New Formula Announced for Imbewu Trust's SCrIBE Script Writing Competition

After assigning the top three scripts to the SCrIBE panel of judges, it was realized that the development potential in all of the scripts was being undervalued. With this in mind the Imbewu Trust has decided to stage 3 nights of prepared readings of the top three scripts. With a great team of theatre professionals based in Cape Town, all three scripts will be brought to life from 10 to 12 October 2013 at the Theatre Arts Admin Collective in Observatory. The plays are MALEBONE by Lereko Mfono from Gauteng, OLD DOGS by Anton Krueger from Grahamstown and THE BENTLEY'S BETTYS by Grace Newton from Cape Town.

Imbewu's Paul Griffiths and Sam de Romijn have decided to structure the competition outcome like this so the scripts can be seen and processed. Most of the works are in beginning stages and need further development and it is a great opportunity for the writers to not have a cost to bear in bringing these readings to fruition.

Neil Coppen, one of this year's script judges stated, "As is true with most plays in their initial drafts or stages we felt that these three works would benefit from a table-reading and post-reading discussion with the hope that the writers could be offered further insights into their works and set about developing and enriching them even further before launching them on the stage". He added that as a writer, hearing one's play read and discussed in detail can be an invaluable exercise. It is through this process that one gets a sense of the stories structure, pace, strengths and shortcomings. A post- discussion with industry professionals and actors we believe could be of tremendous value to these new stories that are already well on their way to experiencing exciting futures on stages across the country.

The Imbewu Trust is a Non-Profit Organization focused on the development and promotion of contemporary South African theatre and arts, headed up by de Romijn and Griffiths. Imbewu seeks to create an accessible community of varied voices that can flourish through collaboration, resourcefulness and innovation whose primary objectives are to support and stimulate the Contemporary Theatre industry, as well as showcasing the best of South African theatre on an international platform and create opportunities for new theatre practitioners. For details please visit www.imbewuarts.com.

The readings will take place as follows at the Theatre Aets Admin Collective: OLD DOGS on Thursday 10th October, MALEBONE on Friday 11th October and THE BENTLEY'S BETTYS on Saturday 12th October, all starting at 7:30pm.

OLD DOGS deals with two friends in their forties, who meet up to play pool in Pretoria. Ashley is a lecturer in philosophy and Jimmy works in television. Ashley's married and has a daughter, whereas Jimmy has been recklessly pursuing every sexual fantasy imaginable. They go out to drink a few beers and thrash out the status of their mid-life crises, but then two girls half their age from Delmas disrupt their game, and the friction leads to all manner of revelations. The play uses the central metaphor of a game of pool to tease out conflicts and convergences around urban sexuality. It pits desire against theory, and while grappling with the threshold between instinct and reason, presents different perspectives on the confusing energies driving us.

MALEBONE is set in 2005. Malebone, a young woman working in Bloemfontein, returned to her community of Nazareta with 6000 lightbulbs for the 6000 households, introducing electricity, for the first time, to her humble community. She returns back to Bloemfontein to work with the promise of coming back after two years. Sotja, a local young man, begins to devote these two years for Malebone's return surprise homecoming, but soon realises that everyone has hardened and forgotten of Malebone's great efforts.

THE BENTLEY'S BETTYS asks whether you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in a busy restaurant on a Friday night. Exploring four good-looking waitresses, some difficult customers, attitude problems, family problems, casual sex, alcohol and how they all interact during one busy night, you will discover that casual nights of serving, flirting, drinking and fighting do not always end the way you want them to.

Tickets cost R20 per person for the readings, while R50 per person will include a mug of soup. Bookings can be made by phone on 021 447 3683, by email on artsadmin@mweb.co.za and online via the Theatre Arts Admin Collective website.

Photo: Thando Doni, one of the SCrIBE directors with finalist Grace Newton and Imbewu's Sam de Romijn.
Photo credit: Allison Foat/DIVA PR

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