The fifth Shakespeare’s School Festival kicked off on 9 September and runs until 12 September at the Joburg Theatre.
Festival and creative director Kseniya Filinova-Bruton, explained the reason that made her start the festival, “I grew up in Russia in a family of actors and I have a strong passion for theatre and Shakespeare. The concept of the Shakespeare Schools Festival is that schools produce a 30-minute version of a play and they have a chance to perform them in a professional theatre environment.”
Filinova-Bruton made contact with the Shakespeare Schools Festival in the UK and received their support to launch SSFSA officially in South Africa.
On 10 September, Ruimsig Academy performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Naledi High School performed Romeo and Juliet and The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls performed Twelfth Night. The two actors that stole the show were easily Dineo Lethoko (Juliet’s nurse) and Busanathi Buthelezi (Twelfth Night’s Malvolio).
Ruimsig Academy kept their performance completely modern with musical inserts by Taylor Swift and David Guetta; Naledi High School adapted their play for a South African audience and The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls kept their production more traditional.
While Filinova-Bruton feels the support on 10 September was quite good, she feels there is an ongoing challenge to raise awareness and garner further support from the public.
Filinova-Bruton added that ideally, the festival would like more exposure in the future to generate interest and attendance by the public.
