Category: Shows

THE BLACK CIRCUS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BANTU IS ORIGINAL, LIFE CHANGING AND A JOY TO BEHOLD

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REVIEW BY DIANE DE BEER:

THE BLACK CIRCUS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BANTU

ARTIST: Albert Ibokwe Khoza

DIRECTOR: Princess Zinzi Mhlongo

DATES: June 26, 27, 28, 29

VENUE: Mannie Mannim Theatre at The Market

It’s explosive, it’s engaging, it plays with your mind (stretching it this way and that), it’s mesmerising, it sweeps your whole being along and most of all, it’s original and creative in a way that heightens all the senses. And then it shows you everything theatre can be.

Khoza is a presence not only with the theatricality of their costumes but especially with the way they move, speak, sing, chant and engage their audience from start to finish. There’s no time for your mind to wander or wonder, you’re simply in the moment as you participate in this experience that for most of us would be completely unique.

It’s ritual and rhythm, it’s engaging your whole being. This isn’t something you‘re watching, you’re participating on a level that is here and now. It’s theatre-in-the round with the performer, the one who is leading the way on this exploration of the past where human zoos and exhibitions in Western societies, our societies, turned people into curiosities to be paraded and exploited for the delight of white fetish. That is even difficult to write after seeing this play.

Especially for those of us on the oppressors’ side, while we gasp in horror at the stories, we know what our race has done to people because of the colour of their skin, have seen many plays and read many books about those times, yet, sadly it remains just that. It’s not as though your body can viscerally experience what that must have been like. It’s something that white people to this day never experience. They simply don’t have to navigate a world that plays by rules made for them … still.

How many times have you as a white body thought about how anything that you do on a specific day will be determined by the colour of your skin? Think of Trump’s world in today’s context for example. People are being rounded up and deported even with citizenship because of the way they look.

Khoza suggests that it is a history that is not spoken about and which they are determined to address so that those affected can reclaim, reflect and confront themselves as people. Because it is something that continues to this day, for them it is about the need for spiritual healing and reclaiming violated dignities.

The one thing all of us have felt in our lives is humiliation. For many it is an occasional thing that can be quickly discarded as you move on with your life. For others it is an institutionalized part of their life and there’s no escaping. The only requisite to fall prey to this is the colour of your skin. Everything in our lives to this day is determined by this. Think Black Lives Matter.

It is described as an installation-based performance and for me personally, it was as though my whole body had suddenly been awakened. I felt alerted to the way the world works. Was there anything said that I hadn’t heard before or didn’t know? How many times have I not experienced the Saartjie Baartman story, a woman torn from her family, stripped of her identity as a human being, taken from Africa to Europe and displayed for the Western world to view in a human zoo? We know and sympathise about the atrocities of the past. And again we wonder about those happening all around us, because they’re still there.

What The Black Circus does is change the perspective; it inhabits your body and soul in a way that takes you the the heart of the atrocities. For Khozait is a place of collective healing where the shackles are discarded, and a spiritual connection established.

It’s a difficult experience to write about because it is one to experience rather than to analyse. You want to enter the space knowing just the title.

At the beginning I felt as though I was sitting in a glorious painting. A story of some kind was going to unfold and as with most theatre, I was excited. What I got was so much more. It was unexpected, challenging in the way theatre should be, explosive in performance and presentation, and something that has changed my life. And that is what theatre should be.

I will be looking at and facing the world diffently.

THE GOOD WHITE IS THEATRE THAT TELLS IT LIKE IT IS, WHICH IS THE MIKE VAN GRAAN WAY

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DIANE DE BEER reviews the latest Mike van Graan play

THE GOOD WHITE

DIRECTOR: Greg Homann

PLAYWRIGHT: Mike van Graan

CAST: Shonsani Masutha, Russel Savadier, Vusi Kunene and Renate Stuurman

SET DESIGNER: Patrick Curtis

LX DESIGNER: Themba Stewart

COSTUMES: Nadia Kruger

VENUE: Market Theatre

RUNNING TIME: Until June 1

Pictures: Ngoma Ka Mphahlele

Pair the title with the four characters on stage – Vusi Kunene (Black, pictured right), Russel Savadier (White), Renate Stuurman, (Coloured, pictured left) and Shonsani Masutha, (Black, centre front), — and, in the South African context, sparks will fly.

