ABSA KKNK - Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees,2015. TRACEY SAUNDERS lapped up the feast of theatre, music, dance, visual art and debate.
THE final order of business from the recent ABSA KKNK was the announcement on Monday of the nominations for the Kanna prizes, also known as the Klein Karoo Oscars. The panel of judges watched more than 30 productions in the period and whittling down a shortlist was no mean feat.
The festival is one of the highlights of the cultural calendar with many theatre productions making their successful debuts. The strength of the theatre was phenomenal, with a programme featuring new work and classics.
Two translated works in particular caught the imagination of audiences. Saartjie Botha’s translation of Chekhov’s The Seagull; Die Seemeeu which premiered at the Clover Aardklop Festival in 2014 and was performed earlier this year at Woordefees, was one of the festival highlights and one of the more controversial works. It received no less than eight nominations including for Best Production.
For some audiences the swearing and sexual undertones in the piece were not what they had anticipated and a few walked out of the show. For some, Sandra Prinsloo’s role which showed the actor’s multifaceted ability strayed too far from their comfort zone. As one gentleman confided in me, “Dis nie hoe ons vir Sandra ken nie.”
The controversy highlighted the challenge faced by producers who cast familiar personalities in roles. While guaranteeing a loyal audience there is an accompanying risk. Christiaan Olwagen, the director is no stranger to risk and his gamble on the stylistic adaptation of this classic is an overwhelming success.
With a cast that reads like a theatrical wish list: Sandra Prinsloo, Marius Weyers, Gerben Kamper, Deon Lotz, Albert Pretorius and Rolanda Marais amongst others this is a production worth travelling to see.
If Jaco Bouwer’s Balbesit, written by Saartjie Botha left you breathless you will not want to miss, Buite Blaf die Honde Swart. The original play Combat de nègre et de chiens was written by French writer Bernard Koltés. The English version Black battles with Dog has been translated by Tertius Kapp and is set in Africa.
His adaptation casts the two main characters Hans (Dawid Minnaar) and Kallie (Albert Pretorius) as two Afrikaans men. The embattled pair is joined by a woman, Liliana (Tinarie van Wyk Loots) from Amsterdam and Mbwana (Owen Monamela Magane) in search of his brother’s body. The drama unravels the complex relationships between Europe and Africa on personal and broader political cultural levels with shocking consequences.
Pretorius is devastatingly brilliant in his role and his nomination for Best Actor is well deserved. Bouwers’ collaborator from Samsa Masjien, Pierre Henry Wicomb has once again created a soundscape which is harrowing and soulful. The sounds of the African night are amplified, leaving you disoriented when the house lights come on.
While Buite Blaf examined SA’s place in Africa, Wessel Pretorius explored the identity of the white Afrikaner. There was an ironic synchronicity in Al Julle Volke opening in the same week that saw Steve Hofmeyer and Sunette Bridges protesting in support of cultural heritage on Church Square.
With a poetic beauty Pretorius examines the search for a leader in the white Afrikaans community and the complex relationship between faith and politics. The trope of a young homosexual man in a deeply Calvinistic family is not a new one for him, but the additional layer of nationalism adds another dimension to his writing.
While some of the physical theatre and dance sequences are rendered almost superfluous by the lyrical movement of the text, the piece is provokes both a visceral response and vital reflection.
Nicola Hanekom brought her work inside after the success of her outdoor site specific works. The result, In Glas, was probably the most talked about production at the festival. She wrote and directed the play about the emotional turmoil of a couple embarking upon an assisted reproductive technology journey involving IVF.
Her candid and no holds barred portrait of modern suburbia was brutally honest and left no emotion unexamined. The stage was set in the round and the audience were more than voyeurs.
At times the intimacy was almost stifling. Performances from a cast of Tinarie van Wyk Loots, Paul du Toit, Stian Bam, Bronywn van Graan and Sive Gubangxa were definitely amongst the strongest. I doubt this set will be packed away for a very long time and look forward to watching it again.
The maternal theme was subverted and explored further by Saartjie Botha’s translation of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and her children. Moeder Moed en haar Kinders debuted at the festival and is sure to be a staple on circuit.
Aletta Bezuidenhout is joined by a formidable cast including Deon Lotz, André Roothman, Nicole Holm, Cintaine Schutte and Gideon Lombard. This seminal work which is considered as one of the strongest anti-war plays written is not an easy production and once again Botha will have you leaving the theatre with a restless heart and a mind racing with questions.
The visual arts programme curated by Elfriede Dreyer featured Berni Searle and was an absolute feast. The eclectic,diverse pieces included provided several opportunities to engage with the artists and work. A retrospective of the Barclays L’Atelier winners showcased work from the past 30 years and highlighted the valuable role this competition plays in the visual arts landscape.
The musical programme catered for all tastes. Classical works and young break-through artists were presented alongside best-selling stalwarts. The abundance of collaborative works between artists from very different genres was a highlight of the programme and Al le die Berge nog so Blou featuring Bobby van Jaarsveld, Zolani Mahola, Albert Frost and Francois van Coke was a firm favourite. Van Coke also launched his latest CD and single featuring Karen Zoid, rocketing to number 1 on the iTunes download list immediately.
No summation of the programme would do it justice and the above is merely a small slice of a rich and varied smorgasbord of theatre, music, dance, visual art and discussions which set the Klein Karoo ablaze for nine days
For those who didn’t make the trip, circle the March 25 to April 2 2016 date. Aside from the overwhelming hospitality of Oudsthoorn and the depth and breadth of art you will be able to taste a Roosterkoek in person, something no written review can do justice.
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