Artscape To Salute District Six With MY WORD! Redesigning Buckingham Palace

Artscape is set to present the much anticipated, superb, one-man show, MY WORD! Redesigning Buckingham Palace at Artscape Arena from 21 - 25 September.

The production, with support from the City of Cape Town, forms part of this year's Artscape Heritage Festival and emphasizes the need for South Africans to celebrate unity in diversity, through promoting social cohesion and inclusivity of our unique, colourful cultural heritage.

MY WORD! Redesigning Buckingham Palace is a one-man play, written by Sylvia Vollenhoven and performed by co-writer and award-winning actor, Basil Appollis. It is a celebration of the life and work of legendary writer Richard Rive. At the same time, it's a salute to District Six, the heart of Cape Town ripped out because it stood in the way of grand apartheid fantasies.

This one-man show borrows from an earlier work co-written with Sylvia Vollenhoven and performed by Basil Appollis, called A Writer's Last Word. The play tells the story of Rive and the District using the writer's most memorable characters. Mary Bruintjies, the pastor's daughter and Madame of the Casbah, Zoot the lovable gangster and Mr Katzen... they are all there in colourful profusion. The play moves through the time before the bulldozers. Then Basil Appollis weaves into his show highlights from Rive's life, following his journey from the rundown tenements of the District to the glare of international fame. With his own larger than life presence and unique performance skills Basil Appollis evokes a ghostly feeling that we are watching a formidable author who is also gone but whose presence lives on.

Basil Appollis has directed several award-winning productions including the hit shows Brother Love and Plekkie In Die Son.

The festival forms part of the 50th celebrations of the building that house Artscape since its establishment as the Nico Malan in 1971. The cultural institution as an agency of the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture, which funds its infrastructure.

All activities comply with all COVID-19 regulations including social distancing and patrons must wear masks for entry.

Tickets are available and can be booked at Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-seat 021 421 7695. Visit the Artscape website (www.artscape.co.za) for more information.

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