SOLDAAT and SATISFACTION INDEX Double Bill for Artscape Arena

Artscape Theatre is set to present the much anticipated double bill of SOLDAAT and SATISFACTION INDEX, which forms part of New Voices Programme at the Artscape Arena. New Voices is an Artscape Theatre Centre's developmental programme which concentrates on promoting young theatre-makers, directors and writers.

Directed by Amy Jephta, SOLDAAT features Ephraim Gordon as 21-year-old Nadir, who has taken refuge in a vandalised school building to prepare an all-out assault against a group of men terrorising his community. As he slips deeper and deeper into becoming a vigilante soldier, Nadir also finds himself re-experiencing the memories of young men, like himself, who lived and died for a cause.

SATISFACTION INDEX is designed to inspire with honesty, beauty, eclectic glamour and raise the appreciation of the wonder and positivity in individuals and communities. This enthralling work will be crafted to music that reflects contemporary African society with echoes of the religious and traditional music. Although a non-religious work, the seven virtues - chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility - create a backdrop for the navigation of the piece, with the focus on the relevance of these virtues for contemporary society. The production directed by Jacqueline Manyaapelo.

Artscape's creative manager, Mandla Mbothwe, says that these two productions represent the ideology behind the New Voices programme:

As Artscape, it is crucial that we recognise the variables in processes of creating a story and creating bridges of emerging productions to mainstream, a bridge between promising student productions into professional platforms. It is through this that the programme aims to restore the dignity and confidence of artists of multiple creative expressions and excavate the buried stories in reclaiming their identity in the mainstream platforms and to transform their own spaces to mainstream platforms in their own terms.

The Artscape Theatre Centre, which belongs to the provincial administration, was opened on 19 May 1971 as the Nico Malan Theatre Centre. In line with the new South African political dispensation and the concurrent changes, the complex was renamed in March 2001. The mission of Artscape is to facilitate, produce and promote the arts in ways that advance nation building, to produce productions of a multi-cultural nature and to establish business partnerships involving all stakeholders.

SOLDAAT and SATISFACTION INDEX previews on 14 October, with performances running from Tuesdays through Saturdays at 19:30 nightly until 24 October. Additional matinee performances take place at 15:00 on weekends. Tickets, ranging from R50 - R80, are available at Artscape's Box Office or through Computicket.