Music, dance, theatre, magic and so much more. The 2016 Cape Town Fringe Festival took over City Hall, Alexander bar and other locations in Cape Town bringing us the very best of Arts and Culture.
Theatre lovers enjoyed two weeks of mind blowing entertainment, and just when you thought things could not get any better, they took it to the next level. CT Fringe brought the first ever Busker’s Festival in the South Africa, and they have been included World Fringe Alliance and a storytelling project for Cape Town Fringe 2017.
We wanted to watch every show on the programme, but alas we could not. We did, however, get to watch ten shows of various styles and genres that blew us away.
Out of Bounds
Tailyn Ramsamy and Tazme Pillay show us what it was like for the Indian community during Apartheid and through the transformation. They portray a number of colourful characters to tell this one poignant tale filled with humor, melancholy and truth.
Memorable Moments with Stuart Lightbody
Everyone in the audience was astounded by the magnificent Stuart Lightbody. In this show, he goes through his best tricks and illusions whilst telling you about his journey. I was part of a trick and got to witness Stuart Lightbody’s skill up close. The show is truly remarkable.
The Finkelsteins are Coming to Dinner
A man, his mother and his lover all live in one house. The result is hilarious. This show explores art, Jewish culture, sex and the naked body. Actor David Viviers won Fresh Performer for his role in The Finkelstiens and his co-stars Andrew Laubscher and Megan Furnis are top notch. You can still catch the show at Alexander Bar.
Death of a Clown
One of the most chilling shows I watched, Ryan Napier performs as a clown, determined to overcome his failure and make the audience laugh. Ryan’s performance is outstanding. His frustration and desperation on stage is so real, members of the audience began cheering just to make him stop, for fear of him harming himself.
Falling Off the Horn
A tragic tale of a refugee who flees his home to South Africa, where he is met with prejudice and xenophobia. A visual performance piece, it incorporates dance, mime, masks and shadow puppetry to tell the story.
Nomadic Orchestra
Performing their signature style of instrumental dance music, Nomadic Orchestra got the entire audience up and dancing with their energetic performance.
The Very Big Comedy Show
WIth names like Ron van Vuuren, Kagiso KG Mokgadi and Schalk Bezuidenhout in the line up, The Very Big Comedy Show had the audience in stitches.
Avu
An avant-garde piece, Avu continuously played with audience’s emotions taking us through horrific stories and light hearted comedy. With politics at it’s heart the show is a interaction between a Boer and and Bantu in various circumstances. Stars, Thaddeus Hoffman and Erick Strydom are brilliant in this up and down show that makes you question everything.
Monster
This play focuses on a young woman, whose guilt over the disappearance of her sister manifests itself as a monster that haunts her and renders her unable to live healthily. It is a poignant and often terrifying combination of drama, physical theatre and mixed media, that provides smart insight into the nature of psychological trauma.
De-Apart-Hate
Mamela Nyama wrote, directed, choreographed and performed this piece of physical theatre with Mihali Gwatyi. Through dance and visuals Mamela aims to promote a discourse that moves beyond ‘decolonisation’ and towards humanity.
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Photography courtesy Cape Town Fringe