By David Mann The stage is an ominous still-life. Lamps in the form of pyramids are scattered across the floor, and brittle papers line the walls. Smoke rises like a spectre and fades away. In the centre, four figures remain frozen in time, a rope bundled atop each of their heads reaches up to the ceiling. In Don’t Let the Sun Set on You Here, dancer and choreographer Thami Majela’s (Standard Bank Young Artist) work, aesthetics reign supreme. The piece, explains the programme blurb, “is putting critical lenses on the world and Africa through the use of the contemporary dance…
Author: Cue 2023
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By David Mann In The Agents, a new satirical comedy by Roberto Pombo, Kyla Davis and Lisa Derryn Overy, we are met with a South African suburban dream deferred. Selling us this fantasy is a trio of real estate agents – Brendah, Ventah, and Lindah – who prey upon one of the greatest motivating forces amongst middle-class South Africans – fear. Sharply dressed, newly spray-tanned and with business cards in hand, they know the properties on the rise, the notorious no-go zones, the hot-spots and the hidden gems. They know the market, too. Or at least they pretend to –…
By Sandile Dudu Saki A late start, miscoordination, failing lights, and frequent inaudibility all made for a disappointing viewing of the musical and spoken-word poetry production, Tackling Societal Issues Through Art. The production is produced by a non-profit company based in Mdantsane, The World of Art Movement, and comprised of seven members working in drama, poetry, storytelling, music, photography and modelling. Through these mediums, the artists attempt to explore the all-too-familiar themes of social injustice, gender-based violence, emotional traumas, and ancestral ties. Unfortunately, many of these important conversations are lost amidst the blunders on stage, and fall short of leaving…
By Sandile Dudu Saki The title of Makhanda-born visual artist, Nompumelelo Edith Bukani, is both a point of entry into her body of work, and a declaration: My Name Will be Mine One Day. Held at RAW (Residence for Artist and Writers) Spot Gallery, the exhibition consists of linoprints, postcards, and beadwork that delve deeper into the lived and mnemonic experiences of this widely exhibited artist. Over the years, Bukani’s work has appeared in Grastika Sallskape Galleri, Stockholm, Boston University Art Gallery, and the Norval Foundation. This exhibition is co-curated by artists, Binjun Hu and Viwe Madinda. The artworks are…
By Anoka Latchmiah Lead singer and Festival regular Kerry Hiles, walks onto the Thomas Pringle stage in a costume befitting a young Amy Winehouse, before her ubiquitous beehive and Cleopatra winged liner. In true cabaret fashion, Hiles shares contextual anecdotes about the jazz paragon’s life, woven together through the late artist’s familiar tunes. Amy Winehouse The Diva and her Demons is a performance of duality. Her infectious wit and skillful writing have led to the artist’s international acclaim within the space of a brief career. Kristo Zondagh on drums alongside guitarist, Kurt Slabbert, accompany Hiles, making for a lively celebration…
By Anoka Latchmiah Pen(t)s Down Haha! is a production examining a societal climate which propels young people toward alcohol. The youth’s relationship with alcohol is paralleled with the addictive nature of social media, and its effect on young people. The production leads with four impassioned performers. Suthukazi Memela plays Thembekile Nkosi, an influencer whose alluring lifestyle holds secrets beneath the surface. Thembekile’s emphatic grandmother, portrayed by Nokulunga Masia, foreshadows revelations made throughout the play using folktale. Sibu, played by Lisa Simelane, is the unassuming follower of Thembekile who learns the truth behind the enigmatic lifestyle of an influencer, whilst Nancy,…
By Bukamuso Sebata Second Hands is set in a local tavern where five alcoholic individuals, who frequent the establishment, find themselves entangled in a mysterious event on a nearby farm. As they enjoy their drinks and delve into uncovering this secret, their hidden truths and personal secrets emerge. The production offers a comical yet jarring take on themes surrounding alcoholism. It is directed by Rhodes University’s Khanya Ngcuka, starring Nikita Baloyi, Siphosethu Duna, Lesedi Makhene, Mihlali Siwela, Lacreatia Stuurman, and Nosihle Xaba. The play opens in complete darkness amongst frantic voices, dragging you to the edge of your seat. When…
By Odidi Matai-Sigudla Chatter fills City Hall as the audience shuffles into the darkened venue buzzing with anticipation. For some, this is the first show they attend at this year’s National Arts Festival. The lights fade in, and the vocals begin. Afrika Sings! breaks the ice with vigour. The musical includes songs from King Kong, Sarafina, The Lion King, Iphi Ntombi, and Gibson Kente’s How Long, all sung and danced by students of Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts. The cast greets the theatre with ‘imibongo’ Xhosa poetry. The audience quickly tunes into the world on-stage as the women…
By Keren Banza The politics of hair is rooted in racialised beauty norms. The theatre production Hairology, directed by Lyndré Bonhomme, holds a mirror to the relationship between women of colour and their hair. A salon isn’t simply a place to get hair done, but a space for sharing stories. Each woman in Hairology experiences a different journey with their hair. Through the clever use of lights and shadows, the audience experiences fragments of stories the women share. Coupled with black styling chairs, the fragrance of hair products and the ever-late hairstylist, we are transported to the familiarity of the…
by David Mann Everything is evocative, familiar, out of time. Driving down Howison’s Poort, which cuts through the tree-lined mountains, curving past the Stone Crescent Hotel, I am in the Frederick I’Ons painting, just to the south-west of Makhanda. Later, moving past the old SPCA on the outskirts of town, I cannot help but think of J.M Coetzee’s Disgrace. The Monument comes into view – that stubborn architectural shipwreck on the hillside, headquarters of the National Arts Festival – where I first saw Mary Sibande’s The Purple Shall Govern, Gabrielle Goliath’s Elegy, and Berni Searle’s A Place in the Sun. …