced by a variety of styles and idioms from choral hymns to ragtime and protest music.

The project to re-introduce Caluza’s music is led and arranged by the internationally acclaimed composer Philip Miller, together with his collaborator, Tshegofatso Moeng, a multi-talented musical opera singer and composer. An impressive ensemble of singers join Miller and Moeng, alongside award-winning theatre-maker Khayelihle Dominique Gumede who directs the concert.

The project began at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, when Miller came across the song ‘Influenza’ (1918) which Caluza had written in response to the devastation of the Spanish flu pandemic in South Africa. It resonated so powerfully at that time, that Miller and Moeng brought together a talented ensemble of twelve singers to record this song remotely, raising awareness of the plight of singers who were struggling to make ends meet.

The Brazilian video designer, Marcos Martins joined the project. He created a video on social media, using mostly cellphone video footage filmed by the singers who were isolating in their homes during the hard lockdown. Miller says that, “The response to the song was so overwhelmingly positive that the they collaboratively continued to learn, arrange and record more of Caluza’s incredible repertoire.”

Miller adds, “It become clear that Caluza’s music, and the messages of his songs still has strong relevance today.”

Martins has gone on to create twelve unique films that now provide a contemporary visual response to the music that is to be presented theatrically in this dynamic multimedia concert. He uses a rich mixture of visual languages ranging from original filmed footage, archival material, and typographic animations and drawings.

The singing team includes many of the singers who have collaborated with Miller and Moeng over the years – most of them would have been heard singing Millers music for William Kentridge’s work: The Head and the Load that was seen earlier this year at the Joburg Theatre.

The singers include: Ayanda Eleki, Ann Masina, Bulelani Madondile, Nokuthula Magubane, Lydia Manyama, Zebulon Mmusi, Mhlaba Buthelezi, Mapule Moloi, Lindokuhle Thabede, Lubabalo Velebayi and Bham Ntabeni.

Other great instrumentalists like Dan Selsick, trumpeter Adam Howard, cellist Kutlwano Masote, and bassist Thembinkosi Mavimbela complete the ensemble which has led to the creation of the concert and digital album, entitled Reuben T Caluza – The B-side.

Don’t miss this exciting concert over Heritage Day weekend that aims to advance the legacy of South Africa’s rich musical history.

Bookings at Webtickets or visit www.marketthaetre.co.za for more information.

Listen to the album @

https://philipmiller.bandcamp.com/album/reuben-t-caluza-the-b-side

https://iamtranscriptions.org/reuben-t-caluza/

“Shouts”

“Learning about Caluza has been a revelation to me…” – Albie Sachs, Former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa

…a perfect example of how the rich archive of black South African musical traditions may still speak to contemporary issues and audiences. – Prof. Veit Erlmann, Professor of Ethnomusicology and Anthropology, Butler School of Music, University of Texas at Austin

To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950

For further information, interviews and images, contact:

Acting Brand and Communications Manager: Lusanda Zokufa 072 367 7867 or lusandaz@markettheatre.co.za

JOMBA!

JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience at The Market Theatre 13-16 September

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Art’s JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience celebrates its 25th anniversary year – and now as part of the milestone celebrations will have short season in association with The Market Theatre, Johannesburg from 13 to 16 September.

The 25^th year firmly sets JOMBA! as the longest running contemporary dance festival in South Africa. The 13-day festival begins in Durban on Tuesday 29 August with JOMBA! Legacy Artist Mamela Nyamza’s work titled HATCHED ENSEMBLE.

For the Market season works by Mamela Nyamza (South Africa) will feature along with Hannah Ma’s hannahmadance (Germany/Luxenbourg), Virva Talonen (Finland) with the FLATFOOT Dance Company (South Africa), ACE dance and music (UK) with Serge Aimé Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) and Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe (South Africa).

The Artistic Director of The Market Theatre Foundation, Greg Homann says, “I see JOMBA! @ The Market in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Art, as an invaluable opportunity to showcase in Johannesburg some of the very best from the South African and global dance community. The brilliant programme that Dr Lliane Loots has curated for this Joburg leg of JOMBA! is going to be a celebration to the enduring power of movement to inspire, challenge, and excite us all.”

