Category: author

THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF THE ANNUAL FIЁSTA ARTS AWARDS IS THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LOCAL ARTISTS IN DIFFERENT GENRES

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Diane de Beer reports:

Pictures: Gys Loubser

Awards can mean nothing or EVERYTHING. It really depends on each individual  and perhaps the most important ingredient is to witness especially the individual artists when they get over their surprise, gather their thoughts and express their wonderment at receiving such accolades.

Rocco Pool (Best Design), Christian Olwagen, (Best Festival Production), Rolanda Marais, (Best Actress) all for Hedda Gabler.

Astonished yet astonishing actress Rolanda Marais perhaps captured the moment best when she reflected on the 17-year-old schoolgirl she had been and how she would have experienced this achievement.

It’s one of the most vulnerable yet vibrant careers to choose, as your whole life is always dependent on the vision of others. If a director selects you, if the play is one that shows you at your best, if the audiences come, if they like the play and the cast and the list is endless.

Aardklop Fiësta winners: Joshwin Dyson (Laaitie mettie biscuits for Best Upcoming Artist and Best Actor), Artistic Director Alexa Strachan, Conroy Cupido, (Best Achievement in Classical Music for Die groot Finalé) and Philip Rademeyer (Stinkhout for Best Text ).

And yet, time and again, the actors put themselves on the line and out there to hopefully change the world for some in the audience. They probably do it more than they give themselves credit for and I have often been in awe of what they manage to achieve with too many obstacles for anyone to deal with, let alone create magic.

The Fiëstas panel attended every debut production at seven arts festivals (KKNK, Suidoosterfees, Innibos, Vrystaat Kunstefees, Klein-Karoo Klassique, Momentum Beleggings Aardklop and Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees) last year. Following an extensive voting process audited by auditors, the winners in 14 categories were determined and announced at the end of last month at a glamorous awards ceremony held at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town.

kykNET also announced that the kykNET Fiëstas will have a new home. After 15 years of management by kykNET, the Tribuo Trust will now coordinate the Fiëstas, with kykNET taking on the role of naming sponsor.

“The decision was made so that the  kykNET Fiëstas can continue and flourish as a vibrant celebration of the arts in Afrikaans. kykNET remains the main sponsor and naming sponsor of the Fiëstas,” said Waldimar Pelser, M-Net Channel Director of Premium Channels.

“In discussions with the festival directors, kykNET emphasised that we will strengthen our support for the arts festivals in a way that we hope will also make the festivals more sustainable. We look forward to reimagining the new kykNET Fiëstas together with Tribuo and are excited about the road ahead.”

Karen Meiring, Executive Chairperson of Tribuo, said: “It is an important objective of Tribuo to invest in the future and the sustainability of the entertainment industry’s ecosystem. The kykNET Fiëstas seamlessly align with this goal as the awards recognise and celebrate excellent work. They also encourage crucial audience engagement and honour the people who carry the performing and creative arts. Tribuo looks forward to continuing this project together with kykNET, who remains the naming sponsor.”

The winners are:

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Die groot finale (Momentum Beleggings Aardklop)

BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC PRODUCTION

kykNET-konsert (Innibos)

BEST MUSIC-DRIVEN THEATRE

Ontban (Suidoosterfees)

BEST ADAPTATION OR TRANSLATION OF A TEXT

Naòmi Morgan – Ons wag vir Godot (Vrystaat Kunstefees)

BEST NEW TEXT

Philip Rademeyer – Stinkhout (Momentum Beleggings Aardklop)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL ARTS

Marlene Steyn – Between my i’s: tussen my oë (Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DESIGN

Rocco Pool – Hedda Gabler (Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Gerben Kamper – Ons wag vir Godot (Vrystaat Kunstefees)

BEST DIRECTION

Dion van Niekerk – Ons wag vir Godot (Vrystaat Kunstefees)

Joshwin Dyson (right) with his playwright/director Christo Davids

BEST UPCOMING ARTIST

Joshwin Dyson – Laaitie mettie biscuits (Momentum Beleggings Aardklop)

BEST ENSEMBLE

Hedda Gabler (Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees)

BEST ACTOR

Joshwin Dyson – Laaitie mettie biscuits (Momentum Beleggings Aardklop)

BEST ACTRESS

Rolanda Marais – Hedda Gabler (Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees)

BEST FESTIVAL PRODUCTION

Hedda Gabler (Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees)

The winner of the Blou Fiësta, awarded for commendable work that does not fall into any of the other categories, is the Suidoosterfees project 21. In celebration of the festival’s 21st anniversary, 21 productions were staged, each lasting 21 minutes with a ticket price of R21.

Amanda Strydom and Frank Opperman were honoured for their contributions to the arts.

TEEN TRAUMA EXPOSED AND EXPLORED

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REVIEWED BY DIANE DE BEER

Stuart Brown as Evan Hansen

DEAR EVAN HANSEN

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

BOOK: Steven Levenson

CAST: Stuart Brown, Léa Blerk, Charlie Bouguenon, Keely Crocker. Kent Jeycocke, Shelley Lothian, Ntshikeng Matooane, Arno Meyer, Sharon Spiegel Wagner, Michael Stray, Justin Swartz, Lucy Tops

SET AND LIGHTING: Niall Griffin

MUSICAL SUPERVISOR: Charl Johan Lingenvelder

CHOREOGRAPHER: Louisa Talbot

SOUND DESIGNER: David Classen

RESIDENT DIRECTOR: Shelley Lothian

DIRECTOR: Greg Karvellas

Producers: Showtime Management and How Now Productions

VENUE: Montecasino Teatro

DATES: Until 13 April

PICTURES: Daniel Manners

Charlie Bouguenon (Charlie Murphy), Stuart Brown (Evan Hansen),Sharon Spiegel Wagner (Cynthia Murphy) and Keely Crocker (Zoe murphy).

WHAT struck me instantly while watching this musical was that being young a few decades ago was much easier.

No social media, less scrutiny, much less peer pressure because it had to be done person to person rather than through technical means or phones  – it was just a much simpler and less stressful life.

What young adults have to contend with at that vulnerable age when you start transitioning into adulthood is quite monstrous. One would think that the huge physical upheaval would be enough to deal with, but now there’s so much more.

It’s a musical with an intimate if weighty story as it deals with depression and hiding from the world at a time when you should reach out rather than go into hibernation, yet it has huge heart.

It’s not often that musicals deal with  mental health issues especially targeting teen and young adult audiences, who are particularly vulnerable. These aren’t issues readily discussed and this offers an amazing opportunity to ignite sensitive conversations.

Griffin, who is known for his ingenious designs, has hit the brief spectacularly. It’s all high-tech and could be quite alienating and overwhelming but also allows for the cast to flow in and out of the grand and gleaming structure (above) quite seamlessly.

It also allows the high tech environment we live in to dominate and underlines the world we cannot escape – even if that is exactly what Evan Hansen is trying to do.

That is the genius of the musical. It all feels quite overwhelming, almost as though you have to fight your way to the heart of the story, yet this is where the magic lies. At that centre is a timid and rather terrified young boy who can hardly get out from under the covers.

