2007 » South Africa » National section

Reshaping the Box

Professor Angelo Gobbato, University of Cape Town School of Opera: “The release of Nelson Mandela and the advent of a democratic constitution opened the floodgates to the vocal transformation of opera. Unfortunately this went with the almost total abolition of any kind of state funding. Opera companies were forced to become self funded. The tension created by the powerful demand for our newly developed vocal talent and this lack of funding has had an extremely salutary effect on operatic design in South Africa. For example, tendencies to excessive display have given way to strong production concepts, with the demographic make up of performers encouraging designers to search for, and to find, solutions that make the genre more accessible. The fact that our notoriously conservative and liberal minded audiences have supported these exciting developments bodes well for a fresh uniquely African approach.” Theatre writer, director and designer John Caviggia: “South African theatre is courageously innovative and experimental, concerning itself with social issues in work utilising comedy, satire and forms other than drama, such as mime, masks and puppetry. Also music has become an important factor, becoming a universal form of communication. This has meant that a broader audience is being reached. More significantly, it has allowed South African theatre to acknowledge, and apply the traditional rituals and stories of the African continent.” Prof. Roy Sargeant, Drama Consultant: “With the “revolution” in 1994, the solid support of theatrical repertory companies was abandoned as being elitist. Young actors found themselves without role models. The bold stroke required now is to embrace elitism, to embrace excellence both at national and provincial levels, so that the profession can be bound together, supported from below and from within, by a transfer of technical and creative skills, from those who know to those who are longing to know.“ Brett Bailey, designer, writer and director of Third World Bunfight dramatises chiefly from Africa rather than the West. One reason for this is political: “Everything African – world views, culture, social and spiritual systems etc. – have been deemed inferior by the West for centuries. This denegration of everything non-Western was and is still a tool to justify colonialism, conquest and subordination of the ‘dark continent’ by the ‘enlightened West.’ In line with the drive for an African Renaissance the work of this company asserts the value and complexities of the cultural manifestations, the issues and the ethos of Africa. We do not emulate Euro-American theatre and we don’t depend on it as aframe of reference.”

Exhibiting artists / ateliers

• Ilka Louw

* 20.07.1971, Cape Town
Specialization: set designer, costume designer
Education: Post Graduate Diploma: Theater Design at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; National Diploma: Fashion Design
Collaboration with theatres: Little Theatre, University of Cape Town
Teaching activities: History of Costume at Drama Department: University of Cape Town
Continuing collaboration with directors: Geoffrey Hyland


Exhibiting works

• Hans Huysen, Ilja Projanow: (Masque), (Cape Town Opera Company), 2005, Director: Hans Huysen, , Geoffrey Hyland, , Paul Abrams - Lighting Designer
  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  
• Williame Shakespeare: King Lear (King Lear), 0
  
  
  
• Sara Roberts (Sarah Roberts)
• Michael Mitchell

* 1960, South Africa
Education: Dip. Fine Art & Design
Collaboration with theatres: Cape Town Opera, Jazz Art, Artscape, Den Norsk Opera, Spoornet Theatre, Spier Amphitheatre & Oude Libertas Theatre
Continuing collaboration with directors: Prof. Angelo Gobbatto, Christine Crouse, Alfred Hinkel & Brett Bailey
Additional information: He graduated from Cape Town University - painting, works as scenic artist for various Cape Town productions. He exhibited at PQ 1999.

Exhibiting works

• Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio (Fidelio), 2004, Director: Angelo Gobbatto, ,
  

  

  
  
  
• Marthinus Basson (Martinus Basson)

Darling
Education: Self-taught
Collaboration with theatres: KKNK, Grahamstown festival, Handspring puppet Co. BAM New York,Williamstown College Mass., Aardklop, Teater Der Welt
Teaching activities: Lecturer in design, cabaret, acting and directing
Additional information: Designer of the exhibit. Director and designer, co-founder of U.L.Eis, R.YS & Art Appels, lecturer at Stellenbosch University, Drama Department.
• Brett Bailey

Specialization: jury
Education: BA  in Drama and English, Post-grad Diploma in Performance studies and Dasarts / Amsterdam
Collaboration with theatres: Spier, Cape Town Opera, recent collaboration with Haiti Voodoo Rock Band
Continuing collaboration with directors: Lara Bye and Tossie van Tonder


Exhibiting works

• Oscar van Woensel: medEia (medEia), Spier Arts Summer Season (Spier Arts Summer Season), 2005, Director: Brett Bailey, , Lara Bye, ,
  

  

  
  
  
• : (Orpheus), (Spier Arts Sommer Season), 2006 ;
  Comments: instalation
• Peter Cazalet

* 1934, Kitwe Zambia
Additional information: Graduated from Capo Town University - architecture, works as a set designer, mostly for ballet, opera and musical. He exhibited at PQ in 1999.

Exhibiting works

• Peter Shaffer: Amadeus (Amadeus), Baxter Theatre (Baxter Theatre), 2006
  

  
  
  
• Saul Rodomsky

Exhibiting works

• Athol Fugard: (Exits and Entrances), (Baxter Theatre), 2005
  
  
  
• Nicholas Ellenbogen: (Mama Thembu´s Wedding), (The Pilchard Playhouse), 2005
  
  
  
• Craig Leo

South Africa
Specialization: actor, teacher, set designer, costume designer, scenographer, Puppeteer & acrobat
Education: Bachelor of architectural studies
Collaboration with theatres: Magnet Theatre, Jazzart Dance Theatre, Handspring Puppet Company
Continuing collaboration with directors: Proff Mark Fleischmann, Alfred Hinkel, Basil Jones - Adrian Kholer, Marthinus Basson