THE Cape Town Fringe is underway and if you are struggling to make choices, the following suggestions may guide you through the plethora of choices in the programme.
With the school holidays placed neatly in the middle of the festival programme, you may want to schedule productions for the young people in your life first. Top of the list should be The Gruffalo although being a child is not a prerequisite for enjoying this musical adaptation of the well loved book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Since premièring on the West End in the UK in 2008 this production has travelled to several countries. This local adaptation directed by Tara Notcutt features a cast drawn from the Grahamstown based Makana Arts Academy and promises to be an energetic and entertaining treat for all those who loved the book.
Crossing the sea from Reunion Island is the Compagnie mille et une who bring their enchanting performance Le Rêve du Lucie replete with puppets. Children will be taken on a journey of Lucie’s dreams and nightmares where the only limitation is their imagination. They can also soar to new heights with Steve the Seagull, the star of the bilingual CityGull/ StadMeeu which also features puppets who grapple with the issue of belonging.
In addition to the traditional theatre venues there are public performances which will be held on the Grand Parade and at the V&A Waterfront. When Lion had Wings will be performed once only on October 8 by Jungle Theatre Company. The actors use masks and stilts to create this traditional Khoikhoi folk tale which tells of a time when lions could fly and the frogs saved the day. The Nylon Dance Company will present their interactive Public Displays of Affection at the V& A Waterfront as part of the Buskers Festival which will take place every weekend during the festival.
Visits are the common theme of two new plays which will debut at the Fringe. The Visit is a staged reading and presents audiences with an opportunity to hear a play before it reaches the stage. Brent Palmer’s new script centres on Luke, a high school drama teacher who has every reason to love his life, but he doesn’t. Faced with a visit from an old friend who is now a Hollywood actor, the forthcoming dinner is one he dreads. The reading by the fantastic cast of Clyde Berning, Jenny Stead, Lee-ann van Rooi and Pierre Malherbe and directed by Heinrich Reisenhofer will be presented in one of the new Fringe venues, the recently opened AFDA theatre in Observatory.
Those who attended early readings of the The Finkelsteins are coming to Dinner will have already booked their tickets for this gay, Jewish play which cast member Megan Furniss describes as being “far from being esoteric it is so warm and funny, and sad and hilarious and strange and delightful and eccentric and charming”. The cast features Andrew Laubscher and David Viviers as new lovers who grapple with all the challenges of a new relationship and the spirit of Nate’s deceased mother. This certainly ticks all the boxes for a great Fringe experience.
For young artists the Fringe offers a rare opportunity as Jason Jacobs explains, “The Cape Town Fringe is an opportunity for us to be brave with work that is not very conventional in style, expanding our edgy theatre-making sides. The theatre festival is small, meaning there is a slightly better chance of reaching audiences and also the possibility of being picked up by international producers. The work we do is so important and we believe it needs to be seen by as many young people, even globally.”
He has created and directs, Stof Rooi, a conversation about masculinity. This is a solo show featuring Dustin Beck as a young matriculant pondering his place in the world. While he is concerned with his immediate future Koleka Putuma interrogates the place of students in 2020. In Woza Sarafina which she devised with the cast from City Varsity the topical issues of the day, the cost of education and decolonization, are addressed in a production which draws on the classic productions Woza Albert and Sarafina.
Edward Albee the acclaimed American playwright who died recently was a proponent of theatre that did more than merely entertain. He said, “All plays, if they’re any good, are constructed as correctives. That’s the job of the writer. Holding that mirror up to people. We’re not merely decorative, pleasant and safe.” Something that Putuma’s work certainly does and a task that is achieved by Niqabi Ninj a written by Sara Shaarawi and performed by Bianca Flanders and Loren Loubser. This two hander addresses the violence and sexual harassment which so many women are faced with on a daily basis.
Words of War is more than just a performance and poet Rusi Anele Wandile promises audiences a production that “goes beyond the lines of a theatre show, this is a healing session. We worship in words; we celebrate, mourn, dance, love and above all, heal one other. Through poems and songs, we are taking them on spiritual journey to the untouched mountain sides of the hearts, a place so natural they will laugh, cry and find strength to carry their crosses forward”. Wandile is one of a handful of South African poets whose work is available on iTunes and this powerful piece has been performed to sold out houses during previous runs so early booking is advised.
This year sees the introduction of the Fringe Fresh Awards which will be adjudicated by a panel of industry experts drawn from across the arts and cultural spectrum.
The Awards will include a Music Award, a Performer Award and a Creative Award. Audience members will also be afforded an opportunity to rate productions that they have seen and these ratings will determine the winner of the Audience Award.
If your appetite for good theatre exceeds the size of your budget there are a number of discounts available to ensure that you maximise your attendance. Tickets to performances today and October 3 are half price and various specials will run throughout the festival. These are in addition to the usual concessions available for students and block booking.
This year’s programme really does offer something to please every theatrical palate so pull up a chair, make a pot of coffee and plan your day feast.
l www.capetownfringe.co.za