BWW Previews: An A-Z of The 2015 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown

With less than a month to go to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, patrons to this wildly popular meeting of theatre-makers, musicians, filmmakers, stand-up comedians, dancers, choreographers, playwrights and actors might be forgiven for being overwhelmed by the sheer wealth of amazing shows on offer. In this column, BroadwayWorld South Africa previews twenty-six of the productions on offer: an A-Z of shows waiting to engage and entertain you, along with booking and venue details. So without further ado, let's - as Irving Berlin put it - go on with the show!

In ASHES, Philip Rademeyer examines systemic homophobia and the scourge of violence against young gay lives in South Africa. The play follows the life of a man from his idyllic childhood to a sudden and violent event that ruptures his world. Tickets for the show, which appears at the Princess Alice Hall, are available here.

The Cape Dance Company's BLUE represents the culmination of two decades of artistry and tenacity. Featuring four works, the powerhouse performance is sure to deliver their trademark neo-classical, athletic and punchy style, exhibiting remarkable technical virtuosity and artistic skill. Book your tickets for BLUE, which will be performed at the Centenary Hall, here.

PANSA New Writer award-winner Wynne Bredenkamp will presents her new play, COUCH, a dark comedy-drama about a group of people that happen to be different races. Answering no questions, COUCH shows the dilemma of "racelessness" and the hilarity of political correctness as a societal mask. Seats for this presentation at the Princess Alice Hall may be reserved here.

The Henrik Ibsen classic A DOLL'S HOUSE will be adapted and directed by Christiaan Olwagen, with Jennifer Steyn playing the role of Nora Helmer. For a woman who seems to have it all, the arrival of an unexpected visitor threatens to expose a secret and unravel her seemingly perfect life. Book your spot to watch this play at the Rhodes Theatre here.

EVERY BEAUTIFUL THING reunites playwright Jon Keevy with actress Briony Horwitz for a play about two sisters. Jazzara Jaslyn joins Horwitz on stage, with Tara Notcutt at the helm. A story of two sisters in the aftermath of a car accident, the play considers old habits, blood bonds, miracles and spare parts. Tickets for this NG Kerk Hall show are on sale here.

Over at the Hangar (with tickets available here), FULL STOPS ON YOUR FACE (FSOYF) is Penelope Youngleson's one-woman show about social injustice, Islamophobia in the context of global politics and the horror of gendered violence in South African homes. Performed by Iman Isaacs, FSOYF describes itself as a 'jihad against gender norms.'

Looking for something lighter? THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK might be the thing. Roland Perold entertains from the piano as he explores the golden age of American popular songs, in which tunesmiths of the day captured the spirit of the times in their compositions. Tickets for the show, which appears at Vicky's, are available here.

Also on at Vicky's is the South African classic, HAVE YOU SEEN ZANDILE? A story about a child, Gcina Mhlope's play looks at the personal devastation brought about by apartheid laws in South Africa. Get your tickets to this tribute to the Gogos that have raised us, nurtured us and told us wonderful enchanting stories at night time here.

Wheelchairs are tricky things. Clumsy things. And funny things. So are lives. IN THE WINGS is a story of two sisters as they battle to work past their limitations to create the future the rest of the world sometimes fails to see. Now in a new production directed by Philip Rademeyer, IN THE WINGS promises to linger in the hearts of audiences visiting the Memory Hall, with tickets available here.

Any visit to the National Arts Festival needs some top-notch comedy and this year, the JOKES ON YOU. Sne Dladla, a Standard Bank Ovation Award and Fleur du Cap Theatre Award winner, will leave you humoured and understanding the weird and wonderful thread that ties people together in this energetic show. Seats for this presentation at the Princess Alice Hall may be reserved here.

Mark Cassidy and Alon Nashman adapte Franz Kafka's "Letter to His Father" in KAFKA AND SON, dramatizing Kafka's epic battle with his father, to whom he confesses, "All my writing was about you!" Staged by Cassidy with choreography by Claudia Moore, KAFKA AND SON will play the St Andrew's Hall, with tickets available here.

Need a family friendly show? Why not stop by LAKE, an adventure where two brothers are brought together by their need for water. Ryan Dittman and Jaques de Silva clown their way through Daniel Buckland's imagination-driven production, promising entertainment for both kids and their parents. Book your seats to watch this play at the Memory Hall here.

MASTER CHEF meets music in Godfrey Johnson's new show, MR JOHNSON COOKS. A musical journey through the world of cooking and concertos, mixed and baked by this multi-award winning artist, this new cabaret is sure to serves up a saucy mix of humour and pathos. Make your reservation for the Albany Cabaret Club here.

