Stage shows to kick-start 2022

SINCE the start of the pandemic just over two years ago, the theatre industry has endured many challenges.

The lockdown restrictions dealt a severe blow, resulting in many theatre houses being shut down for months.

And even with the reopening of venues, the theatre space continues to feel the pinch, but despite the difficulties it seems the industry is slowly rising again.

In a previous conversation with IOL, theatre legend Daniel Galloway described the role of theatre in society.

“There can be nothing like the thrill of sitting in an audience with others sharing a once-in-a-lifetime moment of uniting common humanity.

“Theatre in the flesh is life-changing, it has an energy and power which other performance mediums just cannot access. And for this reason, theatre as we know it has survived for hundreds and hundreds of years,” Galloway said.

As the theatre houses across the country prepare to re-open following the festive break, we look at a vast array of shows to check out in 2022.

Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Boléro (Joburg Theatre)

Gregory Maqoma’s highly anticipated production Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero is finally gracing the Joburg Theatre stage from January 28, and runs till February 6.

The production is a fusion of contemporary African dance led by Maqoma, alongside the Vuyani Dance Theatre dancers and the Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir. In Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Boléro, Maqoma draws inspiration from creations by two artists: the character Toloki in South African author Zakes Mda’s novel Cion, and music from French composer Maurice Ravel’s Boléro.

A Streetcar Named Desire

(Artscape)

Multi-award-winning actress and doyenne of the South African stage, Fiona Ramsay, takes the lead in the classical play A Streetcar Named Desire.

The production runs from February 2 to 12 at the Artscape Theatre, Cape Town.

Written by Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire was first performed on December 3, 1947.

The play dramatises the experiences of Blanche Dubois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of personal losses, leaves her privileged background to move into a shabby apartment in New Orleans rented by her younger sister and brother-in-law.

It is regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed plays of the twentieth century.

The 1951 film version, starring Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, picked up 12 Academy Award nominations, became a classic in its own right, and firmly established the play’s iconic status in the public consciousness.

Shirley Valentine Montecasino Theatre

Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine will be staged at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre from January 26, and the show runs till February 13.

Directed by Gina Shmukler, Shirley Valentine follows the story of a middleaged woman, who is lost in her role as mother to two grown children and

wife to a husband in a somewhat stale marriage.

When a friend offers her a trip to Greece, a long-forgotten exuberance begins to bubble up in her. Shirley’s journey is a celebration of many a contemporary woman, balancing motherhood, marriage and self-actualisation.

Shirley Bradshaw, played by veteran actress Natasha Sutherland, is the “original gangster” of self-care and self-love, a beacon of empowerment.

“Long before we had hashtags, we had Shirley.”

Sifu (Market Theatre)

Written by Bokapi Sebapu and directed by Lihle Nene, Sifu will make its debut at the Market Theatre on January 18 and will run until January 30. The story follows the journey of Masenya, a gardener. Through his journey, audience members get to experience and get a glimpse of the struggles

he encounters as he navigates his life.

Masenya’s life crosses paths with a very troubled 16-year-old girl. His hopes and dreams are brought to a halt after he meets her, which leads to a series of unfortunate events.

The father is also bound by his own demons that emanate from the departure of his wife. The production is performed in Sepedi, but its “message transcends culture and language barriers”. It is presented in a way that will grasp audiences’ imaginations and provide hard hitting truths of people’s daily challenges.

Sifu was announced the 2021 Zwakala Festival winner in December.

“The Zwakala Festival is an opportunity for young people to showcase their work and reflect on the daily challenges faced in their communities.

“Their works will be given a platform that is world-class and could set them on the path to success. This is a perfect platform of leveraging on

young people’s love for the arts, while also providing an outlet for their daily struggles” said Mxolisi Masilela, the festival director.

Tosca (Rhumbelow Theatre)

The Rhumbelow Theatre kicked off the new year with a series of the Shakespeare productions, including The Tempest, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Twelfth Night.

This February, the Rhumbelow Theatre will showcase the opera Tosca. It was filmed at the Royal Opera House, London, in December.

Tosca is a political thriller, set in Rome in the 1800s (during the Napoleonic wars and a time of great political unrest).

The plot centres on three main characters: Rome’s diva Floria Tosca, her lover Mario Cavaradossi (a painter and republican) and the corrupt chief

of police, Baron Scarpia.

Love! Valour! Compassion!

(Artscape)

From February 1 to 12, audiences will be able to watch the powerful winner of the 1995 Tony Award for Best Play, Love! Valour! Compassion! by the American playwright Terrence Mcnally

Over the course of three holiday weekends at a lakeside summer holiday house, the play explores the lives, loves, and fears of gay men in the 1990s. Their conversations touch on themes of infidelity, flirting, Aids, and the all-important questions about life and death.

The central theme of this play is friendship and it transcends sexual orientation, ensuring that every member of the audience will leave with clear message, that, “Friendship is everything!”