Artscape Presents New Voices With Suidoosterfees

In September and October 2021, Artscape Theatre will present its much-anticipated annual New Voices programme with a brand-new look.

New Voices tells new stories that reflect the state of our society through excellent theatre performances. The stories capture our common narratives and memories that have been underappreciated in the past. The 2021 programme will include a radio drama, two staged readings and a full stage production, presented in conjunction with the Suidoosterfees.

"We had to think out of the box about this year's programme," says Artscape CEO Marlene le Roux. "Due to the COVID-19 restrictions we could not present this popular programme in its usual format. Our collaboration with Suidoosterfees allowed us to restructure our presentation and make it more flexible. It offers more theatre workers an opportunity to earn an income - which is very important to us."

New Voices brings various exciting productions this year. Jean-Pierre Lesch's radio drama, 'n Visserman se vrou, will be aired in September. It tells the story of a woman who must come to terms with losing her husband and her son to the sea during a tragedy. The play will be broadcast nationally on Afrikaans radio stations throughout September.

In October, there will be a showcasing of two staged readings in Artscape's Arena Theatre.

On 2 October award-winning playwright Rafiek Mammon's Oujaarsaand, an off-beat comedy portraying a middle-aged jobless actress about to jump from a high-rise building, will be staged. Oujaarsaand will follow the candid conversations between the actress and a policewoman who attempts to rescue her.

The second staged reading is Dara Beth's All my ex-lovers are dead, a contemporary exploration of love and relationships, scheduled for 11 October. The production is described as a no-holds-barred investigation into a series of failed love affairs.

Xolisa Ngubelanga's It's my baby will be presented as a full stage production from 27 September to 1 October. The play made its debut earlier this year as one of the Suidoosterfees NATi Rising Stars productions. It's my baby tackles controversial topics like the land issue and farm attacks, interlaced with a captivating exploration of the plight of children who grow up without a father.

"The play proved to be very popular during its once-off performance at the Suidoosterfees earlier this year, and it had people talking," says Suidoosterfees CEO Jana Hattingh. "We therefore thought it would be the perfect choice for New Voices. Xolisa Ngubelanga is indeed one of our most exciting new voices in the industry."

Members of the public can attend the on-stage readings free of charge. Tickets for It's my baby can be purchased for R50 at Artscape Dial-a-Seat (021 421 7839) or at Computicket outlets.

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