NAF Spotlight - 30 June by HeraldLIVE

Hashtag: #NAF2019 Website: www.heraldlive.co.za

Your official National Arts Festival guide

Sunday June 30 2019

Spotlight

The Herald

Reviews – P2 n Mow o n n a h S : z Jaz

d a y – P5

Spotlight on

SUNDOWNER CONCERT P6&7 Photograph: WERNER HILLS

Festival 2019 Makhanda

THE HERALD SPOTLIGHT

Sunday June 30 2019

FRINGE THEATRE ● Van Graan addresses current issues with comedic take on classic fairy tale

Big bad metaphors of social ills Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Metaphors, (Gymnasium). July 1 at 6pm and 10pm. Playwright Mike van Graan has gone all out in this re-imagining of the classic fairy tale of a young girl sent on a mission to deliver goods to her granny deep in the woods, albeit The Woods of No More. Continuing with the original plot of the tale, Little Red Riding Hood, or Reddy as she is fondly referred to by her caring and loving mother, Marion Hood, takes the scenic route to the woods and trav-

els through the city where she is confronted with a whirlwind of inequalities and social disparities. Quirky with not-so-subtle metaphors and raising awareness of many social ills plaguing the world, this production is memorable for the way it brings across serious issues in a comedic manner. From climate change, to ocean pollution and overzealous politicians to how the law protects only the wealthy, Little Red Riding Hood

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matters is provided on different levels, both evocative and inspiring. Directed by Wilhelm Disbergen with the assistance of MarieHeleen Coetzee, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Metaphors is exactly that – a tale strewn with metaphors which takes the audience on a ride which no-one will forget. The show is as energetic as the cast whose performances are stellar. No one will forget Reddy’s father, Gavin Hood, a one-time

woodcutter who was once offered the opportunity to study filmmaking while being taught Creative Arts 101 by the wealthy man from the Island of Wealth. Gavin eventually becomes the head of a humanitarian organisation wanting to put an end to world hunger – but without which, he will be unemployed. Fun, exciting and intertwined with issues the world needs to address, this is a show definitely worth experiencing. – Devon Koen

MAIN THEATRE

Evocative transformation intrigues

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and the Big Bad Metaphors is a treat to experience. The cast is brilliant as they portray various characters, including Whale who explains to Reddy the concept of poverty and how the world is heading for disaster unless something drastic is done about it. While in the realm of the ocean, which Reddy is transported to by a guiding voice of change, Whale also addresses issues of pollution and the dangers it brings. Social commentary on various

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METAMORPHOSIS, UJ Arts & Culture, (Gymnasium). June 30 at 2pm. Frenzied yet evocative, Metamorphosis indulges itself in a narrative which many can relate to. Bringing across feelings of inadequacy, alienation and disgrace, this powerful piece of theatre brings with it the glaring reality many people feel. With the use of minimal stage props, Metamorphosis keeps the audience engulfed in the story of a young man who is transformed overnight into a monstrous creature – the antithesis of what he is feeling. With stellar acting by William Harding, Craig Morris, Khutjo Green and Ameera Patel, Metamorphosis is as intriguingly serious as it is humorous. Stirring up emotions and feelings of guilt and isolation, this production – which makes use of unconventional theatre techniques, including a silk screen and projected images – draws its audience into the lives of the Samsa family as they grapple with the consequences of their own demise. Harding, as Gregor Samsa, must be commended on his acting abilities and stage presence. Transforming

FEAT OF NOTE: ‘Metamorphosis’ stirs up emotions, making use of unconventional theatre props Picture: JAN POTGIETER oneself into a beetle-like creature without the necessary costume or props, is in itself a feat of note. Green, as Gregor’s mother, has a stage presence which demands the

audience’s attention while Morris, as Gregor’s father, and Patel, as his sister Greta, play their roles exceptionally well and give their characters true personality. – Devon Koen

PERFORMER’S PICKS

Top-notch comedy – and ‘Kafka’s Ape’ Funnyman Lazola Gola is no stranger to the National Arts Festival but also no stranger to your living room, where you will have seen him aplenty on TV – whether it’s on Comedy Central or in a Chicken Licken ad.

Tell Us More Mojak Lehoko is one of the best in the country and has been killing it on stages in every city.

The Chocolate Chronicles Mo Mothebe was on Trevor

Noah’s Nation Wild show. He’s bringing his debut one-man show to the festival. He’s been here before as part of an ensemble and bagged himself a Standard Bank Ovation Award.

Robbie Collins Live Robbie Collins was the opening act for Dave Chappelle recently, both in SA and US. You can’t get a bigger endorsement than that. The festival will be the first leg of his new tour.

Tats is Cancelled Tats Nkonzo is tackling some interesting and relevant topics in his stand-up, in a kind of an empathetic way.

Kafka’s Ape Although not comedy, this is a power piece performed by Tony Bonani Miyambo. ● Lazola Gola Live is on at the Library Hall on June 30 at 4pm, July 1 at 8pm, July 3 at 6pm , July 5 at 10am and July 6 at 2pm.

