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Some of the most critically acclaimed shows from the National Arts Festival are being performed in Johannesburg at the annual 969 Festival.
OFFERINGS from the National Arts Festival are being performed in Joburg at the 969 Festival, running at the University of the Witswatersrand until 27 September.
Held annually, the 969 Festival draws on the best shows from the national event in Grahamstown, and gives Joburgers the chance to see some of its most popular and critically acclaimed productions.
Margaret Edson's Wit is part of the 969 Festival
It is named for the 969km trip from Grahamstown to Johannesburg; performances are on at the Wits Theatre complex in Braamfontein and Parktown. The festival director, Tsepo Wa-Mamatu, from Wits' School of the Arts, said productions selected for 969 included Wages of Sin, Hot Seat Confessions and High Diving.
High Diving is on at the Wits Downstairs Theatre until 16 September, at 7pm. With a mix of physical comedy and tightly honed dialogue comes the story of two star-crossed lovers as they travel through a minefield of inter-family relations and personal misunderstandings.
This modern love story is set against the beautiful and at times brooding backdrop of rural costal and urban concrete South Africa. Written and directed by Jenine Collocott, the play features James Cairns, Toni Morkel and Deborah da Cruz.
From 15 to 19 September, Paydirt traces the story of a young woman on a quest to find her father, who disappeared in Johannesburg. It is also at the Wits Downstairs Theatre, at 8.30pm. The cast includes Nhlahla Mkwanazi, Jessica Lejowa and Ndu Msimanga.
Football
Written by and featuring Tshepiso Konopi, Six-Nine takes place a couple of months before the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. One young man is not caught up in the hype, but is determined to make a fortune out of 2010 by starting up a business.
The play is on at The Atrium, from 15 to 19 September at 7pm.
A touching yet simple tale, You Pushed Me is a riveting story of a young boy called Prince who is trying to find the will to live. Prince lost all hope after finding out that he was HIV-positive.
The play is embellished with scintillating dance pieces and alluring music. Choreographed by Mandisa Tlou and directed by Temba Mkhoma, it features Minenhle Nene and Hlobi Mahlangu.
You Pushed Me is on at the Nunnery from 15 to 19 September, at 7pm.
Hot Seat Confessions, directed by Lara Foot Newton, is on stage from 15 to 19 September, also at the Nunnery, at 8.30pm. A story of four modern young women living in the city, Hot Seat Confessions is a funny and honest narrative that explores the women's personal stories through a series of poetic monologues.
Relationships
Over at the Space Frame Theatre on the Education Campus in Parktown, in Relation Shit we witness the typical faux pas of the "perfect couple" - the good, the bad and the downright embarrassing.
Performance times are at 7pm from 15 to 19 September. The play is directed and performed by Ash Searle and Vanessa Harris.
In a contemporary re-working of a 16th century play, The School of Whoredom involves three ladies. They take a hilarious look across time, presenting a satirical exploration of how the face of sexual politics has changed over the centuries.
It runs from 15 to 19 September, again at the Space Frame, at 8.30pm. The show is directed by Belinda Belseck and features Tarryn Lee and Refiloe Lepere.
Wages of Sin, directed by Jessica Lejowa, seeks to examine the rewards and punishments resulting from the transgression of moral and societal boundaries by and from the perspective of African women, across time and in the contemporary world.
It runs from 22 to 26 September at the Nunnery, at 7pm.
Also at the Nunnery, Woza Joshua is an adaptation of the famous play, Woza Albert, by Mbongeni Ngema, Percy Mtwa and Barney Simon. It begins with farm invasions by war veterans and explores the subsequent events that led to the near-collapse of an economy.
Although it deals with sensitive issues, the show is a hilarious and brave satire performed by Clayton Ndlovu and Bhekilizwe Ndlovu. Woza Joshua runs from 22 to 26 September, at 8.30pm.
Finally, Wit is on at the Wits Theatre from 23 to 26 September, with performances at 7pm. Written by Margaret Edson and directed by Steven Stead, this Pulitzer-Prize winning play engages the mind and heart.
Professor Vivian Bearing is an uncompromising intellectual who believes only in science, but as she faces death, she comes to realise that life has a meaning beyond knowledge.
Wit has been described as funny, sad, tragic and life-affirming, complex and simple, simultaneously. The New York Times called it "the kind of theatrical experience of which legends are made".
The Wits production features Clare Mortimer, Alison Cassels and Ralph Lawson.
Tickets for all 969 shows are R40, and can be booked at Strictly Tickets or on 073 725 7381. For the full programme details, log on to Arts Alive.
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