Fest completely transforms Grahamstown when the first tourists arrive with expectations running high.
Fest completely transforms Grahamstown when the first tourists arrive with expectations running high.
At this time of the year, it rivals Durban in being South Africa’s playground, with a festival of colours that cover the streets like wallpaper and add to the festive ambiance.
Blues, greens, reds, yellows and blacks, jump out at revellers who must get a little bit confused about what to see and what to miss.
Some productions do not limit themselves to posters but even market themselves with banners and folding flyers into the hands of potential audiences.
Posters are central to the performances because aside from the descriptions and reviews of the shows, it is where first impressions are made.
Potential audience members are always on the go and it is useful to have an attractive poster. The posters follow visitors to Grahamstown at every turn and escort them to and from their destinations.
Some are draped on buildings high above the ground, while others are sticky-taped to the floor to catch attention. Some are attached to light poles and the rest crowd windows until the town is completely draped in colour.
The Village Green is not only a market-place for goods, but also serves as another excellent space for productions to be marketed.
Avia and Kesia, from Grahamstown, who carried a flyer for the Cape Comedy show, remarked that they would be interested in seeing the show because the characters in the flyer looked bright and colourful.
They also said it was easy to tell from the design of the flyer that it was a comedy.
Of the flyer advertising Mary Scary’s Bitches Be Crazy, Karen Watson from Pretoria said she would not see the show because of the illustrations of miscellaneous items which made it difficult for her to tell what it would be about.
At the end of a glorious day of watching shows, a poster or flyer is worth a thousand words – and also a souvenir for those who want to add to their arts festival memorabilia!
Nandi Majola and Nompilo Mncube are part of the Future Journalist Programme (FJP) 2013 at Rhodes University.
