‘Suidoosterfees’ and others set to impress after two years

Things are starting to look up for the entertainment industry as the planning of the programmes for various Afrikaans festivals, including the Suidoosterfees, is in full swing.

Taking place at Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre complex between 27 April and 1 May, festival goers can look forward to an array of productions for everyone – from theatre, dance and music to comedy and book discussions with some of the country’s finest established and upcoming artists in the line-up.

If you’re a Nataniël fan, you’d be happy to know that his show, Moscow, will be at the Suidoosterfees this year. Stars of the Suidooster soapie will also perform in Suidooster Stormsterk, and Ode op akkoorde and Klassieke Divas will also charm audiences. On International Jazz Day (30 April), Jazz lovers will be able to enjoy authentic South African sounds in ‘Jika’ – Sounds of the SA Jazz Real Book.

Lovers of the arts should keep an eye open for drama productions in the NATi Theatre Festival programme like Opdrifsel by Philip Rademeyer, which will move audiences to tears, and the stage version of Zirk van den Berg’s award-winning book, Ek wens, Ek wens with Frank Opperman. Mutton Hour is also an exceptional production with brief tales about love, loss, clowns and cats.

There will also be the musical production, Bientang: bloedspoor/!nau, at the event, as well as a dramedy called Koeksusters, and Die oerkluts kwyt which celebrates the 70^th birthday of actress Antoinette Kellermann and poet Antjie Krog. The programme will also include other highlights like Herschelle Benjamin’s Agulhasvlakte, and Ferdinand Bekker’s Dis 20:15.

Presented by the Jakes Gerwel Foundation and the ATKV, thirteen books and literature discussions will be available to book. This will include a discussion between Marita van der Vyver and Cintaine Schutte about her moving youth memoir, ’n Baie lang brief aan my dogter and others.

One of the Suidoosterfees’ flagship development initiatives – the NATi Rising Stars programme – will be presented in collaboration with NATi, the Jakes Gerwel Foundation, Artscape and the Western Cape Department of Sport and Culture, featuring five plays by new voices. Playwrights Stephren Saayman, Heloïne Armstrong, Melissa Myburgh, Jane Mpholo and Henque Heymans will be making their debuts at the festival this year. Their scripts were developed during a writer’s residency at the Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s Paulet House in Somerset East.

There will also be a new segment to the festival, including drama productions with learners and students and festivalgoers can look forward to three winning productions of last year’s ATKV-Tienertoneel.

Festivalgoers, staff and artists will need to provide proof of their Covid-19 vaccination before entry and bookings can now be made at Computicket.

Some other Afrikaans festivals to add to your calendar:

Silwerskerm Festival

Taking place at the end of March, this festival is set to impress anyone keen on a good movie.

READ: Six feature films to watch at this year’s Silwerskerm Festival

Liefde by die dam

Set to take place in Joburg on 3 April and in Cape Town on 9 April, Liefde by die dam will showcase some of the best local talent, including Francois van Coke, Refentse, Elandré, Die Heuwels Fantasties and more.

KKNK

The well-known Afrikaans festival will be welcoming festivalgoers back after two years on 29 March to 3 April. The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees is a family festival that will once again attract visitors from all over the country.

Innibos

Although the Innibos Laeveld Nasionale Kunstefees has recently announced that they will only have a physical festival in 2023, they will still be presenting the festival this year, but in another format. They call it ‘Heeltyd Feestyd” which features numerous festival projects all year long, including a family festival of 3000 festivalgoers maximum in September. The festival has been dubbed Manne dis ’n voorreg.