Wits hosts theatre festival

Dubbed the 969 Theatre Festival, the show will highlight some of its forthcoming draw-cards it will be presenting at the 2017 Grahamstown National Arts Festival in a few weeks’ time.

The drama line-up at this year’s 969 Festival brings relevant, thought-provoking and award-winning productions from across South Africa to the Wits Theatre stages.

Audiences will not be disappointed by the carefully selected and diverse pieces, which will also feature on both the Main and Fringe stages at the 2017 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

“We are delighted to be showcasing so many Standard Bank Young Artist winners. They bring diversity and fresh talent to the theatre scene,” says Gita Pather, director of Wits Theatre, who has developed a reputation for finding and staging theatre productions which are all at once original and memorable.

It’s a veritable feast of genres, with everything from light and dark comedy to intense dramas, for all theatre-goers across age groups, languages and cultures. The festival prides itself on the smorgasbord of brilliant productions it offers to its culture-loving Joburg audiences.

Award-winning playwright Mike van Graan teams up with award-winning actress Gina Shmukler and director Lesedi Job to present his new play, Helen of Troyeville, a poetic work reflecting the complexities of contemporary South Africa through the eyes of a privileged grandmother who only wants to do good for society but ultimately ends up in a life-threatening situation. Helen of Troyeville will premiere on the Fringe of the National Arts Festival this year and promises to be quite memorable.

Naledi Award winners Jade Bowers and Ameera Patel team up in a new show, titled Black. The play begins with a potentially explosive missive from the South African government to Zara, played by Ameera Patel. She learns that once-sealed documents implicating her father in an act committed against the anti-apartheid movement decades earlier will soon be released to the public. The letter begins the journey into Zara’s past.

Another acclaimed production at 969 is Yellowman, a 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama, which tells the poignant story of Alma and Eugene, two African Americans trying to navigate their way through life, love, and family and identity politics. The term “Yellowman” refers to lighter-skinned persons among African Americans. In this case, dark-skinned Alma and light-skinned Eugene kindle a friendship from a young age. They seem destined to love one another but prejudice and life get in the way. The play was written by Dael Orlandersmith and is directed by Tshego Khutsoane.

Student theatre is central to the 969 Festival, as it highlights a new generation of emerging creative talent. Thought-provoking Mmu is one example of the solid theatre coming out of the Wits drama scene. It is a character-driven performance which questions the relationship between people and the land, our interlinked identities. It’s a Wits Theatre/WSOA-Theatre & Performance Division production, directed by Sinenhlanhla Zwane and Luke Reid, and written by Quinton Manning.

Two other original student plays are The Market Theatre Laboratory’s Hani, which has just received a Standard Bank Ovation award, and Pop iCherry.

Hani is based on the life story of Chris Hani and told through the contemporary forms of hip-hop, rap and ballad. This exciting piece is directed by Leila Henriques.

Pop iCherry does not hold back when dealing with the themes surrounding one of society’s most loaded subjects – virginity. The play is co-directed by Sinenhlanhla Mgeyi and Tumeka Matintela and co-written by Ncumisa Ndimeni and Nosipho Buthelezi.

Comedy plays a vital part at 969 this year with four diverse plays, some laugh-out-loud funny and others presenting a thought-provoking, satirical, darker side of life.

“Given the constant political turbulence of SA, we get mired in the insanity of daily life. Comedy helps us relax and laugh and remember that tomorrow is another day and funnily enough, comedy does extremely well at festivals precisely because audiences are looking for something to lift their spirits,” said Layla Henriques, one of the theatre directors.

The 969 Festival programme has been specifically structured for theatre-goers to enjoy several shows in one day or evening with time for a meal or a drink at the theatre bar in a warm and cosy environment. It’s the ultimate mid-winter Joburg arts and culture event, with something for everyone.

This includes children, who have a choice of their own exciting productions for the first time this year. The youth programme includes Space Rocks, Jitterbugs, Rat Race, Mainane and Insta-Grammar, all specifically created for young audiences, from pre-primary through to high school.

Tickets are available at www.webtickets.co.za or you can book through any Pick n Pay store. Even better, you can load your ticket on your Pick n Pay Smart Shopper card. Alternatively you can book via Wits Theatre’s Box Office.

Contact Yuhl at yuhl.headman@wits.ac.za or Bridget at bridget.vanoerle@wits.ac.za for block bookings.

Wits Theatre Box office: 011 717 1381