Latoya Newman
THE Witness Hilton Arts Festival wrapped up at the weekend with hundreds of patrons having enjoyed great offerings from theatre to music to live graffiti and more.
Tonight was able to see a few items.
Same Time Next Year is a touching play which uses an extra- marital affair to expose something as deep as soul ties.
Two strangers meet in a town they are visiting for different reasons. One thing leads to another and they awake in a hotel room the following morning, ridden with guilt over what they have done, but still drawn to each other.
The magnetism between them has them return annually to the same hotel to spend a weekend together. More than 20 years later the couple are still in an affair which neither can escape because they love each other.
Bernard Slade’s romantic comedy drama is brilliantly written with characters who guide the audience into the heart of an awkward and usually taboo situation. Director Christopher Weare and actors Paul du Toit and Julie Hartley have worked well together to convey this to the audience.
Du Toit’s comedy timing is perfect, while Hartley’s amazing ability to transform in character from someone who lacks confidence to one who later oozes it, is beautiful to watch.
The use of imagery between scenes which depict an evolving society also forms an artistic link to the evolution of this affair and the characters, which is quite interesting to observe.
All in all it’s a delightful watch.
Oedipus @ Koö-Nú! is a great example of old-school South African theatre. It is a production with purpose which uses satire, comedy and drama to do more than just entertain.
Standard Bank Young Artist Winner for Theatre, Greg Homann, has based his work on Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles and presents a provocative reflection on South Africa’s past, present and future.
Oedipus (David Dennis) is a dying old man who is on his way to be reunited with his daughter Ismene (Amera Patel). En route he and his daughter Antigone (Masasa Mbangeni) – and Ismene, once she joins them – cross paths with different people who make us reflect on the past, the present and the future.
Although this is a serious topic, Homann uses comedy, wit and visual metaphors to provocatively reflect on today.
Depending on where your predisposition falls, you may take to or dislike the work. Either way it’s one to check out if you are interested in hearing some of the opinions out there.
Professional aerosol artist, Iain “Ewok” Robinson, held an exhibition of graffiti art at the festival. This was intended to create a discussion around the freedom of expression and get festival guests to experiment with the medium.
Robinson also painted a mural to raise funds for Project Rhino KZN.
With statistics obtained from SaveTheRhino.org that confirm that the number of rhinos poached this year so far total 100 a month, Robinson’s mural at Hilton College Grounds comprised 100 spray-painted animals.
Patrons were then invited to sponsor a rhino for R100 in a bid to raise R10 000 for Project Rhino.
A host of the productions that were staged at this year’s festival are set to embark on local seasons in and around the province.
Keep an eye out for these in the press.