His way of communicating is to write letters to himself, hence the Dear Evan Hansen title. Many people, young and old, could identify at some stage in their lives with his struggle of dealing with life. His is the universal struggle to be seen.

His mother, a single parent, is so stretched to keep them afloat that she hardly notices her son or witnesses any of his anguish. He feels he has no one to turn to until an incident allows him to find a different persona and a family to hook onto.

This particular production has been gifted the perfect package in Stuart Brown, who engages with the audience and embraces his persona in the title role of Evan Hansen. The way he commands the stage and fills the auditorium with an emotional sensitivity that’s quite astonishing in such a huge space is extraordinary.

There’s nothing showy or superfluous in his approach to the role, he simply is Evan Hansen, which draws even those few souls  –  including myself  –  who don’t instinctively engage into the angst-ridden universe of a teenager whose whole being is fearful of the outside world.

Justin Swartz (Jared Kleinman), Keely Crocker (Zoe Murphy) and Stuart Brown (Evan Hansen) in conversation.

That and the music written by an experienced team of songwriters, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who are best known for their Oscar, Grammy and Tony-winning work on La La Land, The Greatest Showman and now this, each of which spawned albums that landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. That’s hard to beat and you could pick up from the audience that many of them knew the music and the lyrics, which would really add to a fuller experience.

There really isn’t much to fault in this production guided by the genius musical instincts of Karvellas supported by Lingenvelder’s music know-how, with a marvellously clever ensemble cast, all with voices that carry the music, it is a story well told.

It’s not just teens but also families that would benefit from the show. Communication, real person-to-person contact and, in this instance parents and children, is the other issue that is explored. These are not traditional topics for musicals and that is what makes this one so intriguing.

It also one of the finest shows to target the teen audience. At their most susceptible to be groomed as future theatre fans, this one ticks all the boxes. There’s a hero who explores and explodes, a story that ventures into almost forbidden territory and a production that unfolds beautifully with many different characters who find what they are looking for, a variety of issues to mine, and for those who want a softer landing, a story of romance.

But more than anything, there’s the glorious music and the explosive performances by an exciting ensemble who push the energy with joyful enthusiasm. You simply have to let go and engage.

A BRILLIANTLY BRAVE KARIN HOUGAARD, A POETIC PERFORMER AT HER BEST – AND SHE WILL BE BACK

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Kaalvoet by Karin Hougaard

Musicians Leon Ecroignard (contra bass, bass and handpans) and Luke van der Merwe (guitars, mandolin and oud)

February 2 at Pretoria’s Fairtree Atterbury Theatre

Karin has always been a performer rather than a singer. She throws herself into the performance with her whole body and soul and manages to sweep her audience along from start to finish.

She is a dramatic entertainer, larger than life in both stories and song – in the best sense of the word.

Personally, I feel as though she has grown into her performances with a confidence and wisdom that result in an extraordinary experience. She embraces the content and substance of the show, turning every song as well as the binding text into something personal and quite unique.

Sometimes the intervals between songs are an introduction to the song, sometimes it’s like a quiet meditation or a poem. It’s all-encompassing and deals with love, sadness, longing, alienation (which is probably due to her extended stay in the US), craving, being a woman and sensuality, something that she expresses with every movement.

This is a performer who explores her heart with exuberance and complete honesty. For her it’s all about authenticity.

Her selection of music is spectacular. Her English songs include You Don’t Own Me, the popular Dolly Parton’s Always Love You in a unique adaptation, the haunting  Uninvited by Alanis Morissette, a combo of Baghdad Café’s Calling You and Salmon Berries’ Barefoot (pointing to her choice of title and the way she performs, KAALVOET), a personal favourite, both dealing with her particular status as an outsider.

Those familiar with her self-written music, including  Muse, Sterrereën, Daar’s Ek , Stilbly en Daar’s Ek as well as the well known Heimwee and Summertime combined with Thula, will know it’s equally emotionally rich in song and presence. She and the iconic Dutch artist Herman Van Veen have a strong connection, she will be recording a duet of her song By My with him on his upcoming album, as well as perform as a guest artist on his 80th birthday celebration concert.

She also paid tribute to his songwriting with the Van Veen song Anders Anders and their dual composition Bij Mij.

While the cover adaptations are exquisite and felt to  me almost Janis Joplin (lite) inspired, the Afrikaans/Dutch songs have a more poetic and dramatic approach.

Her binding texts are as much part of the message as the choice of her songs. There’s nothing that’s not carefully choreographed and chosen to complete the full circle including her two marvellous musicians, Leon Ecroignard and Luke .

From beginning to end, you’re engaged and committed. If you do the work, the rewards are extraordinary.

One of the glorious results of being part of the arts for such a long time is being able to follow an artist’s career from the early days to their maturity. It’s such a privilege to see them grow and blossom and then reach a stage where they open their wings as wide as possible and fly.

That’s exactly what’s been happening to Karin these past few years. And it’s truly something to admire and for audiences a true gift. This is what she can do and how she nourishes her soul and ours.

She has returned to the US for a time, but her plans are to return to South Africa permanently in the foreseeable future. She says that she has been singing less and less, scaling down, she calls it. “

Her performances have been in  Holland more often than here locally and she chooses very carefully where to perform. She is intent on doing only selected special shows which will mean something to her as performer and thus be passed on to her audiences.

And she prefers to sing in theatres where the lights go low, the world disappears and she believes she can make magic.

Indeed, that’s exactly what happened this past Sunday. It feels as though you are witnessing something holy and in the moment, and that is something miraculous.

Knowing that she is returning to our shores also means that we will hopefully see more of this exceptional performer. Don’t miss the next one. You won’t be sorry.

FIRST-TIME AUTHOR JULIETTE MNQETA CONFESSES THAT SHE LOVES WRITING AND TELLING STORIES

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Juliette Mnqeta has dreamt about her debut novel and now that it is finally here, she’s hoping that this, a crime novel, will be the first of many more adventures. If The Dead Could Talk (published by Kwela)is impressive and DIANE DE BEER was keen to meet the writer who seems so comfortable in her author skin:

Playing the sleuth: first-time author Juliette Mnqeta (Picture: Sean Eyes)

“A WHITE PIECE OF PAPER IS A SAFE SPACE.”

Anyone who can say those  words must be confident because I haven’t heard many writers confess that.

First-time author Juliette Mnqeta also writes in her preface: ‘‘I believe I can … write.’’

When you start asking her questions, she’s quick to confide that she’s shy and doesn’t have too much self-belief.

Not too far into the story, I was thinking of Deon Meyer, so impressed was I by the storytelling. “Well, I am the youngest of nine children. I guess that’s why I have so much to say,” is her response. “I have always loved telling a story, which I think I got from my mother. She was a very emotive woman and could always retell events with a little bit of  her own  spice.’’

Juliette spent most of her childhood and teenage years in Wynberg and began writing once in her teens. She started with short stories and even tried her hand at writing poetry, but it never occurred to her to study anything that would help her with writing.  “I just love to write.”

She had no particular interest in crime novels and it only started when she realised most of the girls in her class would go for romance, so she opted for crime. “The first crime novel she ever read was in high school, a book by Ruth Rendell and that was for a school project.

