A number of South African schools are performing Shakespearean plays in local languages in the Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa (SSFSA) currently underway throughout the country until 9 October.
The festival is celebrated both locally and internationally.
This year, pupils are presenting abridged 30-minute performances translated into Afrikaans, isiXhosa and isiZulu.
A total of 70 schools, including 18 in Johannesburg and Soweto ones, are participating this year, which marks the 400th anniversary of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare’s death. Among those are Parktown High School for Girls and the King Edward VII School which have already showcased their talents during performances held on 10 and 11 September respectively.
Giving insight on her involvement and on the importance of theatre, festival director, Kseniya Filinova-Bruton, said there was no magic in the world which could equate to the pride of seeing a shy, self-conscious child discover the joy and freedom of theatre. “We’ve seen children who were unable to read aloud in class transform before our eyes, performing soliloquies in front of huge audiences,” said Filinova-Bruton.
“We provide schools with the opportunity to perform abridged Shakespeare plays in a professional theatre space and it is greatly rewarding to see how much they learn and grow through the process.
“In a country with 11 official languages, this means providing translated texts for performances. Shakespearean English is tricky enough for English teachers and we believe that children should be able to experience the joy of performance in their own language.”
Filinova-Bruton added that the festival had gone from strength to strength since its humble beginnings with one school, six years ago.
“We are now present in four provinces and we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students, teachers and audiences who have learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the process.”
Local venues and bookings:
- Johannesburg, Joburg Theatre; www.joburgtheatre.com
- Soweto, Soweto Theatre; www.sowetotheatre.com; 0861 670 670
Details: info@educape.co.za; www.ssfsa.co.za