That is what Mike van Graan’s latest play leans into. He says in the programme notes that he hasn’t written anything but solo shows since 2018 and it feels as though this one has been bubbling under and then just exploded – in the best possible way. It’s an epic piece of writing which will have you gasping as he appeals to each one in the audience, whoever they are, to grapple with the issues – our inner core – of South Africa.

While Nelson Mandela did many things for this nation, coining the phrase Rainbow Nation was arguably not one of them. It is as though he constantly reminds us what we are not, but if you were part of the opening audience on what seemed to be a quiet Sunday afternoon in the theatre, you would have witnessed that we could be.

The perfect quartet: Vusi Kunene, Shonsani Masutha, Russel Savadier and Renate Stuurman.

The audience pretty much reflected the mixed bunch we are and from the deadly silence following the first poem of strength recited by the astonishing Masutha to the immediate participation during the rest of the play, it was as though there was another solo performer on that stage – the audience.

It captured the heartfelt emotions Van Graan has always been able to harness as he tackles the South African nation. And no one does gloves-off like this playwright. Setting the play in academia, he has chosen his boxing ring and then selected his characters to represent every foible in the human race, it felt like. And then he lets them rip.

As always, he doesn’t hold back, everyone and each weakness is held up for scrutiny and the constant audience gasping and finger clicks told you how he hit the mark throughout the play.

Through the years Van Graan has been honing his very own way of dealing with what he views as our fatal flaws and this time it feels as though he has unleashed it all in glorious colour. 

It might sound like something you don’t want to hear or see but, because South Africans will all relate to everything, it’s like witnessing the full South African story from Once Upon A Time …Prejudices in all their pitiful hostility, power plays, colour bashing, gender gore, poor vs privilege and the list is endless. He plays all those cards to their fullest.

Those who know his work, also know that he can write and he has never been scared to speak his mind. He does it to the Department of Arts and Culture and he does it on stage. When he has a platform, he steps up and tells it like it is and believe me, he is one of the few who speaks his mind unabashedly whenever he can.

He has been maligned to the high heavens, but nothing has stopped him. And finally, to my mind, here is his magnus opus and it is flawless and delicious to witness. And when (not if) you go and see it, I hope you have the same audience we had; it added to the fun and spectacle of the drama.

Add the director and the cast to complete the perfect coming together. Homann allowed the Van Graan words to do the work, which was the best thing to do. It should be unfettered because you really have to engage and listen to get the full extent, which here you do.

The cast delivers magnificently. I didn’t know Masutha’s work but she made sure I would never forget her. What a performance! From start to finish she’s there with all her energy and might and that’s what her volatile character needs. Stuurman is an old favourite and to my mind, this is her best performance yet. Savadier and Kunene also fit the bill and, as seasoned actors, they never put a foot wrong.

It’s a play I will try to see again towards the end of the run, because there’s just too much to take in at one sitting. It’s something — even though it doesn’t sound like it — that gives hope. If, as Van Graan suggests, this is exactly who we are, at some stage togetherness will take hold. As for now, we are still that dysfunctional family who needs a stern word to set us on the right path – and this is it.

We want more Mike please!