Her interest was piqued when watching a few Agatha Christe adaptations on television. “I started reading her novels and haven’t stopped since,” she explains. “What draws me in is the puzzle of solving the crime.

“There’s a sense of justice and lightbulb moment when everything comes together, I enjoy that.”

And that’s exactly what she gives us with this her first venture into this world, resulting in her debut novel.

She’s still a young writer but her processes reflect her love of writing. “With my Facebook stories, I simply open the page and start typing to see where it leads,” she says.

It all falls in the realm of practice, practice, and more practice, long believed to be thé thing to do.

With If the Dead could Talk, she started with the full reveal. “I remember starting with the planning of the ending.”

She had her villain(s) first, their motives outlined and only then did she start working on her protagonists. She knew if she had her culprits, she could disguise that person amongst a few red herrings and suspects. “I then worked backwards, which was fun because I slowly discovered my protagonists’ personalities and fell in love with them.”

At the tender age of 19, she was told by her then employer that to be a writer, she would have to be exceptional, and he didn’t think she quite fit that criterion. But she always knew he said that without having read her work. When her mother died in 2018, she decided to start writing this current novel.

“My mother had always bragged to her friends that I could write, even though she had also never read my work. But when she was suddenly gone, I opened my laptop, and started mapping out my story.

“I already had my villain. I had my crime, and I had the reaction in mind that I wanted the audience to have when they figured out who this villain was.”

While writing had always come easily, this was different, even humbling, she says. She had the ideas, would turn them into words but, when read from a  reader’s point of view, suggestions would come her way as well as a few plot blunders. “I would have to come up with changes that would make it work,” she explains.

But she knew, listening to these early readers and taking suggestions from her editor were key to what got the book published.

I think she listened carefully. Right from the start I was excited by the book. I felt very early on that this was an exceptional voice and that feeling never dimmed from beginning to end.

If the ending was something of a bumpy ride, I’m not sure it wasn’t me as a reader who really enjoys the exhilaration of the build-up and often finds the roll-out something of an anti-climax or perhaps a mini let-down.

But here’s holding thumbs that she keeps writing and plays around with the crime genre for a little bit longer.

 I’m excited to see what her unique voice and perspective will come up with as she gains confidence and a following.

I suspect she’s something special.

“When I conceived of If The Dead Could Talk, the idea was that it would be a one shot only and I would give it my all. I can now see that I can try my hand at the crime genre again.

“When I read a cozy mystery, there is something exciting for me as a reader to try and work along with the detective or protagonist. I put together every clue and see how close I am to solving the crime. I want to offer other readers that feeling.”

Who as a first-time published author would not suffer – even if just a light touch of – imposter’s syndrome? But Juliette is learning to beat those battles.
 “I actually have a book published now! People will get to meet Azania. That’s exciting. It’s exhilarating knowing that I’ve introduced her to the world,” she concludes.  

“I love the fact that I can imagine. When I write, I genuinely feel that it’s fine to be me. It’s fine to be Juliette. On a piece of paper, I just run wild with characters, scenarios, dialogue and everything else I  can think of.

“Let me dream a little and say I can picture myself thinking up a bestseller one day. That’s the empowering element of an imagination. I can imagine just about anything.”

That would be my wish for this talented author. I for one would love to read her often in the future.




NOTHING IS AS TERRIFYING AND SIMULTANEOUSLY EXHILARATING THAN A BRAND NEW LOCAL PLAY

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Rehearsals are underway for Bitter Winter  –  a new play penned by acclaimed South African playwright Paul Slabolepszy, which premieres at Pieter Toerien’s Studio Theatre at Montecasino from February 20th – March 16th. Director Lesedi Job and cast members Andre Odendaal (Jean-Louis Lourens), Oarabile Ditsele (Prosper Mangane) and Chantal Stanfield (Felicia Willemse) are currently in rehearsals, discovering the nuances and back-stories of this character-driven piece that deals with the human condition while sharing a story of resilience and discovery.

Pictures; Gustav Gerdener

From left; The cast Chantal Stanfield, Oarabile Ditsele and Andre Odendaal

With Paul Slab (as he is known) himself an artist, both a playwright and an actor, he has turned to his own life experiences with this exploration of an artist’s life. Bitter Winter celebrates the legends of South African theatre while shining a light on the new generation of rising stars making their mark on the global stage.

What he is hoping to share is the  sometimes rocky road that many artists are driven to travel in pursuit of their dreams.

It all begins in a venue which is like a home to actors, perhaps often an uncomfortable one, with the characters sitting in an audition room.

It’s about the life of an actor, the struggles and triumphs of those artists who remain deeply committed to their craft despite the challenges they face.It tells the story of two actors, one at the end of a career spent mainly on the classical stage, and another starting out on his journey, with  the magic and the madness of this ‘make-believe’ world on full display.

Playwright Paul Slab and director Lesedi Job

According to the producer, Weslee Lauder, the idea of a play with such an important story, especially since local actors have been bearing the brunt of an industry not taken care of by its governing parties, spoke to him

He also liked the concept of youth honouring the elderly, which speaks to a powerful truth.

In life, the young often forget that the paths they walk were paved by generations before them. And here, he believes, it is vital to remember the legacy, wisdom, and sacrifices they’ve left behind—and to show gratitude in every aspect of life.

A seed was planted, according to the playwright, when he heard Lizz Meiring giving a talk a number of years ago about all the vital work that the Theatre Benevolent Fund does, stressing the plight of aging artists in South Africa as they reach the end of their careers.
“I was asked after that talk whether I would write a play about it and I jumped right in. Then Covid hit, but I kept working on it. I wrote the piece with Andre Odendaal in mind, who then brought Weslee Lauder in to produce. And here we are!”

Slab had seen Andre, pictured above during rehearsals, in Dop  and thought he would be ideal for Jean-Louis. The other two artists went through the audition process.

Collaboration comes easily to Paul who always collaborated, especially with his close friend Bill Flynn before his untimely death. “In many instances, it’s the only way to get a show on stage, especially a new play,” he explains
While Paul has always enjoyed writing comedy, he is also known for theatre with strong moral values and believes it is especially important right now, given the current state of the world.

It is important to deal with the issues, but to talk about them in such a way for the audience to be receptive. We need to keep writing authentic stories, he says.

Lesedi Job, above with cast members and Paul, was drawn to the play because of the story. She was reminded of her own complex love affair with theatre as an artist. “But as I started working on the play, I became aware of how this is a story that inspires self-reflection and I love telling stories that leave an audience thinking.’’
Telling local stories especially appeals to her because she is passionate about being part of a next generation of storytellers who contribute to the history of South African theatre. “Bitter Winter is the fifth new South African play I am directing and I think this is not only out of choice but also because it is my purpose.”

She is especially affected by the theme of an older generation versus the younger generation. “I am reminded of my mother and her wisdom and the quiet knowledge that comes with age and experience. The other themes are that of the complexity of our identity that is informed by our history, our languages, our traditions and culture as well as our scars. And that of humanity.’’Maya Angelou says: “During bad circumstances, which is the human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced. You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that.”
Discussing her processes, she explains she spends a lot of time before the rehearsal process preparing, researching, interrogating and unpacking the script to get a handle on the story, the world and the characters.
“Once in the rehearsal room, I download information to the actors and plant seeds for them to think about; allowing an actor to bring themselves and their choices to the creative process.

