WATCH: Diamond Jubilee Evening of Celebration at Joburg Theatre
The event was indeed a diamond jubilee which connected stars.
A full house at Joburg Theatre witnessed a great theatrical experience during the Diamond Jubilee Evening of Celebration when stars were honoured during the unveiling of the diamond walk of fame on July 16.
These 24 stars include Shaleen Surtie-Richards, Marc Lottering, Dr John Kani, Don Mattera, Patrick Mynhardt, Sibongile Khumalo, Mimi Coetzee, Des/Dawn Lindberg, Greg Maqoma, Joan Brickhill, Janice Honeyman, Riaad Moosa, Athol Fugard, Thembi Mtshali-Jones, Pieter Dirk-Uys, Mirriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Gibson Kente, Johnny Clegg, Prof Mzilikazi Khumalo, Tobie Cronje, Desmond Dube, Brenda Fassie and Trevor Noah.
MMC for Community Development Ronald Harris introduced to the audience the City of Johannesburg Mayor, Mpho Phalatse, who said she was thrilled to be part of this celebration.
“The theatre celebrates and honours the immense contribution of all the different directors, different play writers and different choreographers, who over 60 years contributed to this space and left unbelievable footprints of the work they have staged.”
Directed by Joburg City Theatres’ newly appointed artistic director James Ngcobo, the Diamond Jubilee Evening of Celebration was a collage of extracts pulled from an array of diverse productions.
Not only did the production pay homage to the creatives of the past but spoke to a younger audience and members of the contemporary landscape who may have not been privy to what has been and reminded them of the big shoulders they stand on.
Ngcobo drew his initial inspiration from Brooks Spector’s book on the history of the Joburg Theatre but realised that a step-by-step chronology was not going to work on stage.
“It was such a big task and one had to be very cognisant of the fact that we can’t cover all the productions. So we jumped in time. We had something from 1988 and then a scene from 1991, then over to 1971 and back to 1991 because our focus was on the people who have played such a pivotal role and are interwoven with the space,” explained Ngcobo of his process.
The evening featured music and song from Gershwin, Le Cage Aux Folles and The Colour Purple, excerpts from Fugard’s Waiting for Godot and Statements, Zakes Mda’s Mother of Eating, as well as The Suit, King Kong and a Tribute to Gibson Kente and a dance piece from Revelations inspired by Alivin Ailey Dance Company who visited in the 90s.
“I kept reminding the cast that this theatre is not 60 years old, it’s 60 years young, it’s just galloping ahead. This year both Kente and Fugard would be turning 90, so it’s the 60th birthday of the theatre and the 90th birthday of these two theatre giants,” said Ngcobo.
With 60 years in existence, the Joburg Theatre has been witness to the difficult times in South Africa. These were times laced with anarchy and madness and yet the artists honoured during the evening continued to create amazing theatrical moments that not only allowed audiences an opportunity to reflect on their lives and experiences but often provided a ticket to escape from their lives.
“You look at the evolution of spaces in South Africa, for a long time the theatres were the privilege of the few, and then in the 80s you started seeing a change in the content being created which spoke to what we were going through, and those shows started drawing a new audience.
“We are going through difficult times again. I am always staggered by how much beautiful bravery this theatre has brought about and we are now seeing content you would not have seen on this stage,” said Ngcobo.
For Ngcobo, the jubilee evening was a fitting inauguration into his new position.
“Society is changing and we need to curate for new audiences. Theatre has to be in synchronicity with society and attune to these changes. Theatre is never an elite pastime, it is so crucial to a normal working society,” noted Ngcobo.
Visit www.joburgtheatre.co.za for all the celebration events.