DON’T SINN AGAINST YOUR BETTER SENSES TO SEE THE LATEST RYAN COOGLER EXTRAVAGANZA ON OUR SCREENS

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The latest Ryan Coogler movie Sinners is an off-the-charts invigorating experience.DIANE DE BEER speaks her mind:

Currently showing at Ster-Kinekor

Michael B Jordan and Miles Canton face their fears in Sinners

SINNERS

DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler

CAST: Michael B Jordan, Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Lu Jun Li, Yao, Omar Benson Miller

If you are familiar with the movies Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther, you will also know the director as well as the star of Sinners. Apart from the fact that Coogler knows how to go big, work with issues and pick a star cast, everything else will be new.

Horror and vampires aren’t exactly my favourite genres, in fact, I avoid them, but here Coogler’s name was just too much of a draw. That and the fact that much of what he seemed to be aiming at in this film comes across like the themes in one of my favourite movies, Get Out.

Too many people like steering clear of issue-driven movies, but in our world where the divide is still so big in so many areas, as an older white film fanatic, I want to hear what the dynamic young black voices have to say; which stories they want to tell and also, how do they get those stories across.

That was what I was looking forward to in this one. The cast is huge and the actors are quite something. Coogler has worked with Jordan in most of his films and here he literally doubles up as the twin brothers Smoke and Stack (yip, that’s what they’re called). They’re equally dandily dressed, but their clothes, although similar, have distinctive features, and the one’s behaviour is more out there than the other’s. Fortunately, technology can pretty much perfectly deliver anything directors want these days.

Michael B Jordan and his friends stand together.

The rest of the cast are as cleverly picked and especially the two women, a stunningly statuesque Mosaku and the smouldering Steinfield, will knock your socks off with their performances. And if you don’t know the names, you will recognize them and after this movie, you will certainly also remember the names.

But everyone in the film impresses. The look and the style will grip you from start to finish and then you can add the music, which for me truly dominated in the best sense of the word. It is quite simply brilliant – both from the black brethren as well as the white trash.

The first are seriously into the blues and the latter have a more gentle, contained country folk sound. You will be rocking in your chair and the cast are seemingly given free rein to make those moves rhythmically magical. It’s one party you don’t want to miss.

The first half of the film is pretty much about the two brothers returning from Chicago where they have collected rolls and rolls of cash and boxes of Irish beer (courtesy Al Capone circa 1930) and returning to the Mississippi Delta (which already spells trouble), where they establish a juke joint in a rundown mill belonging to a supremacist landlord, who is only interested in the lucre and not the colour of their skin when he rents them the place … or so he says.

Then the hard labour begins as everybody gets ready to get the place rocking. As the night hovers on the horizon, when the sun sets the trouble begins.

Michael B Jordan and director Ryan Coogler discussing the scene about to be shot.

This is where it became a bit too much, as the seriously partying crowd are stopped in their tracks by a family of vampires who threaten to deliver them all into a permanent state of wandering.

And yet, those are all just the package in which this film is wrapped. What Coogler is really playing with is the grand divide which has been ongoing for millennia. Every time I questioned the rage and the explosive catastrophe that turns a festive night into a slaughter madness, I was reminded of the damage inflicted by their relentless savage treatment.

As always, critics differ, but here the critical thinking swings viciously from one end of the spectrum to the other – and I found myself on both sides in certain instances.

The originality was the standout feature for me. The epic extremes the director decided to launch when he truly wanted to make his point felt like the result of dealing with an unexplained hatred which has been raging for ages. And if you had to be on the receiving end of such constant humiliation, hardship and absence of humanity which have run through generations of your brothers and sisters, perhaps the results have to be of volcanic proportions.

I was wondering how many of especially the older generation would stomach this particular version but, for me, it is the weight of the story, the magnificence of the performances of especially the two female leads, the sublime singing, musicmaking and acting  by the young Miles Canton, the doubling up of the Jordan performances, or just to witness the making of the movie in this single instance, and the list goes on.

