Respected Winterveldt dancer, director, playwright and choreographer Mduduzi Vincent Nhlapo is taking his production, Kiu to the National Arts Festival in July.
SAST_PR: RT artsvark: Dance Production ‘KIU’ heads to Grahamstown https://t.co/T7vrIyTY6w pic.twitter.com/NEkFsg8Zog
— SA State Theatre (@sastatetheatre) June 12, 2018
The festival, held in Grahamstown annually, is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest in the world by visitor numbers.
Nhlapo said Kiu was a poignant and unbridled quest for redemption “a thirst for society’s dystopia and civil unrest”.
The calm before the storm: National Arts Festival box office manager Akhona Daweti prepping in Grahamstown #spotlightNAF18 #NAF18 pic.twitter.com/cCaG2hvmQv
— Gillian McAinsh (@gmcainsh) June 13, 2018
“Kiu, Swahili for thirst, is a diverse narrative signifying the critical age of drought in Africa and the significance of preserving water inspired by the ancient African rain dance Kiu, a plea for rainfall,” he said.
4 – 7 July 2018
Artscape Theatre Centre presents: IMBEWU and NIGHT & DAY at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. pic.twitter.com/vefZnLRbUY— #ArtscapeTheatre (@ArtscapeTheatre) June 12, 2018
“It is a profound and moving dance experience. Raw, sensitive, intense, hostile, sensuous, meditative and soul-searching. Performed to hauntingly beautiful to live Afrocentric music.”
Nhlapo is not new to the festival having won the Golden Ovation award for Anatomy of Weather, was staged by Bailey Snyman and Nicola Haskins in 2011.
The latest sit down on the Red Couch reminisces on a musical that played at the South African State Theatre called Freedom, which is mainly centered around the #FeesMustFall movement.
Peep part of the interview with @Bonafidebilli and @PdotO_SA on #SlikourOnLife. pic.twitter.com/bk0ejFub3M
— SlikourOnLife (@slikouron) June 1, 2018
The play was rated the highlight of the Amsterdam festival fringe.
Nhlapo is acclaimed for his robust, controversial, provocative and cutting-edge political content and resistance such as in Who stole the E-toll, The absent figure, Revolution by the dead and Rocks and Roses.
Watching FREEDOM at STATE THEATRE @PdotO_SA aka FLAKES killing it ????????????????????
Turn Up yangempela , Turn Up yangempela @ChadDaDon with a cameo
— #RIPAneleNgcongca ???? (@Somnyanya) March 9, 2018
More recently Nhlapo choreographed the #FeesMustFall inspired musical, Freedom which was directed by SA State Theatre artistic director Aubrey Sekhabi.
Kiu premiered at the theatre last year.
I'm part of a Stage Theatre production entitled #Freedom.
This is a Very Powerful show.
Showing at State Theatre 27Feb – 1stApril. #Compelling.#inspiring and #Gruesome all at once. Get your tickets at @Computicket asap.
Directed by Aubrey Sekabi pic.twitter.com/8YwMwAviqu— Cold Waters (@PdotO_SA) February 2, 2018
“Kiu dates for Grahamstown are, 1 July at 14:00 and 20:00, 2 July at 11:00 at Rhodes Theatre,” said SA State Theatre’s Thakgatso Setetsa.
Setetsa said after the festival, Kiu would return to the State Theatre for a run from 13 and 20 July.
“Tickets will be sold at the Computicket,” he said.
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