THE HERALD SPOTLIGHT

Sunday June 30 2019

MAIN COMEDY

‘Cereal bowl of chuckles’

NEW GIRL ON BLOCK: ‘The Missadventures of the Gender Femberbenders’

Fierce lip-synching with a twist DYLAN MORAN household duties, the foibles of true love, or just the act of waking up in the morning, Moran re-invents the ordinariness of life and turns it into a cereal bowl of unexpected chuckles. We really don’t realise how funny our lives are. And of course, in Moran’s hands – and on his lips – such a realisation is gold for what he then, so gently and playfully, hands back to us, wrapped in gleaming, rib-tickling humour. If Bernard Black was something of a reluctant savant, Dr Cosmos is an Irish Dr Phil with no good advice whatsoever. This is life. Just get on with it, dammit. – Brett Adkins

Honest unpacking of our gendered existence TESTROGEN, featuring Jodi Russell and Joziah Wheeler, (Masonic Back) June 30 at 6pm. Performed by a young pair of vibrant actors, this analytical piece of theatre reels its audience into the carefully scored world of Testrogen. From sometimes delicate, sometimes turbulent choreography, to the honest monologues of perpetually shifting characters, Wheeler and Russell – who scripted the piece, present a fresh, multi-layered approach to unpacking gendered existence in theatre. Their exploration reaches its climax as they present moments of vulnerability, reflecting on the gendered teachings of their parents. While Russell’s character learns womanhood through the aesthetical beauty of her mother and only loving abusive men, Wheeler’s persona learns of manhood through the violent fists and physicality of his father. Another notable aspect is the piece’s soft spot for psycho-analysis. However, it isn’t all doom and

FRINGE MUSIC THEATRE AND CABARET

THE MISSADVENTURES OF THE GENDER FEMBERBENDERS, AFDA Johannesburg, (Bowling Club). June 30 at 7pm. Shady shenanigans, fierce lip-synching and fabulous comebacks put this drag cabaret in a place reserved for those who enjoy the audacious flamboyancy which this show definitely delivers. From the start, the audience is given a helping hand in getting involved in this noholds-barred production. From dealing with pertinent societal issues of gender identity and conformity to more serious issues of family relationships and other realities, such as HIV/Aids, The MissAdventures of the Gender Femberbenders is as unapologetic as it is engaging and comforting. A drag cabaret with a twist, the production mixes the traditional lip-synching ev-

eryone expects from such a show, but also gives more impetus to the characters and more importantly, to those who play them. Juan Enslin as the ageing yet still performer extraordinaire Jenny Rator, who will help you with your geneRATOR during load-shedding, is as entertaining as he is shady. Justin Jacobs as the ever progressive and downright abrasive Mitzy is a delight straight out of the Cape Flats. Both Jacobs and Enslin not only lipsynch but also sing live, if not somewhat paradoxically, but brilliantly to some popular hits. Directed by Andre Dellow, The MissAdventures of the Gender Femberbenders successfully portrays how an ailing drag queen deals with being upstaged by a newer, fresher girl on the block. - Devon Koen

‘

Dylan Moran: Dr Cosmos, (Guy Butler Theatre). June 30 at 7pm It’s not every stand-up – in fact, I don’t believe I’ve seen one – who can hold his or her audience hanging on the word “but”. But then this is Dylan Moran, star and cowriter of the Bafta award-winning Black Books and the youngest ever winner of the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe back in 1996. He knows exactly how to do “but”. Now unashamedly middle-aged and a “rumour in shoes” in his own home, Moran has lost nothing of the acerbic wit which has propelled him on to stand-up stages across the globe. And with those passing years, has come an even more slanted – and consequently, even more hysterical – take on the anomalies of life which trip us up at every turn. He might have been described as the Irish master of grumpiness, but in his latest outing, Moran is not quite as cantankerous as his constantly irritable but lovable Bernard Black. Indeed, he now seems far more tickled pink and bemused by life’s curve balls, rather than unhinged by them. In his company, you are immediately friend and confidant – even in the cavernous, near capacity booked Guy Butler Theatre. And while he elicits all manner of delighted squeals with his on-the-mark and off-thewall observations of everyday life and people, it’s his genuine warmth that elevates this performance to heights few custodians of the genre will ever hope to achieve. There are no finely tuned one-liners here – they’re all a bit mumbly and bumbly and all the funnier for being so. Whether it’s the obligatory dinner party small talk with Diane and Derek, dad’s family photo album denials, husband and wife

I M SOUTH AFRICAN MUSICAL THEATRE Join a young man on his journey of Rediscovering his South African roots through lively song and dance.