It didn’t all work for me, but as usual Coogan is epic in his filmmaking approach. Brace yourself, participate in the ride. Already the staff at Brooklyn Ster-Kinekor is saying it has been their busiest show yet. And techy podcaster Kara Swisher is celebrating the fact that Coogan negotiated good money on worldwide ticket sales as well as owning the intellectual property after a few years, something almost unheard of in Hollywood. Don’t miss the changing of the guard. It’s going to be one helluva wave – and perhaps just

A GREAT BEGINNING FOR 2025, THE KKNK FESTIVAL WAS A BRILLIANT SHOWCASE FOR THE ARTS

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Diversity was the element that dominated this year’s fantastic KKNK Festival (in Oudtshoorn at the beginning of the month) – from the audiences to the artists, also including the plays and performances. DIANE DE BEER reports:

PICTURES: Hans van der Veen (unless otherwise stated.)

On one day you could see a solo show, a play with both words and movement, a translated modern classic and a new work that will outlast some of us watching.

Yet as is often the case at this festival, theatre was what really captured the imagination – and true to the diversity theme, it played out in many ways.

For me it started with a bang with a piece titled Die Een Wat Bly (which can also be seen at the upcoming Cape Town Suidooster) with a cast consisting of the two talented dancers from Figure of 8 Dance Theatre (Grant van Ster and Shaun Oelf) who in this instance combined their extraordinary movement with the insightful words of Wessel Pretorius who seems to deliver an endless stream of brilliance. And the third member of this inspired cast is Daneel van der Walt who is an actor who has emerged these past few years as someone to watch.

Everything seemed to combine beautifully, from the story, how it was written, the excellence of the casting and the way movement underlined and emphasized every emotion so magnificently. I couldn’t resist catching it a second time and it confirmed my initial instincts that all the elements just flowed together seamlessly to present perfect theatre. I could easily watch it again … and again… and again.

In a different guise, Pretorius performed in Yasmina Reza’s translated text Kuns (which had previously been performed by two of the actors, also directed by Marthinus Basson in the English version titled Art). Pretorius and Wilhelm van der Walt (part of the former cast) were joined by Ludwig Binge in a play that satirises the often achingly precious way people view and talk about art.

Because of the NOW, a time where an anti-wokeness and fake news seem to dominate everything, it worked even better than the first time I saw it and with these three adventurous actors (all three Basson graduates who have established exciting theatre careers), it was perfect for this festival which always celebrates.

Basson also delighted with a play which has been on the circuit for a while, and I was thrilled to finally experience. Who would not be intrigued by a play titled Kruispad, of die legende van die goue vis.

Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht.

Again the casting blew me away with Eben Genis giving one of his finest performances in the role of the eccentric recluse Oswald whose life is rudely interrupted by two lost and rain-drenched youngsters played by two of the best, Edwin van der Walt and Carla Smith, with a glorious copper-coloured wig which completely changed her character without her having to say a word.

Because it plays with temptation and loyalty, it reminded me of the film Indecent Proposal in which Robert Redford offers to buy Demi Moore for a million dollars for the night.

Masterfully written and performed with great gusto you are never sure what is real or not, whether something is fact or fiction, and in fact when someone is being honest or not. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle that tortures and teases with a few disruptive detours that keep you slightly unbalanced as an audience.

There was so much more in the theatrical realm with solid performances in the Hennie van Greunen translated and directed Annie+Helen with Cintaine Schutte as Annie, the governess/teacher in the Hellen Keller story and Judi Hattingh as the severely damaged teenager who cannot see, hear or talk.

A mighty struggle ensues and from beginning to end, the two actors battle, and sometimes, bruise one another in a fight for something so much more than survival.

I have always been a huge fan when some of our younger directors (and he might take exception to that description) take on the classics, and I was excited to see Speelgoed van Glas translated, directed and designed by Nico Scheepers.

Casting was a further incentive with Annamart van der Merwe, Carla Smith, Ben Albertyn and Mark Elderkin on board, and was also alerted by all the awards they had already received, all of them thoroughly deserved. Van der Merwe’s bravura performance as the brittle mother is bruising as she embodies a woman who is desperately fighting to hold on to the only power available to her, that of motherhood (and in this instance also victimhood).