Chantal Stanfield and Oarabile Ditsele

The process requires planning and thinking on your feet, humility and grace, as the director knows that at times you might not know what to do and to not get stuck on an idea you may have had beforehand.

For Andre Odendaal it’s a love for new South African work. “These opportunities are rare and always special. An authentic voice and a remarkable challenge.’’

 His  preparation for any character always starts by finding relatable qualities first. “Do I understand the character’s emotional world, what are the points of connection either to my own life or a that I have observed? Then one finds a physical and vocal quality. Here it is an older actor’s so that commonality was easy to find, albeit a very different mind space to my own.”

As for the audience, he hopes that they take home not only a better understanding of the plight of an artist and the commitment but also the joy of watching live theatre.

“A realisation that art feeds the soul.’’

For Oarabile Ditsele,  it was a chance to collaborate with people who have shaped the theatrical landscape of South African theatre, people like Andre and, of course, Paul Slab.

None of them had worked on a Slab piece before.

For Chantal Stanfield,  it is her first time working on one of the playwright’s plays professionally. She did some curriculum scene work at drama school, but to actually work with him 20 years after she graduated is such a gift.

She loves originating a new piece. “It’s a fresh and daunting challenge with no ‘original cast recording’ to fall back on. We don’t just decide to do this, it is a mad calling that is so fulfilling that we endure the scorn, the rejection, and dismissive attitudes every day.”

 Bitter Winter will be on stage at Pieter Toerien’s Studio Theatre at Montecasino from February 20th – March 16th. Bitter Winter is donating a portion of ticket sales to the Theatre Benevolent Fund and every cent counts. 

TWO MARVELOUS MOVIES, CONCLAVE AND A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, AHEAD IN AWARDS RACE

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FILM REVIEWS BY DIANE DE BEER

With streaming becoming such a comfortable option, I haven’t been to the movies for a while, but pre-Oscar Awards is always a good time to catch up on as many of the nominated films as possible It always turns the event into something more substantial because you actually know more about the possible winners. I chose these two films – Conclave and A Complete Unknown (Ster Kinekor)and my selections were both extraordinary – both with chances of quite a few Oscars each:

CONCLAVE

DIRECTOR: Edward Berger

CAST: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley TuccI, Carlos Diehz, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto

How can one not be pulled into this story with such a fantastic cast? And then the secrecy about everything that surrounds the Vatican inside and out?

Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes) leads one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events as the dean who is in charge of the selection of the new Pope.

If you’re not Roman Catholic, it is a religion that comes your way mostly through scandal, the misbehaviour of priests around the world, the lack of action by the church itself when its representatives transgress and the films and books that feature these kinds of missteps, Spotlight being the most recent one that springs to mind.

Perhaps because of the look of the members of the priesthood as so magnificently showcased in this film (already enough reason to see the spectacle), yet because of the visuals as well as the secrecy, I kept thinking of the recent television seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale.

In today’s communication-rich world, any secrecy is immediately viewed with suspicion and becomes rife with rumours and stories emerging. And for those on the outside, how to distinguish between rumour and fact with this particular faith and its powerful leaders is often what draws us to whatever it is that drives the church.

With Conclave. to glimpse the inner workings of one of the most powerful institutions in the world is quite extraordinary. Add this particular cast and the weight of the storytelling is heightened and the final product doesn’t disappoint and leaves you gasping.

The eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor for Ralph Fiennes, Best Writing, Best Production Design, Best Music (original score), Best Costume Design, Best Actress in supporting role (Isabella Rossellini), and Best Editing are all deserved.

It certainly lived up to all that. It has a rich story and is beautifully directed but what really kept me enthralled was the cast and their particular storytelling. If I really had to give only one acknowledgement it would be to the actors.

It was their ensemble performance that kept the intrigue going with especially strong performances by Fiennes (who is the true centre of the movie), Tucci, Diehz, Lithgow, and Rossellini.

As the puzzle unfolds, sometimes painfully slowly yet deliberately, you have to keep your wits about you because you will be kept in suspense right until the end. Again because it is the unfolding that holds the key, I was glad not to have read the book before seeing the movie.

The less you know, the more it will add to the thrill of the viewing. It is a novel story which holds all the intrigue one would expect from such a rich presentation which is all an extremely clever balancing act. Once in a while, I wasn’t too sure whether it was delivering on the expectations surrounding the film.

But pull it all together, and it ticks all the boxes. The best is that you have no idea where it is going or what to expect. And finally, it delivers magnificently in a way that is as relevant in today’s circus as it is unexpected.

It’s one that lies there for quite a while and the more you delve, the better it gets.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

DIRECTOR: James Mangold

CAST: Timothée Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, Edward Norton,  Elle Fanning

I was truly surprised by how much I loved this movie. Of course I know Dylan’s music, but there are as many songs I didn’t recognise.

And while I thought I knew a lot about him, there’s as much that I didn’t know. One has to keep in mind that this isn’t a documentary, it captures a piece, mostly the early part when he first appears on the scene, of his life.

I was even caught unawares by the fact that he turned up at festivals on a racy motorbike. If the women weren’t so mesmerised by die budding artist they would have known that the music was everything in his life. Did he love them? Of course. But he was a performer and everything in his life revolved around that.

It was understood, if unspoken, that the women could be part of all this – but no demands. He wasn’t unfeeling, just unaware and completely wrapped up in his own creative world. That’s where his mind and all his attention was focussed.

It begins with Chalamet’s performance. He captures the essence and then just goes with it. He is not trying too hard to fake being Dylan. He has something, resembles the wiry, wild-haired singer and has enough of a voice to do the nasal drawl and sing the music well enough.

It centres on his performance and the reason he stole the limelight from the day he first appeared is his star presence – without paying too much attention to that stuff. He’s a lovely actor, has bags full of screen presence and pulls this one off magnificently.

It was as if Mangold with the right script and cast selected the right mood for the film and pulled it off masterfully.

To my mind, Chalamet is the James Dean of his generation. His reach is huge and his future cemented. And because Dylan, as one of the most influential artists of our time, is familiar to most of us, it must have been a challenge to capture his persona. But that he does with astonishing grace and with a strong cast and an especially brilliant performance by the always excellent Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, it’s a story that shines brightly, music that dominates and, for those of us who know some but lack the detail, a blissful few hours to catch up on working-class heroes.

TROU- EN SPEELMAATS CINTAINE SCHUTTE EN CAREL NEL MAAK ‘n BEGIN BY DIE MARK TEATER

~ debeernecessities

KLEUR FOTOS: Gys Loubser

SWART EN WIT FOTOS: Stephanie Gericke

Cintaine Schutte en Carel Nel speel nie aldag op die verhoog saam nie, maar die tyd is reg. Die twee gesels met DIANE DE BEER oor hulle jongste stuk ‘n Begin, wat Donderdag 30 Januarie by die Mark Teater in Johannesburg begin, oor hulle prosesse:

Cintaine Schutte en Carel Nel in rehearsals (links) saam met Tinarie van Wyk Loots (regisseur) en verhoogbestuurder Lize-Marie Wait (regs)

HOEWEL hulle werkprosesse baie verskil, is daar darem baie voordele ook aan saamwerk.

