That funny guy from the beer ad is in town

By Sarah Kingon

Jason Goliath is best known as the guy who lights the giant braai in the Castle Lager adverts. This larger than life comedian (literally and figuratively) has ventured to Grahamstown for the first time with his comedy team to bring Goliath and Goliath to the Festival.

He calmly approaches the tea area at the Village Green for our interview. Perhaps his relaxed demeanour is because of a few too many Castle’s last night.

It’s difficult to go unnoticed when you’re the face of such a ubiquitous TV advert, but he happily converses with whoever enters his path. A pregnant woman asks if she can join us at the table- Goliath offers her a seat, but on condition that she listens to his song.

“It’s too late to condomise, it’s too late…” he sings to the tune associated with One Republic’s popular hit. The woman glares at him, but fakes a smile so she can take the seat.

“Aren’t you the guy from the Castle Lager ad?” says a young fan. Goliath confirms the suspicion and soaks up the fame.

Fortunately for him, his recognisable physique helps sell tickets. “South Africans don’t trust easily so being in the public eye helps give us some credibility,” he said.

He bussed down from Johannesburg to be part of the hype at Fest, but he’s only in town for one more day. His last two Goliath and Goliath shows are at 12.30pm and 7pm today. He has also featured in Jou Ma se Comedy Club and Pants on Fire during his short stay at the Festival. These shows feature a selection of successful comedians in each of their shows.

Jason’s success in the advertising industry launched him into his comedy career three years ago. When shooting for the Castle Lager campaign, Jason met established comedians Siv Ngesi and Brian Van Niekerk who told him he was “too funny to stay in advertising”.

He initially questioned his abilities to carry out comedy on stage. “You see, there is a difference between being funny at a braai and being funny on stage,” he said. After a night of one too many beers, he and his cousin Nicholas Goliath promised to give it a try. And that’s where Goliath and Goliath began.

Since then, their comedy venture has grown to add Donovan Goliath, who is not related to Jason or Nicholas and several other comics. This year the team has been nominated for five South African Comic Choice Awards. “We’re the biggest breeders of comedy newcomers in Gauteng,” said Jason.

“It feels like a winning soccer team because everyone plays their role properly. We always fight for the spotlight off stage, but share it well on stage,” he said.

I was in stitches throughout the show last night, which features a number of successful young comedians, but disappointed when Jason was missing from the stage. He decided to give up his spotlight for the night to a fellow travelling comedian. He assured me that today’s performance would feature him.

He’s enthusiastic about this year’s festival and excited to become more involved in the years to come. He’s not sure what’s in store for his future comedic career, but he assured me that “As long as South African’s love to laugh, we’d love to make them laugh.”

Published in Cue on Saturday 5 July 2014.

West isn’t best

By Sarah Kingon

The way I have come to understand culture has been from a western perspective and unfortunately that is how many of those who attend the Festival understand it. Everyone from around the country, and around the world, is here to soak in this idea of culture. The culture of the wealthy, the educated and the advantaged. Things have changed in the last 20 years to make the festival more ‘representative’, but it’s hardly a representation of those without access.

The local people are still marginalised and left to proceed with their own idea of culture on the side lines. Why can’t the ideas about culture be shared? Why does one conception of culture have to be subordinated for another? Why do those without access have to be left separate?

It feels like apartheid hasn’t ended. Those in the township complain that they can’t afford to be part of the festival and that festival organisers arrange for non-local people to be involved in the running of it all. And, conversely, festival organisers claim to be trying their hardest to create employment for local people, but it’s not enough.

After reading about the graffiti labelling the NAF as the ‘festival of the rich’, I spoke with the organisers of the Fingo Festival, asking their opinions on the issue. They responded saying that these sorts of revolts from the Rhini Resistance Festival (RRF) have happened year after year to no avail.

I tend to agree with these resisters to a large extent. People from the township find it very difficult to be involved with the Festival in way that can earn them money or simply attend the festival and absorb the idea of culture. There’s only so much walking around the Village Green that a person can do.

Is the solution to bring the festival to the township in a form like the Fingo Festival? It would be great if those at Fingo could get more funding to get their festival off the ground. But I’m not sure the answer is asking artists to go into the township and do a show for ‘charity’. Isn’t that the mind-set we’re trying to get rid of?

The answer could be to spread the venues out into the township, train those without resources to create businesses in the township and invite them to return the favour.

It’s not about giving people the money to get involved, because the festival will never have enough money for that anyway. It’s about providing real opportunities for those without so that they may offer something fresh to festival goers. To create a kind of culture that everyone can share in, instead of one culture that has to be subordinated to another.