FRESH APPROACH: Riotous applause for ‘Testrogen’ gloom. The characters’ playful engagement with the audience allow for some relief of the more weightier issues at hand. Humorous, visceral and almost unbearably honest, Testrogen is a show far beyond the years of its young creators, and one worthy of the riotous applause that signalled its tantalising end. – Jason Maseko

GLENNIE HALL 29 JUNE - 19:00 30 JUNE - 12:00

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Festival 2019 Makhanda

Sunday June 30 2019

THE HERALD SPOTLIGHT

STANDARD BANK JAZZ FESTIVAL

Saxing up tale of two countries Saxophonist and composer Shannon Mowday received the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Jazz in 2007. She has since built an international career as both a performing jazz musician and educator. We caught up with her ahead of her performance at the 2019 Standard Bank Jazz Festival in Makhanda. You attended one of the earliest Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival (SBNYJF) and have returned many times over the years. What’s your impression of how the festival has changed over the years? I attended the very first ‘school’s jazz festival’ in 1992 with Mike Skipper as coordinator. There were only a handful of musicians, but in it sparked something fantastic by uniting young musicians from different backgrounds. This was really the first opportunity for young musicians with an interest in jazz to meet and collaborate in a festival setting. Over the next few years, I performed on the jazz festival as professional and it’s gone from strength to strength. You are accompanied by a group of young musicians from Norway. How do you see them relating to their local counterparts? I have brought two groups of Norwegian musicians to SA previously and the interaction was just incredible. These international collaborations changed my life as a professional and this is an opportunity I wanted to extend to the youth as well. You’ve lived your life as a musician in both SA and Europe, how has the two cultures

affected your worldview as a creative musician? The interesting thing is that when I moved to Norway, I really started to ask the questions of ‘What is my culture? Who and what are my influences?’. I think moving to Norway helped me discover more of my ‘South African-ness’ – and trying to find my ‘place’ , rediscovering myself as a musician. I have certainly explored parts of my creative in very different ways being here and really defined that which was already there. A lot of musicians who leave for a life overseas, speak about some music from home they listen to a lot to keep themselves level-headed. Which SA album do you listen to the most when you’re missing sunny SA? Top of the list is Sibongile Khumalo’s Live at ‘ SABC album. I worked with her for a few years and she embodies so much of what Africa is about. Other albums I enjoy, are Busi Mhlongo’s Urbanzulu or Oliver Mtukudzi’s Neria. You received the SBYA in 2007. In hindsight, as the award turns 35, how would you say it helped open up the path to your career development? I think winning the award was the biggest door opener possible for my career and more than anything it gave me the confidence to ‘keep going’ on my path and to keep up the ‘creative search’ (even though it took me to Norway). ● Shannon Mowday will perform with a Norwegian and South African youth jazz band at DSG Auditorium on Monday July 1 at 2pm.

Q&A

SHANNON MOWDAY

Aie Aie Aie Collective of artists present

ERSATZ A cross between Tati and Black Mirror, under the watchful eye of Alan Turing, Ersatz is a frozen shard from an already present future

GRAEME COLLEGE

28 June (20:00) 29 June (11:00 & 18:00) 30 June (14:00 & 18:00)

SPOTLIGHT ON SUNDOWNER CONCERT

Sunday June 30 2019

Bite-size of Fringe a Sundowner snack Naziziphiwo Buso

Buson@tisoblackstar.co.za

Since its inception exactly 40 years ago, the Sundowner Concert at the National Arts Festival have been a must-see for festival-goers, providing a bite-size, tantalising taste of a range of shows that are being presented each year. The hour-long, free daily concert at The Monument at 5pm also offers free advertising for the scores of Fringe festival productions. Spotlight spoke to Fringe manager Zikhona Monaheng, who manages the entire Fringe aspect of the festival and allocates times to artists for the concerts. “The Sundowner Concert started in 1979 - I wasn’t even born yet - which is the same time as when the Fringe programme started,” she said. “This is a platform where all Fringe productions can market their shows and that's how it all started. It has gotten a

Sunday June 30 2019

HIGH ENERGY: The I'm South African dance group give a taste of their show

REACH FOR THE STARS: The Dayspring Dance Company promotes their show, called ‘The Issue of Blood’, at one of the Sundowner Concerts

lot bigger since then,” she said. Monaheng said the five-minute snippets from individual productions give the Fringe artists a competitive edge to the Main programme of the festival. “Just by being at the concerts, many festival-goers may see something they may not have ordinarily booked for. “Because people – after they’ve seen a [snippet of a] production – think , ‘we must go book for that show’. Then the momentum builds up.” Monaheng said she has seen more than 400 people watch the familyfriendly concerts at a time. She encouraged more people to come and watch the daily Sundowner Concert, as well as the full production versions on the Fringe. “We call the Fringe a lucky packet as you don’t know what you're going to get by choosing a Fringe show. But then it does has everything for everyone, depending on your taste,” she said.

WORDSMITH: Malik Work from the US gives a short preview of his show, ‘Verses@Work’

NAILING IT: Li Lau gives a short preview of ‘Carnival Sideshow & other Magical Things with Brendon Peel & Li Lau’

ON SONG: Faure's Requiem gives a short preview of their show during a Sundowner Concert

Pictures: WERNER HILLS

LEAN ON ME: The Rhapsody Dance Centre give a short performance of their show, ‘Portrait’

LOVING THE MIC: Singer and songwriter Spha

GOOD FOLK: Folk Singer Joanne CULTURAL FUSION: The Song Kun Performing Arts Group of Taiwan give a short preview of their show, ‘Mother Earth’ Cooper

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