Cape Town is calling my name again, I don’t believe in coincidences, it’s synchronicities, I read Jung.
Everything is deliberate, nothing happens by chance, the Universe speaks in codes. So I am listening.
Cape Town is calling my name again, it’s personal, it knows my first name, it wants to know if I am game.
Started off as whispers, I didn’t think much of it, but then started taking my best friends, first Stumza, then Phimza, all in the same month.
Cape Town is in my head again, it happened for the first time, then a second time, the third time is an omen.
The Universe has a secret language, you just have to learn to decode it.
Cape Town is calling my name again, angel numbers are everywhere, things are progressing beautifully, my energy is connected to the pulse that moves life, life is good.
Cape Town is calling my name again, wants to know if I am ready for the shift, to reply quick and make it swift.
Sure Cape Town, I am game.
I don’t believe in coincidences, it’s synchronicities, I read Jung.
Great show, wonderful story grounded in reality. Charmaine Weir-Smith is my new favorite actress, I’ve started following her on Instagram! Her performance was awesome, she killed it! I saw my mother in her. Crazy how social media can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand you get to see pictures of your crush, on the other hand it can induce depression with the incessant comparing. Let’s not forget how a viral campaign can make or break you. It certainly destroyed this family, we have the idiot, insensitive son to thank for this misfortune. It was a stupid joke, why would they broadcast it to the world like that? It was easy to care for the characters, I think a family dynamic enforces that. The show was funny and the pacing was perfect, awesome writing and masterful acting down to the microexpressions. It was a performance show and the cast performed! I am also guilty of using Facebook as a form of escapism, it’s easier to live through the lives of others especially when your life is filled with boredom. Rape is never an easy topic, a lot of cringe moments, I was left frustrated and disappointed with the idiot son. I shared in the father’s disappointment. He deserved the expulsion and to lose his beautiful girlfriend, he gets no sympathy out of me. The marital problems of the husband and wife has me contemplating about marriage, is it viable? Is it worth it? Are all marriages like that or is it just a running gag at this point? The lighting of the show was awesome, the lights moved the show, the lighting told the story. I was watching but I didn’t feel like a bystander, I was immersed in their world, I could relate with the characters, I understood their conundrum and like them I didn’t have the answers. I love that there is no Hollywood-fairytale conclusion because life isn’t like that, the human condition is difficult and we improvise along the way, no one has the answers and we are all fated to die. No one will remember us in the grander scheme of things because time forgets. Ending the show with the sons fuck-up was a nice touch and we also saw the notorious viral video, true boys will be boys but that was the worst video I’ve ever seen in my life, deserving in the expulsion of all those who where involved. Yes, harmless fun, boys playing around, it’s a joke, it’s funny, no one was raped but the expulsion is justified, they tainted the schools image and potentially the reputation. I salute and applaud the whole team. That was a classic show, the best. I loved the social commentary, it’s fun to observe, condemn and laugh at ourselves on the stage.