Published in Cue on Sunday 13 July 2014.

It’s a different kind of magic

By Sarah Kingon

It’s not your ordinary magic show, says Oudejans, who produced Sleight of mouth as a one man show last year. There are no doves or rabbits or wands or people being cut in half. Curious Things: A Sleightly Different Display of Magic combines the traditional circus-style of mind reading and invisibility stunts with an element of danger.

“It all goes back to making audiences stunned by the power of magic, instead of leaving them wondering how they can decipher the tricks,” said Oudejans. Curious Things tries to capture the magic lost in the vintage circus era, of gypsies, popcorn and candyfloss. “I almost brought a popcorn machine,” laughs Oudejans.

Each show is a little different because the audience is invited to participate and throw a great deal of curveballs at the magician, adding to the sense of wonder and surprise.

Oudejans started magic when he was nine years old and performed in restaurants and carnivals as a youngster. For the last 10 years he has devoted his career to becoming a full time magician.

“I think the sense of wonder in my show is as important as the intellectual theatre and political commentary in other shows. You leave the theatre feeling good instead of depressed,” said Oudejans

Oudejans is also part of an improve comedy group called One Word, Please! which relies fully on audiences to suggest one word from which they build unique comedic scenes.

 

Improv in a word

By Sarah Kingon

What do you get if you put an actor, a magician, a radio personality and a reporter on a stage together? The beginning of a semi-professional improv comedy show.

This unlikely combination makes up an improv group with a twist – they only need one word.

The team from One Word Please ask the audience to suggest one word within a particular category from which to base the scenes in their show. They change it up quite a bit and try a variety of formats from which to find a wacky incident. If you like Whose Line Is It Anyway, then this is a show to see – although John Sessions and the crew still have the upper hand.

My favourite was a scene based at a place of work suggested by the audience – naturally it was a brothel. Actors were also each given random trigger words (a colour, a number, an animal) which sent them on and off the stage when their words were mentioned.

These four quick-thinkers is part of a much larger team called The Long Shots, who perform twice a month in Cape Town. Once a week they get together for three hours to work on different formats and learn to work off each other, although none of their work is scripted.

Jason Delplanque, founder of The Long Shots, says, “We try to get our inspiration from real things around us and our audience members. You have to trust your gut and justify the things your partner had said.”

“All of our show is based on the idea of ‘yes and…’ You have to agree with everything that is offered to you by your team members and audience members. I have to constantly be thinking about what I can do to make the others look better,” said full-time magician and part-time improviser Marcel Oudejans.

Delplanque says this form of comedy is on the rise and is in synch with our participatory age.

Published in Cue on Saturday 12 July 2014.

Immerse yourself in the ocean of the Kraken!

By Sarah Kingon

It seems impossible to imagine how one can produce an award winning show without a set, but after a few minutes of watching Get Kraken!, the viewer is transported into a world of comic book style physical theatre using the audience’s imagination. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. Cast members take on the roles of people and mythical creatures and breathe life into the inanimate.

Scriptwriter Jon Keevy’s idea grew out of an ASSITEJ project called ‘Inspiring a generation’ which assigned writers to create a play on the theme of poverty. But Get Kraken! doesn’t deal with poverty in a conventional manner. This blast of imagination tells the tale of a boy called Jay and his oupa, who get caught up in perlemoen poaching. It alerts the viewer to the shortage of fish in the ocean as a result of overfishing, which is not only the fault of big industrial complexes. Keevy was inspired by growing up in the small fishing villages around Cape Town which are caught in a cycle of poverty, aggravated by licencing laws.

The moral of the story is not blazingly obvious and remains unresolved through the progression of the story line. What is, however, achieved is the development of the characters. Jay gains confidence in himself and his grandfather recognises Jay as a person with his own ideas about life.

“Children use their imagination to turn a stick into a sword or a wand. They don’t need fancy toys to play,” said Keevy. The comic book physical theatre style originated out of a mime tradition that became popular in South Africa as a form of protest theatre. “People had limited access to resources and had to create a set from nothing,” he said. “It means we don’t have to lug around a big fancy set. The magic of theatre is about creating what isn’t there.”

And it’s not just for the kids. “A good children’s show must always suck in the grown-ups and let them have a laugh,” said scriptwriter Jon Keevy. Get kraken does this by using pop culture references to provide humour to an otherwise serious story.

The target audience is children between the ages of 10 and 14, who have the ability to project their feelings and empathise the characters on stage.

Keevy found the cast members using the pool of actors he met on the Cape Town acting scene. The characters interact well together on stage and do a lot of bonding off stage to ensure the cohesive nature of their on stage performance.

