By Ndalo Mbombo
The Rhodes Drama Department has educators that not only teach about the arts but are also involved in creating and producing pieces for public audiences. At this year’s National Arts Festival three lecturers are staging productions, along with a colleague from the Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education. Thembela Madliki directs A Childhood in Chalk with PJ Hellemann, Makhoala Ndebele directs Serurubele/ Butterfly Heart written and performed by Lalu Mokuku, and Cantos of a Life in Exile written, performed and directed by Makhoala Ndebele.
A Childhood in Chalk, written by Madliki and PJ Hellemann, is produced by the Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education in collaboration with the Drama Department. This 60-minute work explores the period of school boycotts in Fingo Village from 1965 to 1985 by following the experiences of seven 12-year-old learners from a local primary school who find themselves caught in the escalating conflict of anti-Bantu Education revolts. The production materialised as a result of PJ’s research project funded by South Africa’s National Research Foundation. “We are working with court records, archival records from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to help put this story together and we want to share it with everyone particularly Grade 9 learners because they have to learn about the events of 1976 in their history curriculum which is more than the story of Hector Peterson” said Hellemann.
Although Serurubele/Butterly Heart is a theatre performance in the category of Theatre for Children and Young People, it is a story to be enjoyed by all ages. This 45-minute play from Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company opens up a thoughtful space for children and adults to begin to think about death, grief and healing. “Serurubele is a current story that deeply resonates and creates space for conversation,” said director Ndebele. Writer and performer Mokuku said, “A lot is happening in these times — sometimes death is announced before relatives are informed and the environment created by social media has made it more critical for us to see how we can protect children.”
Written, directed and performed by Makhoala Ndebele, Cantos of a Life in Exile is a 75-minute solo performance that weaves together storytelling, poetry, and song to explore themes of exile, memory, and the unrelenting search for home. Through the use of Southern African oral traditions, the play speaks to human longing for belonging and the resilience of identity across borders. A 2024 Standard Bank Ovation Award winner, Ndebele said, “I’m honoured to be back at the National Arts Festival with Cantos of a Life in Exile. It’s a reflective journey, deeply personal, yet universally resonant.”
