The festival runs between Wednesday, 8 and Saturday, 25 April. The festival features Athol Fugard’s award-winning Nongogo and the celebrated Ubu and the Truth Commission by the Handspring Puppet Company and William Kentridge, while provocative performance artist Steven Cohen brings his work Chandelier to the festival.

Dancer and choreographer Mamela Nyamza, who has said she wants to “turn classical ballet upside down”, presents two works – The Meal and Hatched – while Dominion by the Vuyani Dance Theatre’s Luyanda Sidiya looks at how power corrupts.

Media Update caught up with Nongogo director and Market Theatre’s artistic director James Ngcobo to find out how things are going in Toronto.

“It’s been absolutely amazing,” he says. “The theatre was a 240-seater, and it was sold out every night. The reception for Nongogo was really great. People kept asking me who the person is that wrote this play, and I told them that this is the second play that Athol Fugard wrote. It was amazing to see people enjoy the work and have a point of reference to the work and the characters. It was totally enjoyable.”

Ngcobo says among the highlights were the diverse crowds that showed up each night and the fact that the South African actors and crew did not face any challenges at all. He says South Africa has a lot to be proud of as our theatre rivals the best in the world. “The level of work that we produce in this country is amazing,” he says. “Our actors are ready to act anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat.”

He says cultural exchanges like these are hugely beneficial. “We definitely need more of these. We are now past the apartheid era. We are excited about making and taking our narrative to other parts of the world. As The Market Theatre, we are very curious about these exchanges within our continent and beyond.”

Rosemary Mangope, CEO of the NAC, shares Ngcobo’s enthusiasm. “We are delighted that the NAC continues to further broaden its international remit and cultural engagement with the Canadian Stage collaboration. This builds on the unparalleled success of our South Africa-France Season and showcases just how vibrant the local arts scene is. More than 40 artists will be celebrating the best of South African performance on this international platform while there will also be a valuable skills transfer aspect, thanks to several initiatives we have helped put in place.”

And the Canadians agree too. “When I made my first trip to South Africa in September 2013, I was peripherally aware of the vitality of the performing arts scene there but admittedly unprepared for the magnificent force and determination of the artists I would meet or whose work I would get to see,” says Matthew Jocelyn, artistic and general director of Canadian Stage. “It soon became clear that our third Spotlight Festival had to centre on the theatre, dance and performance art of this great nation, now celebrating its 21st year since liberation, a true coming of age.”

But the celebration will not end in Canada. Ngcobo says next year is a big one for them. “The Market Theatre is celebrating 40 years next year and we are planning quite an active year to look back at the successes of The Market and to look forward to coming successes in the future. We are doing a lot of mentoring projects with young writers, directors, designers, actors and music composers. We invite people to come and share with us.”

For more information, visit www.nac.org.za or www.canadianstage.com. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook.