Productions By The Suidoosterfees and NATi's Rising Stars Presented as Reading in Cape Town

Productions by the Suidoosterfees and NATi's Rising Stars were presented as reading theatre in Cape Town during the weekend of 21 and 22 November. The following up and coming playwrights participated in the festival's flagship development project: Tasneem Daniels, Kanya Viljoen, Dianne Albertze, Herschelle Benjamin, Keanen Engel and Stephren Saayman.

Herschelle Benjamin won the Jakes Gerwel Foundation's award for best script with his drama, Die Al Kind. The play, starring Oscar Petersen, Jill Levenberg and Jurgen McEwan, tells the story of a woman who slaves away to provide for her family after her husband had lost his job. Their only son unexpectedly returns home after studying abroad. Die Al Kind examines the situation of parents who build their dreams around their children's education.

Dianne Albertze received the NATi award as runner-up with his play Kaap. Albertze starred alongside Lee-Ann van Rooi and Faith Kinniar in the production. Ek, Eva by Stephren Saayman won the DCAS Drama Festival in 2019. Robyn September, who acted in the play, was awarded the opportunity to make a guest appearance in the popular kykNET soapie, Suidooster.

Paul Venter, Suidooster's executive producer, expressed his excitement about the new talent. "The value of young artists working together with veterans, can never be overemphasised. For us at Suidooster, it is important to be involved in development projects like Rising Stars. We are grateful that it all happened at Atlantic Studios, where the soap is filmed and produced."

Jill Levenberg and Lee-Ann van Rooi, cast members of Rising Stars productions, are celebrated Suidooster stars, a synergy project with Suidoosterfees, NATi, the Jakes Gerwel Foundation and Artscape as partners. According to Jana Hattingh, CEO of the Suidoosterfees, the development of new talent is a key priority: "We are therefore proud to have joined hands with DCAS, the City of Cape Town, kykNET, Atlantic Studios and Homebrew Films to ensure the success of the project."

Talent Search, another Suidoosterfees development initiative, will host a semi-final round for emerging artists in various genres on 6 December in the Mother City's Company's Garden.

On 10, 12 and 13 December, Deon Meyer and Coenie de Villiers' Karoo Suites 1 and 2 will be performed at the Atlantic Drive-in Theatre - a collaboration between the festival and KKNK, CTMA and the Jakes Gerwel Foundation. These productions also fall within the scope of the festival's development programme, and proceeds from the shows will benefit the festival's songwriting mentorship programme, presented with the support of the Jakes Gerwel Foundation.

Capetonians can also look forward to exciting presentations and picnic concerts in the Company's Garden from 3 to 6 December, and at Jan van Riebeeck High's Welgemeend venue.

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