“Hoe nader ons kom aan die speelvak by die Mark Teater (Johannesburg), is dit net ‘n luuksheid dat ek dadelik ‘n wordrun kan doen saam met Carel in die sitkamer of ons kan praat oor die karakters,” vertel Cintaine.

“Maar natuurlik is daar altyd tussen hom en my ‘n Cintaine en Carel. Daar’s ‘n tyd wanneer ons praat oor werk en daars ‘n tyd wanneer ons nie praat oor werk nie, want ons moet ook lewe tussenin, en ek moet dit ook respekteer.”

Sy is iemand wat te veel wil praat oor werk, en dikwels belaai met notaboekies en bladsye vol geskryf. “Dan sien ek vir Carel  op die bank lê en as ek vra ‘wat doen jy’, dan sê hy, hy dink aan die scenes en hoe dit uitspeel in sy kop.

 “Ek moet dit op die bladsy hê.  Ek dink ook dis belangrik om nie altyd uit te vra oor sy werkproses nie, want dan verras jy jouself op die vloer. As ek uit ‘n gemaklike plek uit speel, kan ek enige iets regkry. Vir my is voorbereiding baie groot.”

Carel besef dat almal anders  werk. “Ek het nog nooit met ‘n akteur gewerk wat presies dieselfde werksprosesse as ek het nie. Dis normaal, en jy moet dit maar net respekteer. Elke persoon werk anders. Solank die eindresultaat positief is, gee ek nie rerig om hoe die ander  se prosesse werk nie.”

Vir hom is die belangrikste om by die waarheid van die stuk uit te kom en die eerlikheid daarin vind. En egos moenie deel van die proses wees nie.

“Dis die eerste maal in ‘n lang tyd dat die twee van ons saamwerk maar as vervaardiger toe ek eers besluit het dat Tinarie van Wyk Loots (onder links) die regisseur is, het ek haar die keuse laat maak van wie my Daniel sou wees. Sy het nie eerse tweekeer gedink nie, en dadelik Carel voorgestel want sy het gesê dit kort ‘n akteur met gravitas en sy het al met Carel gewerk met Baby I Love You.”

Cintaine  was dadelik opgewonde oor die saamwerk. “Hy is natuurlik ‘n goeie akteur, en daar sou ‘n shorthand tussen ons wees maar ek was ook bietjie huiwerig dat man en vrou in regte lewe op die verhoog gaan staan. Maar dit is waar die verbeelding van teater inkom waar ons verdwyn in die karakters.

 “Ek het ook iemand gekies wie se spelleiding baie sterk moet wees en daarom het ek as vervaardiger vir Tinarie gekies.”

Sy weet sy sal die vertroue wat hulle in die regte lewe het verplaas na die  verhoog en nie te veel druk daarop plaas nie. En dan kyk waar die kreatiewe proses hulle neem. Maar sy wil ook seker maak dat hulle lekker  kan  speel  en  fun  kan hê met die stuk.

Hoewel  Carel vier of   vyf   jaar laas  op die verhoog was  gaan hy  die  stuk   benader soos enige ander stuk met enige ander akteur of aktrise. “Julle moet mekaar toelaat om julle eie prosesse te volg en dis wat ons doen.”

Cintaine vertel dat hulle aan die begin van verlede jaar iewers in Europa saam  op ‘n trein was toe iets  vir  haar  fluister  dat sy weer lus is om te vervaardig. Kies ‘n stuk wat jy sal wil doen, is verder gefluister.

“Toe dink sy aan ‘n two-hander want dit is miskien beter as ‘n groot rolverdeling. Mens  wil soms groot gaan maar dis moeilike tye.”

Met navorsing kom sy op David Eldridge se Beginning af, bestel die play, kry dit en begin lees. Dit het haar gevang. Dit is ‘n stuk wat haar geraak en gepraat het.

“Laura is 38 en Daniel is 42 en dit raak baie punte aan van gesprekke wat ek al met my vriende gehad het, die psige van mense ons ouderdom. Dis ‘n baie naturalistiese play in die sin dat dit speel in regte tyd oor 80 minute, daar’s geen truuks of twists of plot -turns nie. Dis net ‘n slice of life.

“Hierdie stuk praat met my en ek het gedink ek moet iemand on board kry wat vertaling goed ken en wat dit kan lokaliseer.  Ek besluit toe op Nico Scheepers juis omdat ek al met hom gewerk het met Tienduisend Ton en ‘n fliek wat hy ook vertaal het.

“Die speelbaarheid het ook baie te maak met die vertaling en ek dink Nico het baie goeie werk gedoen.”  Tog met die eerste week van repetisies het sy, Carel, Tinarie en hulle verhoogbestuurder Lize-Marie Wait ook gesit en  dit hulle eie gemaak. “Ons het gesny waar ons gedink het maar nie te ver van Nico se vertaling verwerk nie, maar ons eie stempel daarop  afgedruk.”

Nou kan hulle met repetisies dit eg Suid Afrikaans hou, en die twee mense wat in die Kaap woon met eerlikheid speel.

Cintaine vertel dat daar baie verskillende temas aangeraak word en dat die skrywer baie lekker stories vertel. Die stuk het al oor die hele wêreld gespeel en die skrywer en sy agent was baie opgewonde oor die Suid Afrikaanse speelvak.

Vir haar as vervaardiger is dit ook lekker om van die sukses te hoor. “The proof is in the pudding, en juis omdat dit in soveel lande gespeel het, beteken dat dit praat met mense.”

Vir Carel is die temas wat uitstaan,  eensaamheid in die moderne wêreld. Dit handel oor mense van hulle ouderdom, laat 30s en vroeë 40s, hoe om iemand te vind in liefde en in vriendskap in die moderne wêreld van Tinder, Facebook en Instagram.

 “Hoe navigate jy om iemand te ontmoet. Dit klink dalk of dit makliker is  maar dit kompliseer eintlik dinge,”  sê Carel. “Dit maak dit anders,  en op daai ouderdom is mense getroud of geskei, hulle kom met baie baggage, so dis ook wat elke persoon saamdra. Wanneer jy iemand nuuts ontmoet is daar allerhande goeters wat jy uitvind.

“Die skryfwerk is baie naturalisties, dis twee mense wat mekaar ontmoet aan die einde van ‘n aand na ‘n partytjie, en ek dink Nico het ‘n baie goeie vertaling gedoen soos altyd. Dis net ‘n blik op die lewe, dis 90 minute waarin twee mense mekaar ontmoet vir die eerste keer, maar albei het ‘n verlede.”

Cintaine se karakter is Laura, 38 jarige vrou, en ‘n besturende direkteur by haar maatskappy. Sy is baie suksesvol, het sopas ‘n woonstel in Sandton gekoop en dit was haar housewarming  

“Sy is ‘n interessante kat en dit is so lekker om met Tinarie te werk want sy gee my so baie insig, verskillende perspektiewe om hierdie karakters in fully-fleshed mense te verander.”