Do yourself a favour and relive your childhood by jumping into the ocean (and even live in the belly of a whale for a while) filled with mythical creatures that form part of the Get Kraken! set.

Published in Cue on Thursday 10 July 2014.

On the red couch

By Sarah Kingon

For the last two days writers have taken to the streets (well, the village green actually) to listen to reader’s views on the Festival. We’ve offered passers-by a copy of Cue in exchange for a bit of conversation.

The idea was to have a space where readers could share their stories with us as well as offer us some of their show recommendations. Alternatively, if you’re not the social type, you could take a selfie with the paper and earn yourself a free copy of the paper. Some people preferred to offer us money for the Cue instead of chatting.  Many preferred to sit with us because we’re the only ones with a heater in the chilly weather.

It seems that people come to the Festival for a variety of reasons. Many of those at the Village Green were people from the Eastern Cape, there for a day’s outing and possibly a show in the evening. Countless others are here as performers and only have limited time to see other shows. Some have wacky stories about how they got here with a broken down cars.

Accommodation options range from locals who let out their homes to visitors while they occupy the granny flat, to school or university residences and hotel-stays.

Many are familiar with the arts scene and attend every year, while others are newbies.

Look out for us at Village Green and come and share your opinions and suggestions.

Some impressions of Festival:

“Fest wouldn’t be Fest without the sundowners.”

“The first show we book every year is Raiders.”

“The explosion of culture is amazing. There is so much out there that’s brought into one space.”

“Cue reviews are accurate and helpful.”

“The kudu burger stall at the Village Green is the go-to place for breakfast.”

“As a Grahamstonian, it’s incredible to have such a range of international talent on our doorstep.”

 

What readers enjoyed:

Jou ma se comedy club, 3-12 July, 11pm, Bowling club

Big Girls, daily at 12, The Highlander

Butlers and Brylcreem, 8-12 July, Vicky’s

Funnier than them, 7-12 July, Bowling club

On the harmful effects of tobacco

Amateur hour! 7-12 July, St Andrew’s Studio 1

Waiting for this God ou, 7 July, 5pm, PJ’s space

 

A few ‘downers’:

“The Children’s Theatre programme is a bit disappointing”

“We walked out of a comedy show when after five minutes the comedian had already used a string of expletives and blasphemy.”

“The rugby players from the Varsity tournament annexed the Rat and Parrot and sang two-syllable drinking songs.”

“There are so many shows to see that there is little time for reflection.”

Published on Monday 7 July 2014.

 

When signs go unnoticed

By Sarah Kingon

Losing your child is said to be one of the worst things that could ever happen to a parent, but losing a child to suicide is worse. Kate Shand, author of Boy: The story of my teenage son’s suicide, shared the story of her son’s suicide and what she has learned from it in a lecture on Sunday as part of the Think!Fest series.

In this emotional conversation with the audience, Shand shared the truth of what had happened to her 14 year old son. He hanged himself in March 2011. On the one hand, there were signs, which she believes she has failed to act on. On the other, the signs could be misconstrued as ordinary teenage behaviour.  “How does one give language to the unimaginable and the unthinkable?” said Shand.

He was a loner and a quiet child who seldom shared what was going on inside his head. He was depressed and smoked dagga regularly. “He didn’t shout out to be listened… He was so quiet that his call for help went unnoticed,” she said. But are those signs or do they only become signs after the suicide?

Shand said she has read every book on teenage suicide which speaks about ‘the signs’, but often there are no signs. There is no formula to know what’s going on in your child’s head. “Books on suicide are a sad long, list of people trying to understand why others kill themselves,” she said.

Writing Boy has been a wonderful form of therapy for Shand. The book makes her feel like her son’s life still has meaning and will make a difference to other people. She spoke of one specific example where a boy sent her a message on Facebook talking about how he had felt suicidal, but after reading her book he cancelled his plans. He could never put his parents through what she had to go through.

“I needed time, but I didn’t have time.” Shand spoke about how she instinctively knew that something was wrong but failed to act on her gut feeling.

“Talk about depression and suicide with your kids.” The conversation about suicide should go along with the sex talk you give to your teenagers, she said.

“Get professional help if there is a problem.” Shand does not undermine the help that experts can offer.

“He had plans. He spoke about the future.” Suicidal children don’t stop making plans for their lives.

“9.5% of South African teenage deaths are a result of suicide.” Suicide is often the result of many failed attempts.

Published in Cue on Tuesday 8 July 2014.