Wonderful story, great sets and the best Jazz music, I recognized the coal stove, worn out door and cohabitation associated with being from the township. A stadium of people can coexist and live together in a 4 room house and that’s the case in this story. Maybe not a stadium but family, extended relatives, girlfriend and close friend. Jewish girl moves in and is welcomed to the family. I love the family dynamic, makes the characters relatable as you can see yourself in their image, it forces you to care for the characters and stay engaged with the story, the conversations are hearty, free flowing and feel natural, dialogue funny, witty, serious, heartfelt and emotional. The show had everything, it was supremely entertaining. There’s a lot of range, textures and layers to the acting. For the most part the show is comedic but it does get threatening and dramatic. I cared for the characters, I saw my sister, mother, father and uncle. The gangster was humanized in a way I had not seen since “The Sopranos”, we got to see what the protagonist is usually like with his family, that made him a bit likeable despite the fact that he is a bad person with questionable morality. Like on “The Sopranos”, his family are enablers of the lifestyle. The mother welcomes a life of crime since his son gives him money. The gangster’s girlfriend, Princess is textbook Carmella Soprano with the lavish lifestyle and like Carmella, she is manipulated and bought with jewelry. She stays in the relationship despite the physical and emotional abuse. She is labeled “A princess of the slums” and as such, she has to take all the abuse, she has no other place to go, she has no other options, she’s living a good life, she’s in, she’s in! For most of the show, it feels like a sitcom, the live Jazz band controls the tempo and creates the feel, the 1954 Sophiatown jazz feel, love the costumes, the double breasted suits, cane’s and hats, it is gentlemanly and gives intellectual vibes. The actors on the stage were amazing, they were convincing, they were in sync, they had chemistry, they had a lot of enthusiasm and were animated and lively. They looked like they were having a lot of fun, they connected deeply with their characters. My favorite character is Lulu, the school girl, she’s funny and I appreciate her perspective. I enjoyed the gangsters performance, he had the crowd at the palm of his hand, he is violent, a bully, exhibits preditory behavior, manipulative and an overall bad person. Oh well, what do you expect from a gangster? Yes he is a family man but a gangster nonetheless. Great cheographed moves with wonderful melodic and harmonic singing, the band are amazing throughout, they are hidden for most part of show by the set (Shacks/Informal settlements) but they are revealed to the audience when Sophiatown is bulldozed to the ground. The depiction of the township is so accurate with the loud dogs and music, it made chuckle. In the end, everybody moves out or to be precise is forced out! Even Princess snaps out the trance she was in and figures she deserves better. Segregation and apartheid prevails and the white Jewish girl moves to Yeoville, ending the chance at romance with her black writer intellectual, the gangsters righthandman Charlie, is forced to live in pipes under a bridge because he is colored and can’t move to Meadowlands. One day gets knifed to death courtesy of a fight he was involved in. The rest of the family gets relocated to Meadowlands. Their movers are unsympathetic, insensitive Dutch men who are on a schedule and don’t negotiate with anyone, they just bring everything down! Having identified with the core characters for more than 2 hours, you feel their pain and helplessness at the situation. In the end they all lost. Amazing story with authentic characters played by actors who executed optimally.
Spent the day as an observer for Sam, SamSays on the credits. She told me to check out the Gibson Kente lecture. I was enthused, Soweto theatre, of course, let’s go! Always wanted to come to Soweto but I hadn’t found probable cause, Sam put together content, theatre and Brenda Fassie to get me there, that my good man is an offer you can’t refuse – The Gibson Kente annual lecture. Before this I didn’t know much about Gibson Kente so I did my research and learned much about him. Legendary playwright, composer, director and producer born in the township like me 🙋🏽♂️, started a theatre in the township, collaborated with Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu on his first play titled “Manana, The Jazz Prophet” – a play that depicted gangsterism. Sello Maake ka-Ncube called him the “Godfather of theatre” and he trained more than 400 artists including Brenda Fassie and Mbongeni Ngema. Let’s not forget wrote songs for Miriam Makeba and Letta Mbulu. Oh, thank you for the great pass Sam! It was an awesome day, I learned a lot, it was supreme, the Soweto theatre is beautiful, what a design, the colors, the outdoors vibe, the modern architecture is beautiful! The place is a piece of art. A great place to lose yourself, the sound is crisp, wonderful acoustics, I felt like I was in an oven being cooked but it wasn’t hell, it was pleasurable, like closing your eyes listening to your favorite music, theatre is wonderful, performance arts, an imitation of life, art, it makes life worth living because without it it’s just boredom and death. Definitely one of the best theatres I’ve been to, spacious and comfortable, accommodative and bakes you, temperature slow burning, chilled and relaxed. There is plenty of space for parking, it’s easy to get there, outside area to chill and great art to look at. The Soweto Theatre is pretty awesome! I enjoyed the lecture, it was insightful and educative, quite specular, I am inspired, Gibson Kente is a legend, 23 plays and I want to see them all! The subject matters he explored are about everyday living and life, the black experience, township life, human nature, hope, death. He dealt with what it meant to be human and alive, fought against apartheid and believed in freedom and human dignity. It was an experience and enthusiasm reigned, people connected, energy flowed, loved beamed, the lights emitted, the sound crisp and the stream of consciousness was oscillating in a high vibration. It was a day for theatre. All the theatre people were there, I am talking about directors, actors, legends, writers and producers. I also met a friend I was first acquainted with On the Square (Theatre on the Square, Sandton) who produced a show titled “From Soweto with smiles” Mojalefa Mogagabe, a talented creative I was happy to engage with. Kente, the father of black theatre, SamSays on the credits.