Mamela Nyamza’s HATCHED ENSEMBLE is motivated by an original 2007 solo work which offered an autobiographical work that reflected on her life as a mother and artist. HATCHED ENSEMBLE builds on this and is now performed by seven ballet trained dancers from different racial and gendered backgrounds. Challenging issues of tradition, gender norms within the dance classics, and various issues around identity and belonging, HATCHED ENSEMBLE references both classical Western music and dance, with traditional African vocal scores.

Hannah Ma’s hannahmadance performs a work that links with South African performers Thobi Maphanga and Jabu Siphika. INVASION(S) analyses the act of invasion as the act of violently entering a (political, physical, biological) territory from a feminist, and post-migrant perspective.

With support from the Finnish Embassy (Pretoria), Virva Talonen presents a work in collaboration with Durban’s FLATFOOT Dance Company. Her Portable Home Project is a contemporary dance performance series that delves into a concept of home and its various definitions. The work is co-created by Finnish Lighting Designer Nanni Vapaavuori. Virva will also perform Nothing Personal a solo work she made in 2018 with Nanni Vapaavuori. The core of Nothing Personal lies in the relationship between the repetitive, minimalistic improvisational movement, written text and the audience.

Mamela Nyamza’s HATCHED ENSEMBLE is motivated by an original 2007 solo work which offered an autobiographical work that reflected on her life as a mother and artist. HATCHED ENSEMBLE builds on this and is now performed by seven ballet trained dancers from different racial and gendered backgrounds. Challenging issues of tradition, gender norms within the dance classics, and various issues around identity and belonging, HATCHED ENSEMBLE references both classical Western music and dance, with traditional African vocal scores.

Hannah Ma’s hannahmadance performs a work that links with South African performers Thobi Maphanga and Jabu Siphika. INVASION(S) analyses the act of invasion as the act of violently entering a (political, physical, biological) territory from a feminist, and post-migrant perspective.

With support from the Finnish Embassy (Pretoria), Virva Talonen presents a work in collaboration with Durban’s FLATFOOT Dance Company. Her Portable Home Project is a contemporary dance performance series that delves into a concept of home and its various definitions. The work is co-created by Finnish Lighting Designer Nanni Vapaavuori. Virva will also perform Nothing Personal a solo work she made in 2018 with Nanni Vapaavuori. The core of Nothing Personal lies in the relationship between the repetitive, minimalistic improvisational movement, written text and the audience.

Birmingham (UK) based ACE dance and music features in a spectacular double bill UNKNOWN REALMS – with choreography by Burkina Faso’s Serge Aimé Coulibaly and South Africa’s Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe. Coulibaly’s THE NIGHT BEFORE TOMORROW is a metaphorical night where people try to do their last dance before an uncertain tomorrow. Mantsoe’s MANA – THE POWER WITHIN which engages the sacred, ritualistic and shamanic.

In celebration of this 25^th anniversary, JOMBA! will launch its special book done in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, and supported by IFAS and BASA. Provocatively titled, Archiving History and Memory: 25 Years of the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, the book has been edited by Tammy Ballantyne Webber. A special Johannesburg book launch will take place in tandem with The Market Theatre season, hosted by IFAS at Alliance Francaise Parkview on Saturday 16 September at 2pm.

JOMBA! and The Market Theatre will host four free dance workshops at the Sophiatown Studio in Newtown. Hosts of these are Vincent Mantsoe (South Africa) and ACE music and dance (UK), Mamela Nyamza (South Africa), Virva Talonen (Finland) and Hannah Ma (Germany).

Nanni Vapaavuori (Finland) hosts a lighting workshop: “LIGHT AS MATERIAL” in the Mannie Mannim Theatre at The Market. All workshops are open to dancers 16yrs and older. Booking essential with thobimaphanga@gmail.com

JOMBA! curator, Dr Lliane Loots says, “We are incredibly excited to pay our first visit to Johannesburg and The Market Theatre, and hope this is the start of a long-term partnerships that sees incredible dance being shared across our two cities and provinces. I can think of no better way to serve artists than making these partnerships a reality. This JOMBA! @The Market Theatre package showcases a broad range of contemporary styles and themes, reflecting local and global motifs that speak to our festival theme of “(in)tangible heritages.”

For more information about JOMBA! go to https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/

-Ends

For JOMBA!