Her children, especially her son, have no such illusions and their confrontation reminds one of how a home which should be a protected space for a family can become a warzone which holds only fear and a frantic will of those threatened, to flee and find emotional freedom.

It’s devastating writing, smartly translated and, set in the present with a cast who have had the time to hone their craft and honour the play.

Also Die Potplant: ‘n Tragedie written and played by Karli Heine who changed what had previously been part of something now called Blitsteater into a longer piece had an interesting effect on me. It’s a wonderful idea with a script that’s inventive with underlying pathos – and yet, while it still had the impact and was cleverly stretched into a more comprehensive play, I think I preferred the shorter version.

It might have had something to do with the impact it had the first time round as well as having lost my heart to that version, I was more aware of the padding. Yet Heine is worth watching. She is someone that thinks out of the box as well as having the courage to take chances. You need all of that in this challenging profession.

Another joy at a festival is discovering new talent as well as witnessing the creativity of artists and how they find ways to explore their craft in a world with no boundaries yet many obstacles. Bibi Slippers, who can only be described as a compulsive creative did two shows as part of the Blitsteater (a bit like fast food, fast theatre), but there’s nothing fast about what she does with her imagination.

Picture: Stephanie M. Gericke.

I have always been fascinated by this young woman who has carved her own career in a very individual way. She pops up all over the show and her strengths lie in her words. She knows how to use them and has two spectacular poetry books that run like a thread through her performances.

Everything she does has thought behind it, is usually novel and it works. If anyone wants to see how to be an artist in today’s world and be in command of your own life, this is it.

In similar vein Sandi Dlangalala and Ilana Cilliers combined style and swagger to present an interlude of theatrical magic with Smak. The way they told the story in very little time with their whole being and soul was quite extraordinary.

A regular festival contributor, Llandi Beeslaar, who with her partner has been running a series of short performances by various artists, in the above mentioned Blitsteater, decided it was her turn to shine individually. She was ready to test herself as a comic with her first stand-up piece.

She participates in the arts in different ways, but this is a chance to use her own voice – and that she does with a particular style. Most importantly she has something to say and should keep going while honing her craft. There aren’t enough women in this space and the only thing she lacks is confidence.

Picture: Mia Truter.

A solo performance that stood out was that of singer/songwriter Frieda van den Heever.  I first noticed her as producer with a fine sensitivity as well as an imagination which seemed to be strongly independent.Picture

She has obviously decided it is her time and instead of producing others, she staged her own show. She’s got all the goods and probably if you start counting, has more talents than a triple threat. In this her first solo show (that I know of) at a festival, she did the performance as well as the production. She brought in Mauritz Lotz on guitar, but the rest was all done by this astonishing performer.

I’m more of a theatre girl than music, but she blew me away with her presentation, the way she put together her show, her music (on piano as well as singing and songwriting), her lyrics and her singing. I know I can find her album Ontspoor, onlineand that’s what I’ll do.

But to find new music so accessible and a performance that’s fresh, daring and quite darling. I’m a groupie. Once I checked her previous work (which I had seen, with her as producer rather than performer) I understood why I liked the show so much.

Karoo Kaarte is one of my favourite experiences every year at this festival. They pick their battles, how best to explore them and this year they joined forces with the District Six Museum and GALA queer archive and used the Kewpie: Daughter of District Six picture archive as a platform to develop this years’ experience.

It all culminated in a queer festival with a multi-disciplinary drama titled Kroon en Konfetti which incorporated three elements: Kewpie’s life and legacy as dancer and artist; the rich culture of Oudtshoorn’s beauty competitions called “models”; and 25 personal stories collected from Oudtshoorn’s queer community.

Dressed in all their finery, the “models” all gathered in a dressing room to start their show with the dialogue smart, sassy and with an edge. It was quite magnificent as are all the Karoo Kaarte productions and more than anything it’s the topics they choose to spotlight that’s so important.

