National Arts Festival Features Three South African Dramas from Artscape, Beginning Tonight

Artscape is proud to present a varied programme consisting of three South African drama works, one from Botswana, as well as a dance production, at the National Arts Festival, between today 2 and 12 July. These productions can be seen at the Gymnasium - a venue exclusively for Artscape.

Mandla Mbothwa, Creative Director of Artscape said "Artscape is dedicated to taking high quality, cutting edge theatre and diverse stories to Grahamstown. Artscape at the Gymnasium promises a great journey of multiple voices across our continent and much more inclusive and integrated genres in acknowledging who we are and where we are".

He continued by saying "Through the highest quality, thought-provoking, artistically inspiring and entertaining programme, Artscape promises to take its audience on a magical journey of storytelling. Each piece of theatre will present you with one gift of life that will fill your whole being. It is also to showcase the great talent of new voices. I hope your experience of our programme will remain positively in your memory".

The productions are

Undone - written, directed and performed by Wessel Pretorius;

Return of the Ancestors - written by Mike van Graan, directed by Mdu Kweyama and starring two young actors, Mandisi Sindo and Siya Sikawuti.

Chomi - written by Pfarelo Nemakonde with re-staged direction by Amy Jephta. Featuring Anele Situlweni, Siya Sikawuti, Robert Haxton, Yanga Mkonto, Sipho Mahlatshana and Mandisi Sindo. Set and Costumes are designed by Alfred Rietmann.

Then, Morwa - The Rising Son, from Botswana, a powerful one-man theatre piece written and performed by the young Botswana actor, Tefo Paya, directed by Warren Nebe, with music by Johannesburg-based African percussionist, Volley Nchabeleng.

And last, but not least, Unmute - choreographed and performed as an Unmute Dance Project and is based on Andile Vellem's experience as a dancer who is deaf. Featuring with him is Nadine McKenzie, Zama Sonjica and Yaseen Manuel.

Tickets for all Artscape productions are R60 per ticket. Book online at www.nationalartsfestival.co.za; phone 0860 002 004 (Open Mon - Fri 08:30 - 18:00, Sat 08:30 to 14:00); send an email to box-office@nationalartsfestival.co.za or fax 086 233 2122. Tickets can be collected at the Monument Box Office Collections counter.

Following the companies on

Twitter Profiles:@ArtscapeTheatre & @artsfestival

Hashtags #NAF2015 #Chomi #Undone #Unmute #Morwa #ReturnoftheAncestors

Instagram @ArtscapeTheatre