8TH ARTSCAPE SPRING DRAMA SEASON

The much anticipated 8th Spring Drama Season at Artscape will feature outstanding plays that have emerged through Artscape’s New Writing Programme.

Out of last year’s season, Hol by Nicola Hanekom and Seashells by Rafiek Mammon earned distinguished awards at the National Arts Festival Fringe in July 2012. Seashells won a Silver Ovation Award, while Hol and its playwright/performer, Nicola Hanekom, won the only Gold Ovation Award that was made. Hol will be appearing at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival next month. Director/Producer Fred Abrahamse said, “I was privileged to direct Hol and Seashells – it’s always a rewarding experience to be part of the creative process together with Actors, Playwrights, Designers and a new script.”

With this distinguished ancestry, the 8th Artscape Spring Drama Season commences in September 2012. All the plays are by young dramatists and the Season also introduces to Artscape two new young directors to the programme, Sanjin Muftic and Greg Karvellas.

13 to 29 September sees the premier of Amy Jephta’s Other People’s Lives as a full production. A play that is incisive, brutal and moving, dealing with love in a time of violence is directed by Sanjin Muftic, with set and costume design by Illka Louw. It stars Carel Nel, winner of the Fleur du Cap best actor award this year, Lauren Steyn, Jayne Batzofin and Carla Fonseca

Mad, wild, coruscating Champ! by Louis Viljoen will be on the boards from 4 to 20 October and will be directed by Greg Karvellas. Three out-of-work actors are scraping the bottom of the barrel working as Giant Teddy Bears at a shopping mall over the Season. Mayhem ensues. With designs by Julia Anastasopoulos, the cast is Mark Elederkin, Nicholas Pauling, Adam Neill, Darron Araujo and Kerstin Francis. PG18 due to explicit content.

With a roll call of Themba Tsotsi, Sindiwe Magona, Sinthemba Twani, Fatima Dike, the Spring Drama Season is proud of its close work with both established and emerging black South African playwrights. Anele Rusi’s first play, iSystem, is a showcase production taking place on 26 and 27 October. Fatima Dike, who has been working as script editor with Rusi, will direct the play which deals with the pressures under which the police operate and the brutality that sometimes ensues.

Multi-award winning playwright Nicholas Spagnoletti’s new play brings the Artscape Spring Drama Season to a close, Special Thanks To Guests From Afar. running 8 to 24 November and directed by Matthew Wild. His smash hit play, London Road, has brought him and the production many awards including a 2011 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best New Script and the Olive Schreiner Prize from the English Academy. Two old South African friends re-unite at a wedding in Germany. When an  enigmatic and attractive stranger befriends them, the relationship is challenged. The play is witty, sophisticated and heart warming and stars Nicholas Dallas, Gideon Lombard and Lesoko Seabe. Angela Nemov has designed the costumes and the lighting design, for all four Spring Drama Season productions, is by Alfred Rietmann.

Roy Sargeant, Drama Consultant to Artscape added, “Writing plays, which are then staged successfully, is, actually re-writing plays. The playwright needs to be able to work within a group – the Director, the Actors, the Producer – and to listen to their guidance with care and concern”.

Tickets cost from R85 via Computicket outlets and 08619158000. Special discounts are available for Students and groups of 10 or more. Additional offers are available via Artscape box office on 0214217695.

For all interview requests and images please call Allison Foat at DIVA PR on 0214627384 or 0836356312