Hulle hoop gehore sal hulleself of ander in die karakters herken.

“Laura is baie ver verwyderd van my af, en nou dat ek ‘n breuk gehad het na verlede jaar se Woordfees, is dit lekker dat ek weer bietjie kan deepdive in haar psige. Sy het ‘n baie goeie selfbeeld, lyk na ‘n baie sterk vrou, en sy sê haar vriende is jaloers op haar, die aande uit, die sukses. Sy is so in beheer van haar eie lewe.”

Dis hoe dit voorkom sê Cintaine, maar onder draai die duiwels rond. “Diep, diep binne is sy baie alleen en eensaam. Sy wil ook die wit trourok he, die kinders, ‘n familie. Sy wil ook iemand na haar huis toe kan nooi om te kuier. Dis maar die primere behoeftes van menswees en sy het dit nie in haar lewe nie.”

As dit by Cintaine kom wat haarself beskryf as  “‘n groot empath”, sy het empatie met Laura, maar sy  sal moet diep gaan delf om daai eerlikheid te kan speel wanneer sy uitkom by hierdie vreemdeling.

“Want ek dink nie sy deel verskriklik baie nie, sy bou mure op waar ek self so min mure het dat ek te baie deel. Maar as sy met Daniel begin deel, dan sien ons wat gebeur as daardie mure afgebreek word, en hoe die eerlikheid uitkom.”

“Daniel is ook baie anders as ek, dra baie bagasie saam met hom rond,en het baie verkeerde besluite geneem in sy lewe,” vertel Carel. “Hy is alleen en op soek na iets. Ek dink hy soek na human connection as gevolg van omstandighede en waar hy is in sy lewe hy is.

“Hy is baie anders as ek maar tot ‘n mate tog die selle. Elke mens soek maar connection, dis alles goeters wat jy verstaan. Hy’s net gewone man wat soek na die dinge wat ons almal wil he.

“Ek hoop mense geniet dit obviously, ek hoop hulle lag want ek vind van dit nogal komies en snaaks en ek hoop mense hou van die karakters want hulle is gewone mense met goeie harte wat eintlik net hulle pad deur hierdie wêreld probeer vind en ek hoop tot ‘n mate dat die gehoorlede sal voel asof hulle voyeuristies (nie op weird manier nie),  kyk hoe mense mekaar ontmoet, die op en af van nuwe verhoudings, dis wat ek hoop wat mense sal ervaar.”

Vir Cintaine as vervaardiger is dit ‘n groot eer om in een van ons land se beste teaters te kan speel en die stuk na Gautengse gehore te kan bring. Butterflies is daar, sê  sy maar daar is niks lekkerder as om op ‘n verhoog te staan met ‘n gehoor nie. “Hulle voel amper vir my soos deel van die stuk, nog ‘n karakter. Die energie is so tasbaar in daai 90 minute, mens moet maar duimvas hou dat dit werk.”

Maar die ergste lekker lê vir haar by die optel repetisies wanneer jy kan werk aan die stuk en so gemaklik as moontlik kan wees voor jy op die verhoog klim.

Vir Carel is dit sy eerste liefde. Dis wat hy geswot het, intussen paar liefdes bygekry, “Cintaine is een van hulle maar ook televisie en film en baie lekker om terug te wees … op die verhoog.”

Vir“hom is die lekkerte altyd die repetisie periode want “as jy begin en jy  kry die ritmes, is dit amper soos jou eie klein geheimpie en ek hou nogal daarvan om dit vir myself te hou. Dan kom die anxieties van nou moet ons dit deel met ander mense. Gaan jy gejudge word, is jy goed genoeg. maar jy kom oor dit alles en beweeg terug na die eerlikheid van die storie wat jy met mense wil deel. Jy leer om met die anxieties saam te leef.”

“As die stuk lekker speel, is dit ‘n wen situasie, en as mens by ‘n teater kan speel en ons sal graag na verskillede feeste wil reis,” sê Cintaine oor die verloop van die stuk.

Sy speel ook bietjie met die idee omdat sy die laaste paar jaar huiskonserte gedoen het dat mens  die stuk in iemand se sitkamer kan doen. Maar sy besef ook sy  moet  haar mede akteur respekteer en dit sal afhang of hy dit sal wil doen, getroud of nie.

Dit is ‘n baie anderste energie en tipe intimiteit wat jy jouself voor oopmaak, vertel sy, maar miskien is dit tog iets wat die stuk voor vra. “Die tyd sal leer,” sê sy.

Vir Carel sal dit  afhang van sy beskikbaarheid,  sê hy tong-stewig-in-kies. “Maar sy sal maar my beskikbaarheid moet check, want ek is soms nogal besig.”

En ons wat teater kyk, hou duimvas dat dit goed gaan met die twee – deesdae gesoute -akteurs, en dat hule die land deur speel met ‘n Begin.

*Die twee toegewyde akteurs het vrae beantwoord terwyl hulle luilekker in Griekeland getoer het verlede jaar voor die Woordfees speelvak. Die het intussen suksesvol plaasgevind met baie goeie terugvoer. Dit open 30 Januarie by Johannesburg se ikoniese Mark Teater en die speelvak is tot 16 Februarie.

Om te bespreek:

https://www.webticket.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1558065074

KKNK’S BI-ANNUAL TEXT MARKET A THEATRE EXPERIENCE THAT SPARKLES WITH INNOVATION

~ debeernecessities

DIANE DE BEER

Tinarie van Wyk Loots talking about her script Hamlet/Speenvark.
Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht

DIANE DE BEER

This is the 9th time I’ve written about the Klein Karoo Kunstefees/NATi/Baxter Teksmark (text market), the reason being it is such a smart creative endeavour.The brainchild of Hugo Theart, the CEO and artistic director, Hugo Theart of the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK), it is one of my favourite events of the year It’s existence was born out of need because original local scripts had become a problem. What they were hoping to do was to create new theatre texts which would provide local content for the festivals as well as encouragement for both budding and seasoned writers. And that is exactly what happened.

This past festival was the 9th, 156 text ideas in many of our official languages have been presented and in total, 43 of these texts have been developed into full scale productions, some of which can also boast well-deserved prizes.

What I find so intriguing is the zeitgeist that shifts year by year. Very specific strong themes usually emerge and it is fascinating to observe the topics tackled and which struggles or celebrations the creatives have focused on in a particular year.

One of the extraordinary gifts that this particular platform supplies is the chance for artists to experiment, to test ideas, to play and simply to reach for the stars which is something that quite a few playwrights attempted with brilliant results.

Acknowledged as one of our best actors, Tinarie van Wyk Loots presented a play titled Hamlet/Speenvark. Even the title suggests that this is going to be something unusual. Blessed with her acting skills, she could present her own play/monologue, which I found challenging yet immensely exciting.

She describes it as an attempt at a solo production, or struggling poem, modelled on, and with apology to Shakespeare’s Hamlet (and she cites Jonker, De Villiers, Malherbe, Totius, Opperman and Yeats). That’s quite a list.

She writes that it is “a tentative but violent investigation into the emotional landscape of being South African – the search for identity and a relationship with guilt and victim mentality.”

