Hi everyone
With the media centre closing early on Saturday and me needing to drive back early Sunday, I didn’t get the chance to put up the last three reviews.
Now that the Fest is over, it doesn’t seem worth running reviews of the three individually, so here’s a quick run down of what happened.
The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra’s Gala Concert on Saturday afternoon was the most fun I’ve ever had at an orchestral concert.
Up until last night, I have been working virtually 24-7 since I arrived in Grahamstown a week and a half ago.
But last night I finally let my hair down (the little bit of it I have left) and partied the night away with a fellow Eastern Cape journalist.
ORCHESTRAL CONCERT by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Peter Valentovic with guest soloist Zanne Stapelberg.
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
THE Cape Philharmonic Orchestra showed its class last night at an outstanding, but surprisingly not sold-out concert at the Guy Butler Theatre.
The programme included a number of pieces which have become such a part of popular culture that even non-classical music enthusiasts would be familiar with them. These included Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers and Strauss’s Fledermaus Overture.
THE QUIET VIOLENCE OF DREAMS, presented by Endymion Productions, based on the novel by K Sello Duiker, directed by Neville Engelbrecht (main, drama, world premiere, Graeme College (today – Friday at 7pm and tomorrow - Saturday at 2pm and 7pm). No under 16s, sex, violence, language and nudity.
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
It’s a very disturbing and extremely long production, but if you are looking for a thought-provoking drama which examines issues of politics, relationships and sexuality in modern society, The Quiet Violence of Dreams could be your sort of show.
Based on the K Sello Duiker novel, which won the Herman Charles Bosman prize for literature in 2001, the production follows the lives of two main characters – Tshepo (Duke Motlanthe) and Mmabatho (Lebo Mashile).
Tshepo grew up in a household where his father was a gang boss, so violence was a constant threat. His mother was raped and murdered and he was also sodomised in a brutal attack when he was 17 years old.
He later discovered that his father may have been responsible for the incident, wanting to cash in Tshepo’s mother’s life assurance.
Tshepo gets a degree in journalism from Rhodes University, but has no ambition to pursue it as a career, and basically becomes a slacker, taking drugs, doing odd jobs and relying on others for accomodation and other necessities.
But the drugs affect his mental state, and he finds himself regularly admitted to mental hospitals.
Meanwhile Mmabatho, a woman he has a platonic relationship with, keeps coming to visit him in hospital, looks after him whenever he is released and basically acts like a big sister.
Then she enters a relationship with German exchange student Arne (Jacques Bessenger), which goes very well at first until he (a) cheats on her and then (b) gets her pregnant.
While she is dealing with these issues, Tshepo, after another horrible sexual assault incident, which really shocks the audience, enters into a career as a male prostitute working for a massage parlour.
Most of the interaction with his clients are quite funny, but again the physical nature of the homosexual interaction may shock many in the audience.
Ultimately both Tshepo and Mmabatho are on life journeys, trying to reach a point where they know what they want from life and no longer need to rely on others, or each other, for support.
Mothlanthe is outstanding in the lead, while Mashile is fairly strong in support.
Elton Landrew is also good in his three roles as hospital patient Zebron, roommate Chris and client Abdul, although Garth Collins doesn’t vary his acting enough in the five different roles he plays.
The production runs for almost three hours, although that does include a 15 minute interval.
It’s an excellent work, but definitely not for sensitive audiences.
OZYMANDIAS, presented by First Physical Theatre and the John Allen Project (dance, main, Alec Mullins Hall, tomorrow – Saturday at 2pm and 7pm):
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
IF there’s one thing that can definitely be said about this Grahamstown-New Orleans collaboration, it certainly is different.
It’s a multi-media production, with interviews with the cast members and other individuals projected on screens while two sets of dancers perform scenes linked to what is being discussed on screen.
Based on Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, the production comments on issues related to empires, statues, death, memories and legacy.
TEN BUSH, presented by the Market Theatre, written and directed by Mncedisi Shabangu, co-written by Craig Higginson (main, drama, world premiere, Rhodes Box, today – Thursday at 7pm, tomorrow – Friday at 2pm and 7pm, Saturday at 11am and 3pm):
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
TEN Bush is an emotionally and politically charged drama playing out in a world where traditional beliefs clash with personal relationships.
The story is set in a village in Mpumalanga, where centuries ago a battle took place when 10 tribal leaders united to fight their Basotho enemies.
But Chief Maluza (Hamilton Dlhamini) went against the plan, withdrawing his soldiers, leaving the others to be ambushed and killed.
Well last night was fun.
I was due to see a show called Music in the Air at 7pm at a venue I’ve never been to before called the BB Zondani Hall. It’s out of the main part of Grahamstown, in the township area.
I was quite looking forward to seeing it – it was due to be a musical tribute to the stars of South African music in the mid to late 1980s: Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Brenda Fassie, Chicco, Stimela and Lucky Dube among others.
UNDER THE STARS ABOVE THE TREE, presented by Yawazzi Theatre Productions, directed by Sanjin Muftic (fringe, physical theatre, Masonic One today at 2pm, tomorrow at 4pm):
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
THIS two-man production tells the story of a young boy in a world where the entire planet is covered by a huge tree and no living person has ever seen the sky, except the boy’s grandfather.
Grandpa is very old and is almost ready to die, but cannot until someone else on the planet has climbed to the top of the tree and seen the heavens. Based on the old man’s stories, the boy also believes he can only become a man once he has seen the sky.
I’M NOT THERE (main, film, directed by Todd Haynes, starring Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin and Ben Whishaw, Olive Schreiner Hall, tomorrow – Saturday – at 3pm):
Reviewed by Leon Muston, Arts Editor
IN eight years of film reviewing, I’ve never seen as many people walk out at the end of a movie looking utterly confused as I did with the film I’m Not There.
The film is about Bob Dylan … only, it isn’t.
