Cape Town - Members from the Waterfront Theatre School will perform at the William Shakespeare and Elizabethan Theatres in Moscow next week.
The school was selected by the organising committee of the “Theatrical Brics” to take part in the festival from May 14-20. Under the sponsorship of the Moscow Institute of Theatrical Arts, supported by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry Culture, the festival will include schools from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Representing the school are: the founder and director, Delia Sainsbury; director and partner Paul Griffiths; actor Garth Tavares; theatre actor Jenna Galloway; and students Sindiswa Ndlovu and Michael Fenn.
The concept is to advance drama and the school’s methods of education for students of the Brics countries.
The Waterfront Theatre School will present excerpts from Romeo and Juliet, adding some South African flavour.
There will be discussions, exchanges of ideas and role changes between the actors from the different countries, as well as participation of the local students in Moscow, Russia. “We have a very interesting slant on the balcony scene with a black Juliet (Ndlovu) and a white Romeo (Fenn) defining the opposition to their budding relationship,” said Sainsbury.
Ndlovu will perform a monologue to African drum rhythms with a modern slant on a traditional dress, alongside Fenn’s Romeo.
Galloway will perform a scene in the traditional classical style and Travares will be a modern Mercutio performing a monologue as a “punk Afrikaner”.
“The best piece of advice I have ever got was preparation.
“The key to delivering any kind of performance is putting in the hard work and then the rest will come. Paul has been incredible working with us,” said Galloway.
“Art and theatre still has this incredible ability to resonate with somebody’s life, irrespective of the culture or background.
“The live exchange of a theatre is something that technology can never change. The ability to live perform a play is an incredibly powerful force,” said Griffiths.
@LobzMarele