She further explains that her choice was driven by her “ancestors rooted in Africa and Europe, the disillusion of humanity, and emotional suicide depicted through the extrapolation of various characters in the original script, who all speak from the same mouth.”

The reading was magnificent and I could feel that this was going to develop into something quite extraordinary. Van Wyk Loots is someone who has given her heart and soul to the stage. Few actors can still afford to do that. But she has the skill and talent to keep adding to her repertoire and her engagement with theatre.

Not only can she write, she can then take the text, already her own, and do with it whatever she wishes. Personally I can’t wait. This is the kind of production that keeps theatre alive.

Dianne du Toit Albertze in conversation about Meire en Pinkie.
Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht

Never one to shy away from tackling holy cows, Dianne du Toit Albertze’s writing grabs you by the throat. On first reading of the text, I needed to know who had written with such abandon and such a brave heart. When I discovered who it was, I knew it couldn’t be anyone else and I was surprised I didn’t pick up the harsh yet haunting style of this writer.

Meire en Pinkie depict orphanage runaways and ladies of the night and day. Okiep jintoes with nagging drug addictions who scramble for survival daily, searching for a cure, writes Du Toit Albertze, but fail to know how to get it. But they continue running towards ways to escape the vicious cycle of poverty and abuse.

But she points out, life has a way of outsmarting you. The sins of their mothers catch up with them when they are accused of selling the means to vicious addiction, Meire’s child. It’s something they endured themselves as children. And now they feel abandoned

Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht
A scene from Meire en Pinkie.

It’s gritty, hard-hitting and without compromise. Some would argue for something with less hard edges but this is exactly what theatre can achieve: to tell real-life stories in a language that becomes a character, confronts you and makes you listen without turning away. This is when theatre becomes therapy for those writing and performing as well as those watching.

These are just two of the standout texts, part of this year’s text market at the Baxter but there were many more that had potential for further development and some already  stage-ready.

Playwright Gavin Werner (Meeting Murphy, centre) with two actors playing the parts on either side.
Foto: Nardus Engelbrecht

The theme of bullying captured by Gavin Werner in Meeting Murphy will touch everyone who would have experienced it in some form. Another one that popped up in quite a few texts was memory and the way individuals remember the same event in different ways. How we view the world is often coloured by past experiences and this can lead to discomfort in some instances.

The Salt Lesson by the insightful Sibuyiselo Dywill also tackles memory but here it has to do with different generations, cultures and languages and most importantly for the playwright, from the same bloodline. In any context this is a huge ask but with the South African apartheid past, when the elderly family member (white) suffers from dementia and regards the youngster (black) as an intruder rather than a son, things can get really messy.

Playwright Sibuyiselo (with the mic) surrounded by the three actors in his play The Salt Lesson.
Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht

It’s such a clever idea which explores different issues in genius and thoughtful fashion forcing audiences to look at their own world views from a different vantage point.

Scenes from The Salt Lesson. Pictures: Nardus Engelbrecht

With plays written in home languages including Afrikaans, English and Xhosa, the premise is embracing and expansive with the graft expanding year by year. Once we can figure out how to present theatre in different languages so that everyone can understand – easily – Teksmark will truly break down barriers and shift theatre in this country into a unique stratosphere.

And if you want to check out what is happening at the second Gauteng Teksmark to be held at UJ, where different playwrights and others involved in the theatre industry discuss their ideas as play readings, enquire with J.C. Aucamp at 0763335945 or jc@kunste.org.za.

The KKNK 2024 Gauteng Teksmark will be held on 24 and 25 October at Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, Kingsway Campus, University of Johannesburg.

ANDREW BUCKLAND RETURNS IN THE CLASSIC UGLY NOO NOO TO JOBURG’S MARKET THEATRE

~ debeernecessities

DIANE DE BEER REVIEWS:

THE UGLY NOO NOO

DIRECTOR: Janet Buckland

PERFORMER/WRITER: Andrew Buckland

VENUE: Mannie Manim Theatre at the Market

DATES: Until September 1

Pictures: Ruphin Coudyzer

What a delight to revisit Andrew Buckland’s The Ugly Noo Noo, which was written and performed for the first time in 1988.

That feels like a lifetime ago and it’s not often that we get the chance to revisit these classics of local theatre that travelled the world and won accolades all round.

They cleverly kicked off with The Making Of, presented as part of performance lectures and demonstrations at SO|The Academy for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg with Buckland giving audiences (those who had seen it before and those going for the first time) insight into the development of his signature style. For him, the play was a response to the political and social context of apartheid South Africa in the late 1980s. For the audience, the talk was a chance to get closer to the thinking and strategies of this astonishing South African theatre maker.

Athena Mazarakis, Momenteur for SO | The Academy for the Less Good Idea, explains that The Ugly Noo Noo is a seminal work in the canon of South African theatre.  

“The work is not only a biting piece of allegorical protest theatre but it also established Buckland’s unique style of the highly physical one-hander that blended elements of mime with razor-sharp text.

“It is a style that has since influenced and inspired multiple generations of performers and theatre makers, defining a particular South African brand of physical theatre marked by the combination of physical virtuosity with a strong textual strand and the solo performer who single-handedly takes on an entire cast of characters.”

She reminded audiences that, “not only is this re-staging a reminder of the part that theatre and artists played in the struggle but is also a continued reminder to artists today of the power that their work holds to critique and question the many injustices that surround us.”

For Buckland, his work is all about the imagination of the audience, where the action of the piece is given life. “It’s a delicate line to get the audience curious, like charades on steroids, as you draw them into the play.”

Play, in fact, says Buckland, was where it all began. He was the youngest of seven siblings and started playing on his own for hours, being the hero in his own world.

For this particular piece, 36 years ago, it began after witnessing his wife’s response to what had become known as the Parktown prawn. “I always loved language put together with movement or stillness,”  he says.

Thus began the encounter between a human and an insect. He felt trapped in the world of apartheid at the time. How does a white man deal with what is happening around him on stage? He knew he had to participate in a meaningful way. The Ugly Noo Noo gave him the perfect allegorical way out, offering him a novel way of telling stories while at the same time pointing to the world around him and the horror confronting South Africans.

What he was familiar with was his own angst and fear. Being the artist he is, The Ugly Noo Noo was where it all began. And while we were in the grips of apartheid when it first emerged, this time the world is struggling with a sudden explosion of fascism all over the place, and the timing of the current season could not have been more apt.

Looking back, that has been Buckland’s weapon (deliberately or simply instinctively). His work has managed to capture a particular zeitgeist which in some fashion seems to hold countries  to ransom.

What he discovered with this work was that it was possible to use laughter as a vehicle to invite people to acknowledge and confront their fear.

Watching the performance all these decades later and again hearing the text it is obvious why it was such a success while still retaining all the power of performance and  storytelling as when it was first performed.

When talking about the making of, Buckland referred to his age, but what struck me was that all his many years of training, of honing his craft, have added to the detail and impact of his movement, which might have been diminished with age. Older and wiser, he knows where and how to compensate and embellish.

The text has lost none of its initial cunning and while his antics on stage has the audience in laughter much of the time, the real essence of the text is a still a stomach punch.