Here is deals with a group of people who are already sidelined in a country where prejudice is still rife. With their queer status they are in search and hoping to find safe spaces in their community where they can celebrate their culture, yet behind all the glitz and glamour, the shadow of oppression is hard to ignore.

As always Neil Coppen, Vaughn Sadie and Tiffany Witbooi are the creative team responsible and my only regret – as happens every year – is that I couldn’t participate in all their offerings. It’s one of those projects that’s imaginative and innovative and even more importantly, they’re constantly working with elements that result in real change in a community that has always been neglected.

And then cleverly the festival ended with Nataniël and a company of 10 on the openair stage under the Oudtshoorn night skies. The elements aren’t his friends, but it was a glorious way to end the festival with a performance that showcased new voices and performers as well as the glorious artist himself with stories and songs that suited the occasion.

Tracy-Lee Oliver was the artist he chose to spotlight on the night, and she made full use of the occasion with spunk and singing that added spark to this final show. It was great to see someone step into the limelight with such poise. As usual, making sure he gave his audience all the hysterical stories and masterful songs they expected with his superb band and backup singers, he also paid it forward with this sassy introduction of new voices for this audience.

He first spotted her when she was a contestant on a television show he judged, and astute as he always is when it comes to producing for an occasion, this was where he decided to showcase her – for all the world to witness.

Rehearsal picture.

I haven’t even touched on the festival artist Henk Serfontein’s magnificent exhibition Die Stomme Aarde complimented by a performance piece by the artist and his collaborator Hannah Loewenthal as he made a painting to which she contributed while both of them participated in an expressive dance which further enhanced this particular emotional landscape of both the St Jude’s Church as well as the art displayed in this holy space .

It was the perfect example of how art and artists when working with an emotional intelligence can transport you in a way that seldomly happens in what has become quite a cranky world.

Similarly, Mareli Stolp, a pianist with a particular penchant for avant garde music invited animation artist Diek Grobler to illustrate her chosen compositions for a programme Die Gevlerktes. It was a stroke of genius.

The exquisite animation was imaginative in the way it enhanced the music and the listening experience which then also transformed into a visual feast.

I could go on, but this is simply one art lover’s experience …

See if you can catch any of these gems at other festivals and theatres in the year ahead.

IT’S THE THRILL, THE SPEED AND THE SLICK AND STYLISH COMBO OF FASSBENDER AND BLANCHETT

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DIANE DE BEER reviews:

BLACK BAG

DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh

CAST: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Gustav Skarsgǻrd

RATING: *** and a half

It’s quite serendipitous that while watching and then thinking about this latest espionage thriller currently showing on local Ster Kinekor screens, the US is again struggling with the latest scandal by what seems a most inept group of security heads.

That’s how seriously spying is taken in our modern world as different governments keep check on different countries to try to manage a world where we will all be safe.

Obviously the making of the movie happened long before all this played out, but be warned of a slew of spy movies popping up in the not too distant future. Those telling stories are already encouraged by the popularity of series such as Slow Horses and Day of the Jackal, both brilliantly made.

Casting plays a huge role, with Gary Oldman and Eddie Redmayne the stars in those two shows and here Soderbergh has gone for star power  –  Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. Strengthening his case even more, they’re playing husband and wife.

And upping the ante, the one is investigating the serious offense of leaking sensitive information to the enemy. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

The scene is immediately set with a dinner party to which all the possible suspects are invited and we find them seated around the dinner table. Naturally, it takes a while to discover who is who but that’s the fun part of a spy movie. The story shouldn’t be so oblique that you never get to unravel it, but it also shouldn’t be too obvious so that you get to the solution long before it is revealed in the movie.

That certainly isn’t the case here. George (Fassbender), however, is facing a dilemma. What if his wife Kathryn (Blanchett) is the culprit? And that is where the tension and the intrigue lie.