Touching sight

By Sarah Kingon

Who says blind people can’t produce visual art? This year, the South African Library for the Blind celebrates its 95^th birthday by paying tribute to blind and partially-sighted artists and highlighting their artistic abilities through an art exhibition and musical feature operating throughout the Festival.

“People find the idea of blindness and art very interesting. The display is a glimpse into the work of blind people and the world around them,” said blind photographer and National Braille Consultant Pasha Alden.

The exhibition, called The House Where I Live, is located at 1 Hemming Street, a side street alongside the High Street Library. One would expect to find a large deal of abstract art at an exhibition where the artists have such limited vision, but surprisingly most of the paintings are of real scenes.

Festival goers can visit the house during the day for a guided tour of the various artworks. These include paintings, woven artworks, photographs and books from a variety of blind and partially-sighted artists, both local and international.  Visitors can also get to operate a braille typewriter and open their minds to understanding a way of viewing the world without sight.

Alden’s vision is limited to the outlines of objects within a metre from her, making her an unlikely photographer. Armed with her iPhone, she mostly photographs scenes that have a great deal of contrast and texture. “I’m interested in photographing the texture of plants and objects that can be touched, as long as it’s not intrusive or invasive,” said Alden. “So I don’t go around touching people before I take a photo,” she laughed.

Alden’s husband helps to guide her into photographing objects with high contrast and also helps her to assess the finished product. Her work is often based on spontaneity. “I enjoy photographing nature or things that are ironic or offer juxtaposition,” she said.  This is her first exhibition, so she is approaching the challenge with cautious optimism.

A musical street concert is one of the Library’s proudest features during the Festival. Every weekday at 1pm, High Street will come alive with the sound of songs performed by blind and partially-sighted musicians. Alden, who plays the mandolin, performs a duo with her colleague Colin Ngqoba on guitar on some of the days, while a marimba band features on other days.

 Published in Cue on Thursday 3 July 2014. Photo also by Sarah Kingon.

Sensual stories launch at Nun’s Chapel

By Sarah Kingon

Sitting in the Nun’s Chapel at the poorly attended launch of the new Short. Sharp. Stories compilation about sex was one of the strangest experiences I’ve had at the Festival so far. “Maybe it’s the cold weather or perhaps people are afraid about the topic of sex,” chuckled editor Joanne Hichens.

Adults Only is the second Short. Sharp. Stories collection to be released and the topic of sex and sensuality was chosen this year because of its popularity in contemporary literature. But, Hichens assured the small audience at the launch that the book is not an erotic novel. “The collection explores the experiences of real human beings clashing around relationships,” she said.

This time last year Short. Sharp. Stories put out a request to all South African writers to send through their short stories, according to the requirements set out on their website. “We received hundreds of entries and had to narrow it down to just a few,” said Hichens. With the help of a range of judges, they were able to choose a selection for the book.

The 22 stories (selected from more than 150 entries) range in theme and style as well as the writing experience of the authors. Contributing authors include accomplished authors like Christine Coats and Carla Lever and a number of new, young writers including Tiffany Kagure Mugo. Tales range from those of the bored housewife to gay marriage and on and off student relationships. One of the stories even has a sadomasochist as the main character, which is bound to turn off some readers. But Hichens said, “If a reader finds eight stories that they like and can identify with, that’s enough.”

Present on the discussion panel at the launch were three contributing authors, who shared their writing experience and read snippets of their work to the audience. The panel included Rhodes writing Lecturer Gillian Rennie, Alexander Matthews, editor of online publication Aerodrome and associate editor of Prufrock magazine Nick Mulgrew – whose story “Turning” wins this year’s R20 000 prize sponsored by the National Arts Festival.

“I had a weird premonition that this would happen,” said Mulgrew. “But, as a writer I never feel completely self-assured so this is a form of writing vindication,” he explained. Mulgrew has only been writing short stories for a year, which makes the prize even more unexpected. His unique contribution to the series tells the story of a young linguistics student at Rhodes, whose girlfriend realises she is a lesbian. The beauty of his story lies in the way that linguistics is weaved into this narrative about sex and homophobia.

The small discussion yesterday was not only about the book, but the purpose of such a book in a South African context. Hichens believes that Adults Only, alongside last year’s compilation entitled Bloody Satisfied (a crime thriller collection), offers a uniquely South African voice to the reader. It also gives South Africans a platform from which they can write and be read. “Short stories are great for us with ADD,” laughed contributing author Alexander Matthews. “With new technology, the way we read has changed. We now read in short sharp bursts.”   

Festival CEO Tony Lankester was one of the few people present, who was proud to continue to fund this literary venture. “The festival is about good stories, and part of that is good quality writing,” he said. “If we neglect the quality of writing, we neglect the work.”