Sharlene Versfeld 

Versfeld & Associates 

Public Relations and Communications 

Mobile: +27 (0) 83 326 3235 

Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za

Blacksmith

Blacksmith Forges a Communion of African Stories and Consciousness

The Market Theatre Foundation in collaboration with Arts Alive International Festival 2023,Arts, Culture and Heritage Presents The 2022 Zwakala Festival Winner production Blacksmith as part of the Arts Alive International Arts Festival programme which seeks to feature an array of creative offering to activate the artistic landscape.

The 2022 Zwakala Festival winners, Thabo Ramaine and Lonwabo Bhele, bring their thought-shifting production of Blacksmith to The Market Theatre, in perfect synchrony with the spirit of Heritage Month. This theatrical experience combines mask work with the mesmerizing harmonies of a live musician, weaving the threads of ancestral resonance and awakening the legacy of our heritage.

Writer and actor, Thabo Ramaine, offers a profound insight into the essence of the play: “The name ‘Blacksmith’ is a historical concept from the original meaning that describes the one who crafts weapons and sharpens metal with fire. The title of the play is the metaphor that describes the one who sharpens the mind and creates weapons of consciousness. The communion between fire and metal becomes the key significance of the communion between African stories and the minds that conceive them.”

Under the direction of Lonwabo Bhele and rooted in the urgent need to address mental slavery among Africans, Blacksmith employs inventive mask work and a live musician to bring its powerful narrative to life. When the lights come up, a man of profound significance takes center stage, entrusted with the sacred duty of preserving a heritage born from the crucible of struggle, taking you on a voyage that delves into the depths of African History’s untold truths.

This production emerged through the Incubation Programme sponsored by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. With a firm commitment to nurturing emerging practitioners and honing their skills. The Incubation Programme places a strong emphasis on cultivating home-grown content. Blacksmith, a testament to this initiative, is set to generate excitement among audiences, offering a compelling perspective on African narratives.

This production confronts the pivotal moments that have shaped the African trajectory under the weighty yoke of colonialism and white supremacy. Brace your mind for an emotional odyssey that challenges preconceived notions, ignites introspection, and fosters a collective awakening. Through this performance, you will bear witness to the indomitable spirit that survives adversity and the unyielding resilience that forges a future rooted in empowerment and reclamation. Allow your thoughts to be provoked, your understanding to be stretched, and your perspective to be altered by this exploration of Africa’s past and its resonating echoes in the present.

“The Market Theatre Foundation takes immense pride in supporting and showcasing the most recent Zwakala Festival-winning work,” expressed Greg Homann, the Market Theatre Artistic Director. “Thabo Ramaine and Lonwabo Bhele’s production, Blacksmith, serves as a valuable reminder that acknowledging and engaging with the impact of our colonial past is vital. It sheds a piercing light, exposing the complexities and wounds that continue to shape our nation and sense of identity. The upcoming restaging of this work in Heritage Month will no doubt encourage dialogue and contribute to a path where, one day, our colonial legacy no longer haunts us.”

Blacksmith promises to be a theatrical encounter that delves deep into the struggles and triumphs of the African experience. With Lonwabo Bhele at the helm as director, supported by mentor director MoMo Matsunyane and dramaturge mentor Monageng “Vice” Motshabi, this production guarantees a transformative journey for all who experience it.

Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the fire of resilience ignite within the hearts of us, forging a renewed sense of identity and belonging.

Blacksmith is in the newly refurbished Barney Simon Theatre at The Market Theatre from 23 September to 8 October 2023. Book your tickets now to be part of this extraordinary exploration of African stories and consciousness.

Production Creative Team:

Writer & Actor: Thabo Ramaine

Director: Lonwabo Bhele

Mentor Director: MoMo Matsunyane

Dramaturge Mentor: Monageng “Vice” Motshabi

Season: 23 September – 8 October 2023

Venue: The Mannie Manim Theatre

Performers:

Thabo Ramaine

Mpho Ramorola

To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950

For further information, interviews and images, contact:

Brand and Communications Manager: Lusanda Zokufa 072 367 7867 or lusandaz@markettheatre.co.za

The Lesson

The Market Theatre presents a new version of Eugène Ionesco’s “The Lesson” by Greg Homann starring theatre veterans Graham Hopkins and Fiona Ramsay alongside newcomer Lihle Ngubo.