I usually come in an hour before the show, to prepare my mind for the experience, take in everything, be comfortable with the scenario, acquaint yourself with the environment and it was not any different this time. I came in nice and early to Jabulani, I love the fact that the theatre is in the township. I made friends. I was home. When you travel all around you realize that people are the same, we are motivated by the same things, we all want the same things, we wear the same things and we even look alike. The faces are different but we still connected, we could still be friends. I even got myself a Kota, what I eat when I am at home. The township (Kasi) is amazing, it’s the people, the community, diverse cultures, all crammed into one, we may be different but we co-exist as one, the pulse is one because all of humanity is one. Soweto is a breeding place for stories, content and inspiration roams all around, it is the place that made Gibson Kente, he told his peoples’ stories, he brought solace to those who needed it, he reflected and made sense of reality, he was a pillar, he entertained, he made people forget, he inspired, he is forever, Kente, the father of black theatre.
Dr. Andile Xaba the lecturer of the program is a great teacher, knowledgeable, prepared, articulate, passionate and has a lot of love for the arts. He grew up in Soweto and knew Gibson Kente, he was influenced and inspired by him. I learned a lot from him. It was a great lecture that covered Kente’s whole life. It was thorough and informative. iComplete and the band were amazing, heavenly voices, sharply dressed in all black, they were the tempo of the day, smooth and sophisticated. The violinist, Tshegofasto Matabane blew me away! She is so talented, showed so much focus and attention when she was playing the violin, it sounded so beautiful. Shoutout to the Artistic Director of the show James Ngcobo, the program was wonderful, it was an incredible day. It was an experience, my taste, while we chilled outside waiting for the lecture to commence we were treated to some wonderful Jazz music, it was a treat. Counselor Lubabalo Magwentshu provided the Keynote Address. Nomathemba Matu a student of Gibson Kente was the guest speaker sharing entertaining stories about his mentor. She shared life lessons with the audience. She is an amazing storyteller and I was engaged, I took what she had to say to heart. Her perspective humanized Gibson Kente, she made him a person. She was relatable. Soweto is awesome! I enjoyed the performances, everything was masterfully executed. The whole event was well coordinated and professional. One word to describe the event, “Masterpiece”. It was honestly the best day of my life. Kente, the father of black theatre, SamSays on the credits.
I was at the Market Theatre for the opening of “The Fall”. The place was filled to the brim and gushing onto the floor. So much so that the auditorium couldn’t accommodate everybody with seats, some people sat on the steps. The venue was exuding radiant energy and it was contagious. Excitement was in the air and everyone was beaming. I also met Bongiwe Potelwa, Yay! Thank you for the invite Bongi.
Set in 2015 at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. This piece of protest theatre explores issues of race, decolonization, social inequality, upbringing, the #rhodesmustfall movement and the #feesmustfall movement. It follows 7 students with different perspectives, backgrounds and ideals, united by one cause bringing down the statue of Cecil Rhodes. The statue is a symbol of colonization and it doesn’t reflect the current times and ideals of an African University. Instead it divides and perpetuates racism among the students and the staff. It is a symbol of oppression, privilege and the white man’s dominion. It is like a persistent dark cloud hanging over them. The students converge and discuss the possibility of bringing it down. One student suggests taking it down with a chisel and hammer, while another contemplates a truck. Ultimately, the statue is taken down with the help of a helicopter but problems still persist. It is announced that tertiary fees will increase by 12%. This enrages the students of UCT, it’s not like they could afford the fees before the increase. A lot of students are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. They rely on government aids and loans to continue with their education. NSFAS is not always the answer, sometimes they don’t approve applications and when they do you have to prove to them that you are poor. Of course you are poor, that’s why you are trying to build a better life for yourself and your family but the government are making it so hard. The students get together and discuss their right to free education. This results in a protest and the #feesmustfall movement is born. Stellenbosch University students join and it spreads like a wildfire resulting in a nationwide shut-down of all universities in the country.
