What's Ahead at the Cape Town Fringe
The Cape Town Fringe is in full swing and with nearly 80 productions on the programme this year, the clock is ticking for theatre fans to see as many shows as they can.
Says Cape Town Fringe CEO, Tony Lankester, “We all know what it’s like, you think you will go, you want to go but before you know it, the tickets are sold out and the Festival is over. We are already into our first weekend and tickets sales are looking good, so come over to the Fringe Club at the Cape Town City Hall, soak up the atmosphere and book some shows. Alternately, go online to www.capetownfringe.co.za to browse and book.”
Tickets range from R40-R100 making it an affordable theatre feast with everything from haunting tales of loss to mind-bending illusion, absorbing live music and light-hearted fun from both local and international acts.
Moving into the week 26-30 September, here is what is fresh at the Fringe:
Audiences only have until 29 September to see top international act Machine Makes Man. A previous success at National Arts Festival, Cue magazine’s Cujo described it as a “hyper-eloquent sci-fi-tinged meditation on technology, love, pop music, failure, cooking, government institutions, and the complicated question of what it means to be human.”
Get to Alexander Bar for Death of a Clown which wraps up on 29 September and catch the Nigerian play, Wait, which ends its run on 28 September, an important look at women’s access to education in Africa. This is also the only week to see #balletmustfall.
Social media comedy Eat, Post, Love will have audiences reflecting on their social media habits until the 30th September, whilst the 28th is the last chance to catch Cape Town band, Hatchetman performing live at City Hall. International act Odysseus Finn wraps up on the 28th too.
Hipster-horror Monster opens on the 27th September and is a journey into the psyche of a young Cape Town artist grappling with grief and manic depression. The play includes puppetry, shadow puppetry, projection, visual art, original music and text (till 8 October).
Rob van Vuuren’s much-anticipated Standard Bank Silver Ovation Award winner, Dangled, will open on 28 September and runs till the end of the Festival. Zakes Mda’s classic And the Girls in their Summer Dresses pairs a retired prostitute and a domestic worker in a welfare queue, resulting in an hour of wonderful storytelling from actresses Nompilo Jill and Pertunia Msani (29 Sep – 3 Oct).
The highly-entertaining illusionist, Greg Gelb will have some tricks up his sleeve from 27 September up until the 8th October. Afrikaans play Verplaas looks at family life from 28 Sep-1 October.
Exciting young writer/director Jason Jacobs’ solo play Stof Rooi (Afrikaans/English) delves into some of the issues faced by matriculants, the show runs from 29 September – 3 October. Another Afrikaans play, the Zabalaza Festival winner, Die Gelapte Pop (30 Sep- 2 Oct), looks at a community’s misunderstanding of a bi-polar boy.
There are only three performances of De-Apart-Hate (30 Sep, 1 & 8 Oct), in which Mamela Nyamza examines a post-colonial narrative for the arts in this dance/physical theatre piece. Don’t miss the reading The Visit, at AFDA till the 28th September.
Families only have till 3 October to see the first South African production of The Gruffalo. Also on offer for children this week is the bilingual play Citygull/Stadmeeu; a beautiful story about identity that starts on the 29th September.
For some funny, catch Aaron Mcilroy and Patrick Kenny in Comedy Masterclass which opens on 29 September and 4 October. Also ahead are two more Standard Bank Ovation Award winners, Falling off the Horn, which uses puppetry and dance to explore the issue of xenophobia, and Sacre for One, Alan Parker’s solo dance piece.
There is just one special performance of V-Day, a reworking of the Eve Ensler classic, The Vagina Monologues. This one-off performance on 30 September, is directed by Marisa Doubell, will donate all proceeds to Rape Crisis, MOSAIC and Saartjie Baartman.
To browse and book for Cape Town Fringe visit www.capetownfringe.co.za
Follow Cape Town Fringe on Twitter @CTFringe / Facebook www.Facebook.com/capetownfringe and Instagram @ctfringe - hashtag #CTFringe
Follow the Cape Town Buskers Festival on Twitter on @CTbuskersfest / Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ctbuskersfest and Instagram @ctbuskersfest
Call the Box Office on 0860 002 004
ABOUT THE CAPE TOWN FRINGE
The Cape Town Fringe is managed by the National Arts Festival. The City of Cape Town is the Host Sponsor of the Cape Town Fringe, while Standard Bank is the Presenting Sponsor of the event.
MEDIA CONTACT
All media queries to:
Rabbit in a Hat Communications
Sascha Polkey
083 414 0552
021 300 0052