Sirkelpad Stirs the Schools
16 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Amy Jeptha, Cindy Mkaza, Ilka Louw, Out the Box Festival 2011
It’s easy to forget just how magical puppetry can be. As world-weary adults, we know ‘how it’s done’, even as we appreciate the effects produced. So, despite an ingrained mistrust of smaller humans, it actually was a real treat to sit amongst an audience of appreciative schoolchildren during Isangqa / Sirkelpad - a bilingual Afrikaans / isiXhosa tale of small children and big situations.
Sirkelpad follows the tale of two children who are struggling with the concept of death, something that has touched their lives at a very young age. Through dream, memory, imagination and spirit guidance, both come to discover a knowledge and understanding of the world that can heal their lives.
The children loved it. Despite the tale being poetic and possibly slightly complex for a very young audience, it was rewarding to relive the magic of puppet animation by hearing collective gasps when wooden puppets came to life, delighted squeals when they moved mischievously about the stage, even a few sniffles as they were hurt or distressed.
My Afrikaans proficiency is something of a joke amongst friends, but I was perfectly comfortable with this simple yet moving tale. I am, in fact, so glad that Out the Boxfest-ers have the opportunity of seeing a play that is not only in Afrikaans but is also performed with touches of isiXhosa – there are too few productions that allow these languages their stage-space and keeping them in the public performance space allows the possibilities they afford to be reimagined, re-experienced in ways that everyday dialogue cannot hold.
With a beautiful set by Ilka Louw and an interesting text by Amy Jeptha, we’re invited into a world of children’s fears, of absence and dreamscape, of loss and lack of understanding. While not everything about the text worked for me (and I’m very aware this could well be a language barrier issue), the children were captivated by the puppet world and intrigued by the tale that was so proficiently told, particularly by Cindy Mkaza and Sharon Martin.
Take a trip down this path, then. It’s a pretty interesting journey.
Virtual Performance; Total Innovation?
23 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Amy Jeptha, PANSA, Tara Notcutt
First the Baxter introduces ‘Taste, Tweet and Theatre’ – theatre and wine tasting where you’re encouraged to tweet your responses (to the theatre or tipple, whichever moves you more). Cashing in on trendy social media? Check. Free advertising? Check. Cunningly innovative marketing technique? Definite check.
Now PANSA are in on the action, with their March CT Live Festival giving us a week of interesting twists on performance, collaboration and online merging of creative minds. Today, following in a fine tradition, is tweet-a-play day.
No, really.
Two people, tweeting a play, line by 140 character line, for a full hour. Does it work? Check out last year’s winning entry, by that paragon of playwriting, Amy Jeptha and the demigod of directors, Tara Notcutt (hey, I’m allowed to be a bit dramatic too).
Are PANSA pandering to the masses? Making theatre for the MTV generation attention span? Or is it an innovative merging of technology and theatre, a meta-exploration of the anonymity and voyeurism inherent in being an audience member?
Hell, maybe it’s just a fun way to get Cape Town creatives thinking and working on building something fun. Together.
Whatever it might mean to you, why don’t you just check it out already and make up your own mind?
In other news, I’m heading off tonight to hear another birdsong – Blackbird opens at the Baxter 20:15. I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one.
