Musho! – PANSA’s ninth annual celebration of one and two person theatre is on from 15 to 20 January, at the Catalina Theatre in Wilson’s Wharf in Durban.
The Performing Arts Network of South Africa, PANSA, jumps into the new year with vigour by staging a busy festival of 14 productions which showcase smaller theatrical works, all featuring either one or two actors. Each production is staged for one performance only (except Freeze! which has two showings) in a packed programme from Wednesday 15 until Sunday 19 January, ending with a master-class for theatre practitioners on Monday morning 20 January.
The festival opens with eLimboland by Gisele Turner, performed by Jem Atkins and Gabriel Miya on 15 January at 8pm, Dear Breeder, which is on Thursday 16 January at 8pm, performed by Karen Logan and Kasia Vosloo, and directed by Iain Ewok Robinson.
There are two shows on Friday 17 January: White Christmas, a bittersweet tragic-comedy one-hander by Clinton Marius performed by Marco Kotze, and Meze, Mira and Make-Up, a hilarious one hander from Jo’burg about an adolescent Greek girl growing up against the grain.
Also from Johannesburg is The Shoe Man which looks at the challenges of a young man in South Africa today – by Samson Mlambo, which is on Saturday at 6pm. Later on Saturday, The God Complex uses comedy and visual theatre in a masterful piece by Sylvaine Strike and Daniel Buckland, on Saturday 18 at 8pm.
The Dutch will have a strong presence again this year with two productions. On Saturday 18 and again on Sunday 19 January at noon is Freeze! in which performance artist Nick Steur creates a minimal, beautiful and breakable installation outside the Catalina. On Sunday 19 at 6pm is Dette in Africa, a “stand-up economy” by award winning actor Dette Glashouwer who will also be conducting a master-class on Monday morning about translating ideas into action.
Embedded in the festival are two sessions of Musho! with a Twist – showcasing work which has been created through the Twist Development initiative which is sponsored by the NLDTF (National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund) and the KZN Dept of Arts and Culture. There are also two productions from the New Director’s Development Project – supported by the Arts and Culture Trust: The Crook’s Eye (by Mthokozisi Zulu , mentored by Daisy Spencer) and Back to Night under the Street Poles (by Wiseman Mncube mentored by Roel Twijnstra).
All shows are R50 a ticket – with concession tickets going for R30. There are all-day Saturday and Sunday tickets for R100. Musho! with a Twist tickets and New Director’s Development productions are on a Pay What You Can donation basis.
Booking is at Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or www.computicket.com. More info is on www.mushofestival.co.za, email kzn@pansa.org.za or call the Catalina theatre on 031 837 5999.
For theatre practioners to secure their places at the Master Class on Monday at 10am until noon, contact kzn@pansa.org.za