Next year’s topic is Incredible Journey –  a broad topic, so stories can range from science fiction journeys to road trips or even journeys of the mind, said Hichens. Look for the call for entries at shortsharpstories.com and facebook.com/ShortSharpStories.

Published in Cue on Thursday 10 July 2014.

A man of many parts

By Sarah Kingon

How does an actor manage to stay sane while assuming the role of three distinct characters and playing in a band at one festival? Cue asked Shaun Acker, who does this regularly.

“I enjoy being highly stimulated and try to keep my body in a heightened performance mode as I perform in back to back shows,” said Acker.  This energised, but controlled, performer likes to see separate shows as one continuous performance in order to stay alert and in tune with the audience.

This year, Acker is playing the character of a famous author in The Unexpected Man, an emotional right-brained man negotiating a gay divorce in Civil Parting, a villainous robot in the children’s production Get Kraken. He also plays the saxophone as part of the Phax Trio.

Acker has been involved in eight National Arts Festivals to date. Last year he was also juggling four shows simultaneously. Despite the fact he was on a tight show schedule, he still managed to attend a few other shows. “I don’t know where I fitted it in, but I think it’s so important to see what else is out there.”

Acker grew up with a father who was involved in the running of the Boswell-Wilkie circus. Acker’s introduction to the arts through his childhood was an invaluable opportunity for him to learn the discipline, commitment and stress management required in his acting career.

“In acrobatics you need to train your brain to respond to different situations. Your focus has to be tuned into your surroundings,” said Acker. The same is apparently true for drama.

Born and raised in the East London, was initially introduced to the Standard Bank Jazz Festival in 1999 by the director Alan Webster, as part of his Grade 8 year. His main passion during his school career was for music, but this was extended to drama when he started studying at Rhodes University. 

When he initially registered for a music degree, he viewed drama simply as an extra subject to occupy his interests. After spending a great deal of his time at the drama department, he became more interested in how drama could combine his musical, acrobatic and acting talents to create a uniquely marketable product.

Civil Parting, which is in its first year at the festival, had sold out audiences in Cape Town and was positively reviewed as part of the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival. It tells the story of the first gay couple to be married in South Africa who have now agreed to divorce. The couple desperately want to separate amicably, but struggle to do so when their mediating lawyer fails to show up for a meeting. This fringe comedy helps guide the viewer through the challenges of divorce, which is no different for gay couples than for straight ones.

“The show allows you to see deeply into the two characters. People often take sides and put themselves into the story.”

The 2014 edition of the festival brings with it Acker’s first opportunity for his band, The Phax Trio, to have their own show at the festival. The band usually performs background music for weddings and other special occasions to gain exposure, but they have finally reached the stage where they can operate independently.

Acker currently works as a freelance actor in Cape Town. “The days of being in a company are over. DIY theatre has become the way most of us operate,” he explained. 

Published in Cue on Saturday 5 July 2014

An opportunity to make friends, craft and chocolate

By Sarah Kingon

Terese Marthinus wraps her hand-made chocolate delicately in tinned foil paper and ties a neat bow around it to add a finishing touch. “I love doing the decorations and creating my own design,” says Terese, a 14 year-old girl on her first day at the Children’s Arts Festival.

The Children’s Arts Festival gives parents the option of booking  their children in at St Andrew’s Prep from 9am-5pm daily or, if their children are pre-schoolers, for half a day. Children are divided into three groups according to age groups and taken to various stations which will involve teaching them a craft, the basics of playing a musical instrument or learning a new form of dance.

The chocolate making and decorating workshop has been the first activity of the day. Terese will move on to a pencil craft workshop where she will learn to make a colourful clay creature to decorate the end of her pencil. The afternoon’s activities include lunch, a family theatre show and a third workshop, which usually involves some movement. The show on the opening day was Lake, a show directed by Daniel Buckland.

After chatting to a few of the youngsters, I noticed that what excites them can vary substantially. Some are excited about busting a new move as part of the dance workshops, while others can’t wait for break times when they can throw around their world cup soccer ball. For Damian Tsikos, after enduring the craft workshops, the tuck shop at break time is his highlight.

Perhaps one of the best things about the Children’s Art Festival is the the opportunity for children like Terese to make new friends, learn new skills and express themselves creatively in a non-threatening way.

Cindy Renard, coordinator of the Children’s Festival for the past seven years, assures parents that the children who attend this event will be fully supervised throughout the day. There are still some spaces available on the Children’s Arts Festival programme, and another option for children is the ASSITEJ Family Fare where parents can accompany their children in a range of activities.

Published in Cue on Friday 4 July 2014