Three unmissable shows for theatre fans

Here’s a few dates to diarise if you love compelling art and theatre.

The Centre for the Less Good Idea: Walid Raad

The contemporary artist is well-known for his works in media like video, photography, archival research and essays, and has been exploring the limits and capacities of the lecture for years.

By making use of public lectures which deploy spurious and fictional archives, Raad establishes arguments that make outlandish assertions which ultimately collapse in on themselves in order to present his audiences with shockingly plausible reasoning.

Raad’s work is often concerned with the representation of traumatic events and the ways film, video and photography function as public documents of these events.

Considering South Africa’s fixation for the archive (as a supplement that fills the voids in information left by the repressive practices of the apartheid state), Raad’s work can find a familiarity in our country’s persistent questioning of the archive and our pursuit for the stories that were left behind.

The performance will be followed by an In Conversation event with artists Walid Raad and William Kentridge in this double bill.

• It takes place on October 16 at the Kentridge Studio at Arts on Main. Tickets are R100.
• For more information visit Less Good Idea

Writer and performer Jefferson Tshabalala. Picture: Supplied

Kasi theatre

Writer, performer and director Jefferson Tshabalala is shaking up the local theatre scene, which is part of a new wave of a South African revolution. His aim is to get township arts into the spotlight.

“We tend to think the only good theatre takes place in posh suburban theatres. I want audiences to discover the invigorating arts scene and professionally run productions which are emergent in the townships,” he says.

It’s called lokasie or kasi theatre and is being staged inside slick theatre venues in townships like Alexandra.

“Our aim is to invite productions to our kasi theatre venues and take kasi theatre to venues beyond the townships,” says Tshabalala. “There is a large and passionate theatre audience existing in Alex who have to travel far to enjoy theatre, so it is imperative we bring the theatre circuit to them.”

It was this idea that inspired him to create the project Kiri Goes Kasi, an umbrella project which Tshabalala and Kiri Pink Nob, in partnership with Ntshieng, began as the pilot for this new township arts tradition. It debuted with Tshabalala’s aptly titled Location/ Lekeyshini/Lokasie at the beginning of last month.

• From today to Saturday, catch Hip-Hop Musical Extravaganza at the University of Johannesburg, and then at the University of Pretoria’s Kopanong Student Arts Festival on October 20.

Tshepang:The Third Testament. Picture: Supplied

Tshepang: The Third Testament

Written and directed by Lara Foot and based on the devastating true story that rocked the nation and shocked the world, the award-winning production Tshepang: The Third Testament comes to The Fringe at Joburg Theatre from October 16 to 28, starring the original cast.

Drawing on a South African style of story-telling, combining striking visual imagery with magic realism, Mncedisi Shabangu reprises his role as Simon and Nonceba Constance Didi plays Ruth in this haunting and uplifting story of redemption.

Shabangu, renowned for his unique style of physical theatre, received the 2003 Fleur du Cap Best Actor award for his performance, while the simplicity and symbolism of Gerhard Marx’s designs create an evocative backdrop for Foot’s critically acclaimed work.

Responding to the tragedy of child rape in SA, Foot started to write Tshepang in 2002, based on extensive research and investigation into both physical and socioeconomic landscapes.

While the content is based on fact, Tshepang is purely fictional, weaving together 20 000 stories – the number of child rapes nationwide per year.

Joburg Theatre offers a range of affordable ticket options for Tshepang, including R40 tickets for the first preview, 11am schools’ performances, when all seats are R70, and evening performances at just R150. The production carries an age restriction of PG 15.

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