The National School of Arts in Braamfontein will host its 16th annual Festival of Fame from 8 to 12 March, in partnership with the Joburg Theatre and the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People.
The festival, which attracts up to 7 000 people from around Gauteng and occasionally internationally, will include a wide variety of showcases. The star attraction will be the theatre production, School of Rock. This is the first time that the rights to the production have been granted outside of the US and the UK.
Timothy le Roux, resident director at Joburg Theatre, co-directed School of Rock and has been involved with the festival for eight years. “It’s been very exciting. We’re not doing a replica. We’re changing things here and there, and we’re adapting the background using stock images,” said Le Roux.
Almost all of the 525 students at the National School of Arts perform a role in the festival, either on stage or backstage helping with wardrobe, makeup and sound. Students from all specialities were allowed to audition for School of Rock, creating a mix of talented students. “There’s a diverse number of students from different backgrounds and there’s an incredible amount of talent,” said Le Roux.
The festival requires a lot of preparation for both the students and the organisers. Trish Downing, the school’s advancement unit director, said, “It’s an annual festival, so as soon as one festival ends, the preparation for the next one begins.”
When the festival started expanding, Joburg Theatre approached the school of arts about getting involved, and since then, the Joburg Theatre has hosted many of the festival’s shows.
“It’s really been a wonderful experience. It’s a really complex stage to work on but it means [the schoolchildren] can go work on any international stage and feel at home,” added Downing.
Tickets cost R90 for a full-day pass on weekdays, and from R100 for productions at the Joburg Theatre. School block bookings are R70 a ticket, booked through pro@artschool.co.za or call 011 339 6539 ext 208/308.
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