This thrilling new version of Eugène Ionesco’s gripping play, The Lesson, is based on a translation by Donald Watson. It is a darkly entertaining theatre production about enforcing power by using knowledge and culture as a weapon.

Set in a small university town, an eager eighteen-year-old student arrives at the Professor’s home for a lesson. The action begins in a naturalistic way but shifts into a stylistic and visual feast as more surrealist and absurdist events take hold. What starts as a farcical interaction between the two becomes something more sinister.

The production stars two of South Africa’s most seasoned thespians, Graham Hopkins and Fiona Ramsay, who just concluded a celebrated run of Hansard at the Theatre on the Square. Joining this formidable duo is rising star Lihle Ngubo who makes her debut on the Market Theatre stage.

The original one-act play sits as a canonic piece of French playwriting by Romanian-French playwright Eugène Ionesco – one of the founding fathers of the theatre of the absurd. This well-loved play has been translated into dozens of languages, and its core message is no less relevant today than when it was first performed in the aftermath of the second world war.

This new version by multi-award-winning theatre maker, Greg Homann, has been updated to connect more directly with a South African audience. The broad structure of the play remains the same, as does the dramatic arc but the language and politics of the work has been shifted to focus on the complexity of a post-colonial education in a contemporary setting.

“I’m interested in how the legacy of a colonial education system impacts students today. The national cry to decolonise education, and especially the Rhodes Must Fall Movement, have sharply highlighted the complexity of teaching and learning in a South African university. The Lesson is a theatrical way to represent and explore that politics.” said Greg Homann

Working together with Homann as the Assistant Director is the highly creative Nana Pooe.

“After two years of being restricted to work on our theatre craft due to Covid 19, I feel extremely honoured to be working alongside Greg Homann on this production. Not only is the timing perfect but the politics which arise in The Lesson, and the themes in it, are closest to my heart – systems of oppression, social order, and education…among others” – Says Nana Pooe.

Homann moved to the UK shortly before the pandemic and returns to Johannesburg to direct this stirring and reenergized adaptation of the original play.

“Relocating to the UK in 2019 was always with the intention of continuing to create work and opportunities that were centered around being South African. I saw the move as a way to challenge how I explore my identity and theatre work beyond the space and home that was so familiar to me. The pandemic has undoubtedly made that challenge greater, and as tough as it has been, it has in some positive ways fed my creativity in aspects that I could never have imagined. I’m now more excited than ever to be back in Johannesburg to work on The Lesson at The Market Theatre with a brilliant cast and team.” concluded Greg Homann

The comic-drama’s contemporary resonances are clear – it captures the headiness and absolute power of oppressive and toxic patriarchal forms of knowledge production on unsuspecting innocents.

Don’t miss this funny, breath-taking and chilling look at what happens when power, knowledge and culture collide.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION CREATIVE TEAM

Adapter and Director: Greg Homann

Assistant Director: Nana Pooe

Lighting Designer: Nomvula Molepo

Set Designer: Wilhelm Disbergen

Sound Designer: Vangile Z. Mpumlwana

Costume Designer: Onthatile Matshidiso

Stage Manager: Bongani Motsepe

Cast:

Graham Hopkins as Professor

Fiona Ramsay as Marie

Lihle Ngubo as Student

Season: Sunday 9 October – Sunday 30 October 2022

Venue: The Mannie Manim

Performance times: Tuesday – Saturday @19h00 and Sunday @15h00

Ticket prices: Tuesday – Thursday R90

Friday – Saturday R150

Sunday – R130

To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950 or Bandile Luvalo 078 4344 860

For further information, interviews and images, contact:

Lusanda Zokufa 072 367 7867 or lusandaz@markettheatre.co.za and Desmond Mathebula 062 329 4741 or desmondm@markettheatre.co.za

Introduction to Screen Acting Cycle 2

_R1800_

_Is dancing your passion? Do you want to brush up on those moves? Well get those dancing shoes on and get ready to sweat! This course will introduce students to the world of Footwork Fusion Dance. Students meet over 10 classes on a Thursdays afternoon (6pm – 8pm), from 1 September 2022 to 3 November 2022 You don’t have to be a seasoned dancer to apply for this one, anyone with the passion to move and the dedication to learn is welcomed._

*_Feel like joining the Jiva Wena Dance Classes: Part-time? Tickets are sold through Webtickets_*

To Apply please email your CV to courses@marketlab.co.za or Whatsapp 063 361 1211

CALL FOR ZWAKALA SHOWCASES !