It is one of those that has all the elements celebrating the art of performance and storytelling when there’s a true genius at work. Buckland has always been one who worked with delicacy and delight when presenting his art. And his choice and timing of when and what to perform is spot on.

Hopefully he will return to that classic treasure trove of his and bring back all those memorable gems.   

MAKE SURE YOU CAN FEND FOR YOURSELF IN THE KITCHEN IS INA PAARMAN’S MAGICAL MANTRA

~ debeernecessities

Ina Paarman has been in the business for half a century and has been a competitive author in a genre that offers in abundance so you need to stand out and find your niche. She did all that and with her latest cookbook brings it all together. She shares some of the secrets of her success with DIANE DE BEER:

Success comes with consistency, says Ina Paarman who has established her reputation with just that. “You have to send out the same message all the time,” she says. Together with that you have to give practical culinary information and recipes backed by good, top quality, products.

Her food philosophy which probably grew through the years was that you have to be able to fend for yourself in the kitchen. “It is an essential life skill and the best way to stay healthy,” she advises.

And with a fast ageing population, this is her mantra, one that has never changed through the years. Instead it has grown stronger.

For those who have watched and heard stories through the years, teaching is her calling. “I love sharing knowledge. Information about skills and technique for example. I believe in removing the fear of food and at the same time the importance of understanding the essence of good nutrition.”

Fresh Pea Soup with Spinach Fish Cakes with Tartar Sauce

In the beginning and in her younger days, she was scared of famous dishes.; “I felt intimidated,” she confesses. But with some experience she learnt that it is best to be your own trendsetter and at the same time to pay attention to your customers. You have to understand and get to know their needs.

In her line of work, she was dealing with real people with families and friends to feed who love good food, food that men and children will enjoy. That’s quite a big ask, but because she was one of these women herself, she knew how to make it work.

In today’s world, less meat is the way to go if you take international trends into account and then you have to understand that everyone is battling with time. When it comes to preparing meals for a family, you are often dealing with people who have many different priorities and time is of the essence.

Branding in today’s world is huge and this is what Paarman understood from the earliest days. “The brand is part of who we are and what we as a family have always been intimately involved with.”

Venison Pie with Phyllo Roses

“Our lives are what we do every day. We do not have a heavy social life, and if we travel it always involves gathering ideas and knowledge. A good business is an extremely demanding taskmaster. But I won’t have it any other way.”

And it shows. Ina Paarman’s name has always been synonymous with quality and in the over-supplied world of cookbooks, you can’t afford not to get it right. There are just too many options and worldwide it has become BIG BUSINESS. Just watch the latest season of Masterchef and see what is happening in the food world. The quality of those young chefs is astounding.

Everyone who manages in a kitchen at some stage might think they have the knowledge for their own cookbook journey. Think carefully, as the specialist explains. “They must realise that success takes time and dedication. Just as you would give total dedication to raising a child, a business, to grow, demands time, attention and continuous re-investment of money.”

We should all know that nothing comes easily. Success has always meant hard work together with the luxury of talent which has been honed.

Talking to her about social media, she is still dubious about the benefits at all times. And that is probably most people’s feeling about this area of our lives which in many cases has become quite monstrous.

Even when we do understand how it has given many of us the ability to do what we do. “Social media is a great way to communicate directly with your customers,” she explains. “But you have to do it in an honest and credible way.” Again that sounds like experience talking. Everyone has had to find their own way.

Through the many decades, staying relevant has probably been her best tool. “Listening, listening and listening and then acting on what you observe,” is her solution.

In conclusion she celebrates the latest cookbook. “It has given us all a lot of pleasure she says. I worked with a talented team and photographer Nicky Hoyle. We took time doing the book (over a year) and worked with the seasons. Our garden was great inspiration and the team are the best in town!

“Beside we enjoyed some delicious meals and had exciting moments of creative stimulation and sharing ideas.”

She recommends the book as all the recipes are thorougly tested and will always work. How can that not work for those of us in our own kitchens? It’s exactly what you want.

She also includes that all the recipes are based on our South African culture with the availaibility of products extremely important. That and our style of eating.Homecooks will feel comfortable with the recipes, she adds. The print is large enough, the ingredients familiar and as a bonus, beautiful photographs. Finally, she says, “I felt the need to share a bit about my background to ‘set the scene’ for each chapter.”

Chicken and Olive Bake with Pitted Dates.

And if you need more encouragement.:

The book’s title, INA PAARMAN: MY FAVOURITE RECIPES, should seal the deal.

Their online shop has closed but the book is available from their factory shop in Diep Rivier, Cape Town or at certain Checkers and Exclusive Books brances.

Here is her favourite recipe in the book:

Ouma’s Karoo Lamb Pie:

This traditional recipe from my mother Nellie Jooste should be preserved for future generations. The aromatic pie always looks impressive and tastes and smells delicious. It can be prepared in advance and frozen with the uncooked pastry cover.

Main Dish:                                                                                 Sauce Condiments:

2 kg lamb on the bone (shoulder or knuckles)        1 t (5ml) ground coriander

Or a mixture of the two cut into 4cm pieces            2 cloves garlic, crushed

Ina Paarman’s Meat Spice                                                2,5ml  Ina Paarman Chilli and Garlic

2 cups (500ml) water                                                           seasoning

2 times 25g Ina Paarman Liquid Beef Stock                 2 t(10 ml) mustard powder

1 onion, chopped                                                                    2 t (10 ml) sugar

2 bay leaves and 5 cloves                                                     4 T (60 ml balsamic vinegar

Sour cream pastry if you have the book, or                    2 T (30ml) cornflour or potato flour

Bought all-butter puff pastry                                               mixed with a little cold water

Egg Wash:                                                                                Half an onion studded with 7 cloves

1 egg, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt

                                                                            Makes 1 to 2 pies.

METHOD

Adjust the oven rack to one slot below the middle position and preheat the oven to 160 degrees C

Season the lamb with Meat Spice. Place the water, the beef stock, onion, bay leaves and cloves into a large heavy-based cast iron pot with a lid. Add the seasoned lamb and cook the meat in the oven until  completely tender and starting to fall off the bone (approx. 2 and a half hours).

Spoon the meat out with a slotted spoon and let it cool a little. Remove the bones, excess fat, gristle and bay leaves, then flake the meat.

Fill up the stock remaining in the saucepan with water – you should have approx. one and a half cups. To that, add all the sauce condiment ingredients. Thicken it with cornflour or potato flour blended into a little water. Add the flaked meat and taste for seasoning.

Dish the meat mixture into a heat-resistant  pie dish of approx. 25 cm. Position the spiked onion half in the centre to prevent the pastry from sagging. Leave to cool down. Ideal to refrigerate overnight.

Cover the pie with pastry. Put an extra pastry strip on the rim of the pie dish, then cover the pie with pastry. Scallop  the edges. Glaze with egg wash ingredients beaten together. Turn the temperature up to 190 deg C. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Cover with foil, shiny side up, for the final 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning of the pastry.WINE CHOICES: A wooded Chardonnay or Shiraz will complement the butteriness of the pastry.