Four new productions will be part of the Artscape’s New Voices Programme, which will take place from Tuesday October 2 to Saturday October 27.
Scriptwriters and storytellers were invited to submit their work earlier this year. Artscape CEO Marlene Le Roux the programme seeks to give an opportunity to young writers and to restore dignity and confidence to those who have been disregarded and under-represented in the past.
She said the work must also add something new and fresh to the theatrical landscape.
From Tuesday October 2 to Saturday October 6, Nicola Moerman’s The Third Force, directed by Rafiek Mammon, will open the season. The Third Force is an artistic depiction of life and its many complexities and repercussions. It explores the actual experiences of an anxiety attack sufferer, those who look on and the social shunning; ultimately aiming at giving a voice to those who struggle to express how they really feel in a world that clearly favours extroverts and alpha personalities.
Next up is No Further Questions, written by Zinobulali Goduka and directed by Fatima Dike from Monday October 8 to Saturday October 13. In the play, a student is shot dead during a protest. The air turns sour when it is discovered that it is the president of the SRC and leader of Fees Must Fall, Khanyisa Ngxekani shot by her policeman boyfriend. Concealed truths come out as the court hearing proceeds. Billed as a psycho-political-thriller, the plot thickens around every corner.
Then from Monday October 15 to Saturday October 20, Korreltjie Kop Klong is my Dood, written by Herschelle Benjamin and directed by Sandra Temmingh, hits the Arena stage. Korreltjie Kop Klong is my Dood is a story about matriarchal love, struggles and strife. Somewhere in Mitchell’s Plain a single mom awaits the return of her son from yet another rehabilitation centre. After all the sleepless nights, countless hospital visits and neighbours’ jeering, she finds herself alone, yet again, in a constant battle between a mother’s love and a son’s debilitating affliction. This personal story offers a fresh take on the theme of the drug scourge.
And closing the season will be The Widow, an adaptation of Dr Nomfundo Mali’s support group reports, directed by Siphokazi Jonas from Monday October 22 to Saturday October 27. The Widow is a series of monologues representing a platform to investigate how widows cope after the loss of their husbands and loved ones. The monologues aim to create dialogue towards healing and recognise the pain that comes with loss.
Tickets for the plays are R60 each at Computicket or Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021 421 7695. A special season ticket for entry to all four productions will only cost R100.