Javier Vercher, Saxophone Tenor
Afrika Mkhize, Piano
Ayanda Sikade, Drums / Percussions
Bänz Oester, Bass

The Rainmakers continue a tradition that relatively few formations claim today. We immediately think of the so-called spiritual jazz, whose heyday stretched from the mid-1960s to the middle of the following decade. They give us this ‘old religion’, not as superstitious bigotry, but in terms of what binds us back, a precious sense of human belonging, brotherhood and sisterhood.

Most jazz musicians today focus their research on complex and elaborate structures, be it rhythmic, harmonic or melodic. Many current productions can therefore be perceived as a demonstration of discipline and work to which body and mind can be subjected in order to achieve a result: speed, precision, control, etc. The Rainmakers’ music breaks this trend. Of course, individual virtuosity and creativity are in the foreground (the four members of the quartet are all masters of improvisation and have a phenomenal power of expression), but this music also tells of the pursuit of freedom, revolt and rebellion against systems of control and against oppression in the world general, as well as the need for transcendence and humanity. Through their interplay, the musicians tirelessly affirm their spiritual aspirations and their need to free themselves from all forms of constraints. In doing so they continue a tradition that relatively few formations can claim today (except perhaps in South Africa, and so the presence of Afrika Mkhize and Ayanda Sikade in the quartet is undoubtedly crucial). One immediately thinks of John Coltrane’s 4tet, but also of the other apostles of so-called spiritual jazz, whose heyday stretched from the mid-1960s to the middle of the following decade. This music is strikingly relevant today. At a time when control algorithms are becoming more efficient and machines are reaching and even surpassing the physical and mental capabilities of humans, the offer of Bänz Oester,

The Market Theatre Foundation is set to make an impact at this year’s National Arts Festival, showcasing the creative prowess of The Market Theatre, The Market Theatre Laboratory, and The Market Photo Workshop. Greg Homann, the Artistic Director of The Market Theatre Foundation, expresses his excitement, stating, “We are keen to have a strong presence at this year’s festival, where we are bringing two new South African plays, a stimulating photographic exhibition, and a dynamic facilitated conversation.”

One of the highlights presented by The Market Theatre Foundation is The Market Theatre’s production of J Bobs Tshabalala’s Khongolose Khommanding Khommissars (KKK), directed by the brilliant Theatre Duo, Billy Langa and Mahlatsi Mokgonyana, who are recognized as the 2022 Standard Bank Young Artists for Theatre this year. Festival-goers may remember Langa’s exceptional performance in the acclaimed and multi-award-winning one-man show Tswalo, directed by Mokgonyana.

Khongolose Khommanding Khommissars (KKK) delves into the intricate web between politicians and businessmen that contributes to South Africa’s current chaotic political landscape. It explores the perpetuation of an elitist culture of greed through corruption utilizing a “game of words” or what one might call, “Comrade-speak”, that disguises the farce of socio-political revolution. Homann states, “Through Theatre Duo’s theatrically rich approach to Tshabalala’s text, Langa and Mokgonyana promise a highly creative and playful experience that boldly explores the power dynamics that pervade our country.”

The Market Theatre, in association with the National Arts Festival, proudly present a daring theatrical satire directed by the brilliant current Standard Bank Young Artist Award (SBYA22) recipients, The Theatre Duo – Billy Langa and Mahlatsi Mokgonyana.

Khongolose Khommanding Khommissars (KKK) written by J Bobs Tshabalala (SBYA20) plunges deep into the dark underbelly of South African politics, laying bare the intricate web of political intrigue and corruption that shape our nation.

J Bobs Tshabalala’s captivating new South African play pulls the curtain on the lives of pot-bellied men, greedily vying for control of state resources while shamelessly deceiving the impoverished masses with their deceptive speeches. This epic satire examines the overt interactions and sometimes illegal dealings of our contemporary South African political camaraderie – the Comrades, the brown-envelope tenderpreneurs.

The play dissects the intentional and intertwined actions of politicians and businessmen, who contribute to our current political and socio-economic chaos that perpetuates a culture of greed and corruption. Through the ingenious use of Comrade-speak; a deceptive language that masks the true intentions of those in power, the play exposes the farcical nature of the socio-economic freedom promised to the masses.

“Kesivan Naidoo is unarguably the most eminent South African drummer of his generation. Say, what? Well, this is a cat who honed his sure-fire feel for sonic spectacle with a roll call of SA jazz masters from the iconic Miriam Makeba, pianists, Hotep Galeta and Bheki Mseleku to saxophonist Winston Mankunku to drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo and beyond. It is his reverential feel for history, space and place that Naidoo channelled in his seminal 2014 album, Brotherhood. At a sold-out Carnegie Hall premiere, no less. Dig it? Fast forward to 2023 and the Basel-based Naidoo is reimagining Brotherhood as a Big Band experience. Celebrated trombonist Adrian Mears breathes beatific big band arrangements into modal Afro-Indo modulations, shadowy cinematic improvisations and more.”

(Miles Keylock, former editor of Rolling Stone Magazine)

In June/July 2023, Kesivan Naidoo is swinging back from Switzerland to South Africa with his brand-new Big Band Experience.

Presented by The Market Theatre in association with Empatheatre & the National Arts Festival.

Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater is an electrifying new one-woman show brought to life by acclaimed actor Mpume Mthombeni and theatre-maker Neil Coppen through their company Empatheatre. The work premiered at the 2022 National Arts Festival where it was met with rave reviews and standing ovations with many heralding it as a contemporary South African theater classic.

Coppen and Mthombeni’s play is set in a downtown womens’ hostel in Durban, where we first meet sixty-something Zenzile Maseko (Mpume Mthombeni), a grandmother partially disabled and declared dead by the Home Affairs’ decrepit system. Zenzile, we soon discover, operated as one of the IFP’s most feared assassins (nicknamed Impundulu/The lightning bird) in the build-up to the 1994 South African elections.

Zenzile’s dizzying, devastating and often hilarious recollections propel the audience back and forth through time, traversing the shifting landscapes of KwaZulu-Natal and while charting critical events in the province’s post-1994 trajectory through to its present day floods and insurrections. While the story offers an insightful look at the eddying cycles of violence and revenge that play out across generations, it is most of all a story about redemption, regeneration and reinvention.

Zenzile’s story is inspired by the lives of real women living in a Durban hostel. These women were part of an oral history project on migration, gender and inclusion run by the Urban Futures Centre at the Durban University of Technology. This oral history research formed the foundation of an Empatheatre production that produced powerful pieces of theatrical storytelling that were shared far beyond the confines of research publications.

Javier Vercher, Saxophone Tenor
Afrika Mkhize, Piano
Ayanda Sikade, Drums / Percussions
Bänz Oester, Bass

The Rainmakers continue a tradition that relatively few formations claim today. We immediately think of the so-called spiritual jazz, whose heyday stretched from the mid-1960s to the middle of the following decade. They give us this ‘old religion’, not as superstitious bigotry, but in terms of what binds us back, a precious sense of human belonging, brotherhood and sisterhood.

Most jazz musicians today focus their research on complex and elaborate structures, be it rhythmic, harmonic or melodic. Many current productions can therefore be perceived as a demonstration of discipline and work to which body and mind can be subjected in order to achieve a result: speed, precision, control, etc. The Rainmakers’ music breaks this trend. Of course, individual virtuosity and creativity are in the foreground (the four members of the quartet are all masters of improvisation and have a phenomenal power of expression), but this music also tells of the pursuit of freedom, revolt and rebellion against systems of control and against oppression in the world general, as well as the need for transcendence and humanity. Through their interplay, the musicians tirelessly affirm their spiritual aspirations and their need to free themselves from all forms of constraints. In doing so they continue a tradition that relatively few formations can claim today (except perhaps in South Africa, and so the presence of Afrika Mkhize and Ayanda Sikade in the quartet is undoubtedly crucial). One immediately thinks of John Coltrane’s 4tet, but also of the other apostles of so-called spiritual jazz, whose heyday stretched from the mid-1960s to the middle of the following decade. This music is strikingly relevant today. At a time when control algorithms are becoming more efficient and machines are reaching and even surpassing the physical and mental capabilities of humans, the offer of Bänz Oester,

Gregory Maqoma is 50 years old on the 16^th October 2023. He honours this journey with a work that is sentimental to him. A season of Exit/Exist will be returning to the Market Theatre from 22 – 25 June 2023 and the National Arts Festival from 27 – 28 June 2023. This performance is one of last performances as Maqoma retires from dancing as he wraps up current works and hand over successively.

Fifty strong, Maqoma has been a catalyst of change in the artistic industry, breaking new ground, addressing existing stereotypes and speaking against injustices in the sector. Through his award-winning storytelling, Gregory has introduced the world to characters and storylines that have captured the zeitgeist of history and remain resonant to this day.

Exit/Exist is a sensitive solo work  which will make a return to The Market Theatre for a

4 day season during the month of June. This piece still resonates with South Africa today, as we continue to weave through the necessary discourse of land as a nation. It reflects and explores the memory and legacy of Maqoma’s ancestor, Chief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma, one of the most renowned Xhosa leaders, who was born in 1798, arrested when he ordered the English colonisers to liberate Xhosa land and died in Robben Island in 1873.

The Market Theatre Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Cheraé Halley as the new Head of The Market Theatre Laboratory. Cheraé brings expert knowledge in the field of Applied Drama and Theatre. Her appointment marks a new chapter for The Market Theatre Laboratory and reinforces the Foundations commitment to fostering creative talent.

For the past nine years, Cheraé has served as a lecturer and coordinator of post-graduate courses at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she has shared her expertise in Drama in Education, Theatre as Activism, Theatre of the Oppressed, and Playback Theatre. She has served as a guest lecturer and examiner in various other drama and theatre departments at institutions such as Rhodes University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Pretoria, City Varsity and The Market Theatre Laboratory.

Cheraé has co-directed Drama for Life Playback Theatre, Africa’s only accredited school of Playback Theatre. Through storytelling, she has used this medium to foster empathy and restore communities. Her practice has taken her across the globe, including collaborations with American consultancy Dailey Innovations Inc., where she uses Playback Theatre to explore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in corporate spaces. Passionate about global networking, Cheraé is a board member on the International Playback Theatre Network (IPTN), as the only board member from Africa. Cheraé also chairs the steering committee for the IPTN Conference that will take place in South Africa in December 2023. This prestigious role further highlights her standing in the international theatre community and her dedication to advancing the field.