The show tells the story of the two movements beautifully. It also explores feminism, masculinity, racism and inequality. It’s easy to relate with the characters, they are real and the conversations between them are naturalistic. Like conversations with your friends, they are free, open, funny and silly. They are not hindered by language, instead they mash it up, communicating in a way that feels authentic to the characters. African languages are integrated because the characters are South African. You can see yourself in their image and hence relate and emphasize with them and their struggles. The actors on the stage are brilliant and captivating, it is a performers paradise. They fully inhabited the characters worlds. It was convincing, it felt as though they were telling their own personal stories. From voice intonation, usage of the stage, monologues, singing, protests – it is a masterclass.
I loved everything about the show, shout out to the cast:
I was at the Market Theatre for the opening of “Pieces of me” by Bo Petersen. A poignant play about family, belonging, race and identity. Set in the era of apartheid, the story world is plagued by inequality, segregation and racism. A time of the bompass, when you had to carry your identification documents at all times to gain access to parts of the country. This law severely limited the movements of black South Africans and was viciously enforced by the police with violence and jail time being norm for perpetrators who didn’t have their identification documents at hand. A time of Prohibition of mixed marriages act, an act that made it illegal for a white person to marry any other race, the immortality act, an act that barred sexual relations between whites and non-whites, transgressors could face up to 7 years in prison and the infamous Group Areas act that designated certain areas for certain races among other stringent, harsh and unfair acts.
Pieces of me explores Bo’s life, about how her father classified as “colored” marries her mother classified as “white” and the emotional toll of having to live in secrecy because of the laws imposed on them. After falling in love and having having 5 children together, her father passes off as white, a lie if discovered could send him to prison for 10 years and destroy the family.
Bo Petersen tells the story from different perspectives, her father’s, aunts and grandmother, breaking the fourth wall at times to talk to the audience to make them feel what she felt. The message is powerful and emotive. The acting unbelievable! She also enacts the roles of her aunt, father and grandmother. She is a great storyteller and inhabits all the stage. She is expressive with her body, language and overall demeanor. The set although minimalistic is effective. The hanging suit serves as a homage to her father, it has a presence, a spirit of its own and Bo interacts with it. The lighting nuanced and intimate. Christopher Petersen plays the keyboard and he sets the tone for the play, working alongside Bo to curate the story throughout.
Powerful story. Powerful performer.
Congratulations Royston Stoffels for a great show and a deserved standing ovation.
SamSays delivered the through ball and I controlled and finessed for the match ball, hatrick! I deliver over and over again. Thank you Sam, SamSays on the credits.
I was at Joburg Theatre to watch “You strike a woman, you strike a rock” (Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokotho). Live theatre at the highest level. The play is set in the Apartheid era, PW Botha is the president, the story world is plauged by inequality, social injustice and poverty. The story opens with a Helicopter scattering, hovering and surveilling the location. The residents hate the roaming Helicopter, they call it a bird, they see it for what it is, spying, surveillance by the government. They curse and swear at every time it features in the show. This describes the relationship the people of the story have with the government and unjust system. It’s hate, resentment, they feel oppression and utter contempt for the system. We are introduced to the three main characters in a typical market in the Transkei. Children and chaos co-existing in the market, Mambhele and Mampompo sell chickens and Sdudla sells oranges and vetkoeks. They all operate their stalls illegally without permits or permission. The threat of the police or authority is ever present. It’s a woman’s world and men are hardly present. These women fight on a daily to secure their families future, money is tough to get and they work hard. Seeing that opportunities for money are few in the Transkei, they move to a township in Cape Town. In the world of the township, violence prevails as the unrest is prevalent. It is a story-world that is not fair for women, they are easily fired from work by their white employers for coming late, their transport issues not factored in, they are sexually abused for standing up for themselves at the farms and deadbeat unemployed husband’s drink away the family’s money at the shebeen. Despite everything, the women stand strong and they miraculously prevail in this unjust, unequal and in different world.