It’s all about style and luckily enough substance as these two actors play the game with great skill. Fassbender is the perfect spy with his inscrutable expression and formal manner while Blanchett, very fetching with long brunette hair, is much more vibrant and the one that you suspect could get in trouble because of her exuberant nature.

These might sound flimsy, but this couple have no problem playing their different roles and keeping you guessing. Is the story important? Not so much, which is fortunate because it could take you some time to get it worked out.

But that’s probably the point. If that’s what you like from your movies, this is it. You won’t get a better combination than Soderbergh and his pick of actors, which include an ageing Pierce Brosnan as their boss with Naomi Harris, Marisa Abela (recently seen in Industry) and Tom Burke completing the strong line-up.

It’s fast, extremely easy on the eye and yet the tension takes hold right from the start because the stakes are high. All the ingredients of the spy thriller are there, perhaps too perfectly to give it a strong beating heart.

Both the television series mentioned above focus more on the characters. With Oldman as the odd ball Jackson Lamb you’re immediately hooked and, with  the tension created by the high stakes with Redmayne as the assassin, you’re also pulled in. With a movie, it relies more on the story because of the time constraints. This one falters because it has less time to embroider, but it is a much faster ride and more exhilarating as the denouement is the ultimate goal. Need a few hours of escape? This will do it!

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.

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

~ debeernecessities

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.

PAUL SLAB’S NEW LOCAL PLAY, BITTER WINTER, CELEBRATES SCRIPT, DIRECTING AND ACTING

~ debeernecessities

PICTURES: Regardt Visser

BITTER WINTER

PLAYWRIGHT: Paul Slabolepszy

CAST: André Odendaal, Oarabile Ditsele, Chantal Stanfield

DIRECTOR: Lesedi Job

VENUE: Pieter Toerien’s The Studio at Montecasino

DATES: Until March 16

Everything to my mind seemed aligned for this one. I found the casting as well as the director intriguing, a new local play is always something to be excited about and Paul Slab has a way of climbing into a story.

At the same time, it also makes me nervous. I don’t want to raise my expectations by thinking ahead, but one can hardly prevent it.

Ensemble cast (Chantal Stanfield, André Odendaal and Oarabile Ditsele) and playwright Paul Slabolepszy

Either way, I was quick to exhale once the actors found their way on stage. One feels it immediately. It’s two actors in a room waiting (rather like a doctor’s waiting room) to be auditioned.

 Anyone who knows anything about theatre knows that this is both an exhilarating and a scary experience. Not many of us have to sell ourselves in such a public way each time when applying for a new job. And like most things in life, there’s not really anything that can be done to alleviate the nerves crashing into one another at high speed in these circumstances.

Not only that. If there’s something Paul knows everything about, it’s this. Both as a writer and an actor, it’s a scenario that he has lived most of his life – and one feels all of that when watching the play.

The two hopeful actors (the one at the end of his career, the other excited about the life ahead) who don’t know one another are sitting in a room checking each other out. Times are tough – not only for actors – and this is not a friendly space. There’s no one around trying to soften the gig they’re waiting for.

Every once in a while, a rather officious woman enters and, while she’s charming to the one actor, she bristles when the other asks anything. The tension is palpable.

Already a scary space for all involved, it is also heightened in the South African context. And this is what the playwright handles so well. He plays the moment and not the context, which he leaves to the audience to experience.

It’s subtle yet clichéd but with this clever script and a team who works with everything they’re given, it sweeps you along.

The title could work in two of our languages, English and Afrikaans, and that’s another trick up Slab’s sleeve. He has both languages (as well as three more indigenous languages inluding Sesotho, isiZulu and Tsotsi) flowing throughout and, in this instance appropriately and with some delicious irony in hand as he points to the state of the arts in general.