Pieter-Dirk Uys is back as Bambi Kellerman in NEVER TOO NAKED, which tells Bambi's extraordinary story of survival through songs and sketches. Not for the faint-hearted, this cabaret unites the acrid stench of the 1930s Weimar Republic with the familiar aromas associated with 'ons eie' Voortrekker-camps and braaivleis-orgies. Tickets for this Guy Butler Theatre show are on sale here.

Looking for an alternative performance art experience? ON SEEING RED AND OTHER FANTASIES (at the Crown Hall with tickets available here), is right up your alley. Straddling the worlds of theatre, performance, installation and choreography, Gavin Krastin's award-winning artistic practice explores the body's representation, limitation and operation in alternative, layered spaces.

PIET SE OPTELGOED is dark, brooding, ridiculously funny and profoundly unsettling physical theatre. Catch the mesmerising Liezl de Kock in her 2014 Standard Bank Silver Ovation and CT Fringe acclaimed show at PJ's before it goes to Amsterdam. Book your seats to meet this Gleeful and grotesque bogey(wo)man here.

Multi-lingual physical theatre piece QHAWE will take the stage at St Andrew's Hall. Described as an African fantasy western told through a cast of puppets, the story is derived from a traditional tale that comes from the Eastern Cape, passed on through generations of storytellers in the oral storytelling tradition. Tickets can be booked here.

ROSE RED is back at the National Arts Festival this year, revealing the untold tale of Snow White's stepmother through the songs of Tori Amos, Coldplay, Brandi Carlisle, Sting, Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan and Lady Gaga. Dianne Simpson plays the Evil Queen in this production, which will be staged at Vicky's, with bookings open here.

Vicky's will also host 2015's romantic comedy cabaret sensation: A (SORTA) LOVE STORY. Whether you're 25 or 75, this show will have your toes tapping as it looks at love from all angles. Amy Trout and David Fick will lift you up and takes you down, proving that but there's nothing to do but give into love when it comes your way. Tickets are available here.

THREE BLIND MICE reunites the award-winning team that brought audiences THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. The farmer is dead. His body was found by his family on the night of his gruesome murder, and three blind mice are now doing time for the crime. But... they swear they've been framed. Book your seats at the Rhodes Box here to find out if their tails should be cut off with a carving knife.

Wessel Pretorius returns to the National Arts Festival with his incomparable one-man play, UNDONE. A bewitching and sensual story of a boy and his dysfunctional family, both poetry and comedy abound in this physical performance interlaced with sensuality, religion and literary references. Tickets at for this presentation at the Gymnasium are available here.

In VASLAV, Godfrey Johnson takes cabaret to new heights with an enthralling portrayal of the life, dance, music and madness of the creative genius that was Nijinsky. Nominated for 3 Fleur du Cap awards after its Cape Town run, National Arts Festival audiences can see this dark and devastating show at the Albany Cabaret Club, with bookings open here.

WE DIDN'T COME TO HELL FOR THE CROISSANTS is a new compilation of stories told by Jemma Kahn of EPICENE BUTCHER fame. With seven original stories by Tertius Kapp, Rosa Lyster, Lebogang Mogashoa, Nicholas Spagnoletti, Louis Viljoen and Roger Young, this production promises to seduce the sinless and astonish the immoral at St Andrew's Studio Two, with tickets available here.

The closest "X" production we could find was EXHALE, the story of a young man fighting against his inner self, dressed in a tuxedo which represents his growth. As he strips of each piece of clothing he reveals his story and re-enactments of the stages one experiences. To see what he ends up wearing, book your tickets to this show at Dick's here.

The penultimate show in this feature is the devilishly funny musical comedy, YOU BET YOUR LIFE! Returning to Vicky's (with seats available here) after a successful 2014 season, the show sets out to find out if hell-bound Jonny's been naughty or nice - at least as far as his neurotic mother, crazy ex-girlfriends, a ferocious Russian drag performer and a host of other characters are concerned!

Finally, Edward Albee's THE ZOO STORY showcases a battle for supremacy, all over a simple bench. Watch as physical representations of man's ego and lacklustre communication attempt to find a connection in a lonely world, but ultimately end up in even more solitude. Book your tickets for this show at the B2 Arena here.

Browsing through a list like this is an absolute reminder why the National Arts Festival is an important event on the South African cultural calendar, and the biggest annual celebration of the arts on the African continent. The 2015 National Arts Festival will be held from 2-12 July - and promises to be another amazing celebration of the best in performance and visual art in South Africa.

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