Litnet

Following its critical success in Johannesburg, the Market Theatre’s production The cry of Winnie Mandela, based on Njabulo Ndebele’s celebrated novel of the same name, makes its Cape Town debut at the Baxter Flipside from 29 January to 15 February.

"An uninterrupted meeting of the minds,
Discussing thoughts, anecdotes 
From the mother branches"

Architect Sir Herbert Baker left an indelible mark on South Africa and much of the British Empire in the first half of the 20th century. This is the first full biography from childhood and was written with full cooperation from his family and with access to his archive and private papers.

As we prepare to celebrate International Day of Education on 24 January, the AVBOB Poetry Project has invited Lisa Julie, poet, performer and literary scholar, to reflect on what it means to write, learn and teach poetically: "The word I like to associate with education is 'nourishment', which connotes sustenance. We typically think of nourishment only in terms of the body. But education is also a constituent of self-preservation."

"As much as I understand and respect the now common practice of clustering young boys under the care of a district surgeon or something similar, I lament the loss of other rituals in this arrangement. For one, unless families privately arrange this, there is now no teaching of the young men who they are amid the myriad clan origins. They come out of the mountains without any better or deeper understanding of their history and identity."

"I’d like to think that she is a sympathetic character with whom many women may resonate, on the one hand, and on the other hand, that the piece challenges men to think a little more, or a little differently, about relationships and gender roles and to be more mindful of our behaviour and attitudes."

"Early in this ceasefire, it is, beyond the brief respite, hope and emotions, all too clear that this conflict has gained nothing meaningful in conflict terms."

"Human rights observers have pointed out that Meta has been inconsistent in applying its own policies when it comes to, for instance, content related to Palestine, which has reportedly been systematically suppressed. In this regard, Zuckerberg’s positioning of fact-checking as a form of censorship aligns with Elon Musk’s supposed 'free-speech absolutism', which has also been shown to be not only hypocritical, but clearly in favour of interests on the far right of the political spectrum. But most of all, the timing of Meta’s announcement, on the eve of the return of Donald Trump to the White House, strongly suggests that Zuckerberg is currying favour with the new political powers in the US."

"The party’s decision to extend financial support to Zuma, coupled with their simultaneous attacks on Ramaphosa, reflects a growing pattern of opportunism that is rooted in political manoeuvring rather than principled leadership."

"The coin is a book on the psychological stream of consciousness of how to survive in a city that permanently treats you as a foreigner while dealing with its socioeconomic micro-aggressions. It is a short, easy-to-read novel that ticks almost all the boxes for a commercial novel, with quality writing of literary fiction."

"In the context of South Africa in 2025, a production like My fair lady prompts contemporary audiences to reflect on issues of language, identity and gender roles. These are all universal themes that hold relevance and offer valuable insights in a diverse and evolving society like South Africa. We are excited that our graduates get to work in productions with such rich themes and complex characters, where they can hone their craft and also engage with narratives that provoke thought and inspire meaningful dialogue within the African cultural landscape."

Erika Breytenbach will perform the premiere of I can buy myself flowers by multiple award-winning writer, Mike van Graan, at the Drama Factory from 5 to 15 February 2025.

"The arts are alive and well in the Eastern Cape, and if you have not done so yet, now is the time to book tickets for the Mandela Bay Arts Festival, which will run from 21 February to 2 March 2025. We also have beautiful beaches and adorable baby elephants to visit when you are not in theatre!"

After a successful debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023, writer and performer Jamie-Lee Money and director Larica Schnell bring their hit play Spin cycles to the Baxter Studio from 19 February to 1 March 2025.

"My decision to render my own body, sexual desires and erotic imagination present in this text is an attempt at making the personal and the sexual legible as political and theoretical in the thinking that I am doing."

"Forget the standard view of politics as left versus right, populist versus traditionalist, politically correct versus, well, just about everything else. That’s all old hat now in our brave new world. Instead, a simplified and much easier way of understanding the times we live in, compared with old school history with boring events and the like, is through something called vibe shifts."

As we move into the busy festive season, aware that this is a challenging time for many, the AVBOB Poetry Project celebrates the work of Stephanie Saunders, a poet whose work gently makes fun of human beings’ desire for power, love and certainty. Her debut collection, Open Stephanie, was published by Peter Slingsby earlier in 2024.

"Over the past few weeks water services in Cradock in the Eastern Cape highlighted the plight of small towns when these services fail. It is reminiscent of a water sector adage that 'the problem is not the pipes; it’s the institutions that manage the pipes'."

"But ultimately what helped me uncover Fairuz and all my characters in general, was working to discover our shared humanity." Trudy van Rooy gesels met Naomi Meyer oor haar rol in die kykNET Silwerskermfees-film Hier.Na, wat vanaf 16 Desember 2024 op DStv BoxOffice vir stroming beskikbaar is.