Money and survival are paramount in this world, we see Mambhele practically prostituting herself to sell chickens, letting her customers interact and touch her inappropriately, boob grabs and just about anything that gets the job done. Mampompo is notorious for robbing his customers change and hiking up prices. Sdudla is surprisingly level headed out of the three. It is physical theatre at its best, sounds of chickens and objects in the play are mimicked to perfection. The performers created a realistic environment, we were transported to their world. They imitated chickens, busses, babies, windows, knocks on doors and the protests on the streets. They have tremendous stage presence and chemistry. They know each other instinctively and intuitively on the stage, they just flow, they just play. They fully embodied their characters on the stage, it was convincing, humorous, wholesome and relatable.The characters are 3 dimensional, they have hopes, dreams and fears. The conversations and interactions felt natural. The play is in English but has an Eastern Cape dialect, you can hear the Xhosa accent and undertone. The characters are alive, they are real, they exist. The performance and acting is just incredible! The performers have incredible range, they were serious, humorous, tearful, excited and Ziaphora even regressed to a child. Incredible endurance and stamina too – a lot happened, they created magic, they were simply amazing.
Barileng Malebye plays Mambhele, Keitumetse ‘Kitty’ Moepang plays Mampompo and Ziaphora Dakile is Sdudla. Excellence all around, live theatre at its very best.
Congratulations Rorisang Motuba and the whole team and a deserved standing ovation.
Party on the square, I was at the opening of the Sipho Hotstix Mabuse concert. Memorable show, high octane energy, we were dancing all night. The show also commemorated music from legends like Hugh Masekela, Brenda Fassie and Stimela. The band were Jazzing, having fun, trying out new material, like the music they played that was inspired by the forceful removals in Sophiatown. It was Jazzy and evoked a feeling of nostalgia. I enjoyed that we had different horns in the ensemble. Horns show different textures, feelings and emotions, they have the ability to be reflective and evoke feelings of sorrow and rue like Miles Davis and John Coltrane on “Kind of blues”. Horns can make you reminisce about simpler times or strife in difficult times, to be optimistic like “Move on up” by Curtis Mayfield. Another song I loved by Sipho and the band was “Welcome”, a song dedicated to then ANC President Oliver Tambo. Speaking of Presidents, we had two former head of states in attendance in Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe. VIP – partying with very important people. Sipho Mabuse has an amazing, talented family and they helped him with the program. His son Biko is an amazing vocalist and is proficient with the guitar, he performed a piece of mezmarrizing music that had the audience spellbound. Sipho’s daughter, Nqobile, is a talented vocalist and she performed “Weekend Special” by Brenda Fassie among other songs. His nephew performed original music that he composed with the helped of Biko titled “Amor” – it is heartfelt and beautiful. All the performances were great, they were Jazzin, having a lot of fun, feeling it from within. We also had a musician who flew all the way from Mauritius who played a stringed Indian instrument. He played it with so much mastery, it blended in with the bass, keyboard and tempo, it was Jazz music like you have never heard before. It was different, it was glorious. I have a weakness for the electric guitar, that didn’t change today, the performer was outstanding – everyone was outstanding! From the drums guy, percussions, bass, keyboard and piano and Sipho himself. Everything about the day was perfect, it started off with an encounter with Job Kubatsi (Ntate Maphikela), the star of the hit show “The Suit”, returning for a second season in February and ended off with Ntambo Rapatla – Her mother’s savage daughter. I was with Sam throughout and Bronwen delivered yet another defense-splitting pass. Music for the Gods, endorsed by President Thabo Mbeki and President Kgalema Motlanthe. It was a party, the auditorium was merry, smiles tattooed on faces, all seats were vacated because everyone was on their feet dancing and singing along to the music, people documenting the experience through their phones taking selfies, time flew. Nobody wanted it to end, it was an amazing show. Congratulations Sipho Hotstix Mabuse and the whole team and a deserved standing ovation.
antakalipa 