The choice of actors and director, novel and genius, adds to the grit and weightiness of what we’re dealing with. It’s not an easy world to navigate in current times and if your particular career choice constantly also takes you to the edge of life’s challenges, it can be excruciating.

And yet, that is where these people involved choose to play. That is exactly what this play explores. It’s part of who they are and what they have to do.

Bitter Winter is a fantastic vehicle for someone who has been in the game for some time and knows the territory, the people and their insecurities, and the fears involved. But then he also knows how to capture the magnetism of live theatre, how it cherishes the soul, captures our imagination and makes you think.

It works because everyone pulls together. The acting, the directing and the text all play their part.

I can hear Paul say Local is Lekker in his exuberant manner. And he’s right. When it works this wonderfully, it’s a joy to behold.

Bitter Winter is donating a portion of ticket sales to the Theatre Benevolent Fund and every cent counts.

A FABULOUS FEAST OF THEATRICAL GENIUS

~ debeernecessities

Review by DIANE DE BEER

CAKE STOPPER

ARTIST: Nataniël

BAND: Charl du Plessis (keyboards); Werner Spies (bass); Juan Oosthuizen (guitar); Peter Auret (drums)

VENUE: Atterbury Theatre with shows tonight at 7pm, tomorrow at 7pm, Saturday at 11am and 3 pm, and Sunday at 3pm; (13 to 16 February Roodepoort Teater; 5 and 6 March, Sand Theatre in Bloemfontein)

If you have followed an artist as closely as I have Nataniël, it’s not only the performance but also the progression that becomes part of the thrill of this spectacular talent.

Time and again, I have been curious at my astonishment at what I am experiencing during one of his shows, but I know it is the constant evolution of what he presents that keeps me enthralled.

He is one of the few who has managed to keep the element of surprise always present and he does this especially with his scripts. He has a mind that keeps on giving stories so fantastical and yet so based in reality that everyone can identify. But what elevates the presentation is his genius with words.

Bilingual and equally adept in English and Afrikaans, he has managed through the years to broaden his audience base in the way he has become comfortable in both. The stories immediately draw you in and the choice of language doesn’t play a part. It is the way his mind wanders, how he tells a story and the unique way he presents and arranges every single sentence.

Originality is one of those elements you either have or don’t. You cannot make it happen if it’s not there. And through the years, his has become stronger as his comfort levels have grown.

What you have now is a performer in total command of his art as he mesmerises his audience with his phenomenally unique storytelling. He is comfortable sharing the personal stories of his life and the way the world has always viewed and treated anyone who isn’t exactly moulded in the image of everyone else. He revels in the differences and through the years has become emboldened and embraces exactly the artist he is and wants to be. And we love him for that.

In everything he does, he always opts for the best and this is especially true of his band of class musicians. Headed by the masterful pianist Charl du Plessis, both Spies (bass) and Auret (drums) add to the individuality with their own musical flair. Add to that trio of perfection Juan Oosthuizen whose mastery with the guitar is legendary. Their performance is bliss.

It’s rare to have the accompaniment of such unusual talent, but Nataniël has always been secure in his own performance and knowledge that exquisite music enhances his singing, the real reason he loves performing.

The balance of stories and songs is important because the songs give you a reprieve from the density and sheer delight of the stories as well as a chance to breathe as you appreciate the excellence of what you are witnessing. And with time and maturity, Nataniël’s voice is richer, the music more nuanced and the singer has perfected his authentic sound.

I have always been captivated by what this artist brings to the stage because it is so unique, put together with boundless imagination and because of the inspired stories – a new play with every show he presents – each season is an explosion of the extraordinary. He has been a blessing to local audiences because of who he is and the riches he presents on stage.

The rarity of his creativity is a joy to behold. May he keep being the wonderfully colourful creation who once, twice, or if we’re lucky, three times a year holds us in the palm of his hand as he takes us wandering with wonderment into a world that is as charming as it is complicated.

Bookings: seatme.co.za

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