Cape Town Edge has been promoting Cape Town’s most edgy independent performance theatre pieces since 2007. It showcases these productions at a collaborative annual event which has, over the last few years, carved out a niche for itself in the Princess Alice Hall at the National Arts Festival.
This year is the collective's ninth year, and audiences can expect eight thought-provoking and eclectic award-winning productions from a range of talented directors and actors on the bill.
In-between, presented by Mixing Bowl Productions, is a musical theatre revue directed by Keenan Tyler Oliphant and consists of new musical theatre songs, which explore the transition between adolescence and adulthood. This is the debut of the company at the National Arts Festival, who are committed to bringing audiences a new kind of musical theatre experience.
Undermined, presented by KBT Productions and Here Manje, mashes comic book theatre and African storytelling and takes physical theatre to a new level. The show was a Standard Bank Ovation Award winner in 2014 and has recently returned from Fringe World in Perth, where it was nominated for the Theatre Award. The show is a returning hit from Cape Town Edge 2014.
Salt, presented and directed by Wynne Bredenkamp, was a multi-award winner in 2014. The production was awarded a Standard Bank Ovation Award, as well as the PANSA Writers Award for original writing at the festival. The production weaves movement and drama together when it follows long-term psychiatric patient Aya during her encounters with a new and determined doctor. Salt is the second returning hit show from Cape Town Edge 2014.
Fatal, presented by The Pink Couch and directed by Tara Notcutt, is a poignant tragic-comedy about Jason who tries to beat life at its own game while tackling the madness of existence head on. Written and performed by Albert Pretorius, who has scooped three Best Actor Awards in the last six months, namely the Fleur du Cap, Kanna, and Fiesta award.
The critically acclaimed Stuart Lightbody: Devilish, is presented and performed by Stuart Lightbody and directed by Tara Notcutt. It is a delightfully diabolical mix of sleight-of-hand artistry and psychological illusion. It explores the hidden truth behind Lightbody’s origins as a magician and is a tale of contracts, cunning and a card game with the highest stakes. Lightbody is the proud owner of three Standard Bank Ovation Awards for his previous shows, and has toured with Devilish to Fringe World in Perth, as well as Brighton Fringe and Prague Fringe, where he played to sold out houses.
Couch, presented by Wynne Bredenkamp and Emma Kotze, is a dark comedy-drama about a group of people from various racial backgrounds. It highlights the dilemma of ‘racelessness’ and the hilarity of political correctness as a societal mask. Bredenkamp also directs.
Ashes, presented by Rust Co-Operative and directed by Philip Rademeyer, explores the life of a young man through the eyes of six characters. When he comes out to his parents, they send him away from their small-town home to the city, in order to protect him and provide him with more opportunities. Rust Co-Operative have consistently presented award-winning works, the most recent of which, Siembamba, won a Standard Bank Ovation Award, and travelled to the Amsterdam Fringe in 2014.
The Jokes on You, presented by ExploSIV Productions and directed by Rob van Vuuren, is a comedic performance by the award-winning Sne Dladla. It will leave you filled to the brim with humour while providing an understanding of the weird and wonderful common thread connecting people through comedy, energetic performance and music. Dladla has won over audiences over the last year, winning a Standard Bank Silver Ovation Award last year for this show, as well as a Fleur du Cap for Best Performance in a Musical for his work in Fergus of Galloway.
All tickets can be booked through www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.
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