CALL FOR ZWAKALA SHOWCASES!

The Market Theatre invites interested community theatre groups to submit applications to take part in its Annual Zwakala Community Theatre Practitioners Incubator programme for the 2022 & 23.

The programmes main aim is to improve the skills of writers, directors, designers, and actors. It empowers them to create and produce local content of a high standard and trains the next generation of community arts leaders, arts entrepreneurs and administrators. It also takes them through a journey of both the creative and practical sides of producing a professional theatre piece.

Group leaders (usually writers and directors) receive specialised training and resources to improve the quality of their work and their leadership, ultimately benefiting the entire group.

The incubation programme is sponsored by the Department of Sports Arts and Culture incubation programme. Through this programme the department aims to help emerging practitioners to hone their skills through mentorship and propel them from amateur to professional status. The process also puts a strong emphasis on home-grown content to hopefully generate exciting new productions for the theatre-going public.

ELIGIBILITY:

South African, Residing in Gauteng.
Group members need to be between 18 and 35 years old
Only full-time theatre practitioners can apply

REQUIREMENTS:

Should you meet the above eligibility criteria, the following needs to be submitted for your application to be evaluated:

A duly completed showcase application form. (Available on request)
Certified ID copies of the creative team (director and author)
100-word bios of the writer and the director
Script Treatment of the proposed play
One scene from the proposed play

IMPORTANT DATES:

When applying, groups must ensure that they are available for the following dates and activities:

Week 1- Monday 05- Friday 09 September 2022

Week 2 Monday 12- Friday 16 September 2022

Week 3 Monday 19 – Friday 23 September 2022

Week 4 Monday 26 – Friday 30 September 2022

Community Theatre Festival 16 & 17 December 2022

Writers & Directors Workshop: Wednesday 04 January to Sunday 08 January 2023

Zwakala Festival Week: Monday 30 January – Saturday 04 February 2023.

Zwakala Festival Days 03 & 04 February 2023.

Applications can be hand delivered or e-mailed to Sipho Mwale SiphoM@markettheatre.co.za by 15:00 on Friday 02 September 2022.

Correspondence will only be limited to successful groups.

Indibano The Seventh Encounter

Indibano The Encounter is proud to announce the The Seventh Encounter in collaboration with The Market Theatre. It has been an honor to have The Market Theatre part of this initiative as it is a hub of all things creative in this country.

Indibano The Encounter is an interactive platform that wasfounded by Malibongwe Mdwaba in September 2018 during his Undergrad at Wits. The birth of the organization was due to the need to bridge the gap between emerging creatives and those that are in the professional working space. The organization has successfully hosted 6 installments thus far in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and all has received great response from the general public.

The First encounter was themed around “The importance of training within the arts” and housed more than 80 pupils with a panel of four, which included seasoned actress Zandile Msutwana, veteran Camilla Waldman and Professor Sarah Roberts.
The Second encounter was then centered around “Multiple income streams & financial management” and this time housed more than 120 pupils in the Wits Main Theatre. The second encounter was made out of a panel of five which included two-time Emmy nominee Thuso Mbedu, veteran Fiona Ramsay and Hlomla Dandala, Kamogelo Molatlhoe and hosted by Candise Modiselle.
The Third encounter was themed on “How the Copyright Amendment Bill Affects Young Creatives” and housed over 90 young people. This was made up of a panel of 4 – which included Carylnn de Waal- Smit, Jace Nair, Rehad Desai and Hosted by award winning Actor – Jack Devnarain.
The Fourth encounter was themed on “Industry Readiness Tools” and was hosted in Cape Town, Khayelitsha housing over 150 young people. The panel was made up of award winning actor Bongile Mantsai, Ntomboxolo Makhutshi, Faniswa Yisa, Adrian Galley and hosted by Vanessa Ntlapo.
The Fifth encounter was themed on “Opportunities behind the camera” housing over 200 young people. The panel was made up of Angus Gibson, Zeno Petersen, Retti Ramaphakela, Bongile Ndaba and hosted by Nolo Seabi
The Sixth encounter was themed on “The creative process of storytelling” housing over 100 young people during COVID. The panel was made up of Paul Ramaema, Neo Sibiya , Layla Swarts and Hosted by Shonisani Masutha.

The seventh Encounter is set to be hosted at the Market Theatre on August 24th at 15:00. Our panelists will look at the topic on “Tools of navigating the industry post Drama/Film School. This time around we will be joined by Bonga Percy Vilakazi, Bonnie Lee Bouman , Vivek Mehta , Zethu Dlomo Mphahlele and Thabo Malema hosted by Siphesihle Ndaba.

Jiva Wena Dance Classes: Part-time

_R1800_

_Is dancing your passion? Do you want to brush up on those moves? Well get those dancing shoes on and get ready to sweat! This course will introduce students to the world of Footwork Fusion Dance. Students meet over 10 classes on a Thursdays afternoon (6pm – 8pm), from 1 September 2022 to 3 November 2022 You don’t have to be a seasoned dancer to apply for this one, anyone with the passion to move and the dedication to learn is welcomed._

*_Feel like joining the Jiva Wena Dance Classes: Part-time? Tickets are sold through Webtickets_*

The Parrot Woman

The explosive hit production The Parrot Woman sees its revival as it returns to the Market Theatre stages for limited season!

Charles J. Fourie’s critically acclaimed play The Parrot Woman returns to the Market Theatre after its premier in 1990.

Set against the harsh backdrop of the Anglo-Boer war of the previous century this new production features award-wining stage and television actors Gontse Ntshegang and Andre Lotter.

In this new version of the play a woman of African descent is found on a farm with the dead bodies of a Boer farmer, his wife and children. The British soldier who guards this strange parrot woman reveals an even more painful and touching truth surrounding this mysterious and apparently mad woman’s relationship with the farmer, his wife and children.

South Africa’s leading contemporary playwright and director Fourie adapts The Parrot Woman to bring to life a part of history which is seldom told; that many black South Africans were also incarcerated in these concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer war in 1901.

Transferred to a concentration camp she is held captive in a cage and guarded by the unwilling British soldier who seeks the truth surrounding the murders in a game of ritual and escapism. What is disclosed in the touching end sheds light not only on the ravaging effects war has on humans today, but sees two characters find solace in each other’s pain and loss.

PAST REVIEWS

Artslink – “The setting is a unique one – the Boer war not being the most romantic or exotic of settings for a love story to unfold – but the themes are poignantly relevant. Difficult topics such as family murders are tackled head on, and questions raised as to whether there is a justifiable situation in which to take others’ lives. The Parrot Woman also shines a bleak light on how war can break the human psyche, driving good, moral people to make decisions they never would contemplate otherwise.”

Cape Times – “The Parrot Woman allows audiences a glimpse into a slice of history not frequently interrogated on stage. Viewing the Anglo-Boer War through the lens of this unusual relationship renders the past more vivid and is a painful reminder that not all casualties of war die on the battlefields.”

Oxford Daily – “Powerful theatrical experience by one of South Africa’s foremost playwrights.”

The Citizen – “A remarkable piece of theater by Charles J. Fourie.”

The Argus – “Gripping theater!”

The Star – “A must see!.”

PRODUCTION INFORMATION CREATIVE TEAM

Writer and Director: Charles J Fourie

Lighting Designer: Wesley France

Set & Props Designer: Jade Bowers

Movement Coach: MoMo Matsunyane

Stage manager Ali Madiga

Stage manager intern Sanelisiwe Gumede

Cast:

Andre Lotter as Venter

Gontse Ntshegang as Itatuleng Strydom

Season: Friday 26^th August – Sunday 25^th September 2022

Venue: The Mannie Manim

Performance times: Tuesday – Saturday @19h00 and Sunday @15h00

Ticket prices: Tuesday – Thursday R90

Friday – Saturday R150

Sunday – R130

To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950 or Bandile Luvalo 078 4344 860

For further information, interviews and images, contact:

Lusanda Zokufa 072 367 7867 or lusandaz@markettheatre.co.za and Desmond Mathebula 062 329 4741 or desmondm@markettheatre.co.za

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