Luxolo Mboso in Stone Play. Photo: Provided
The Western Cape’s greatest staging of fresh, innovative developmental theatre – the Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival – comes alive with a wide variety of productions, from 8 to 16 March 2024.
Dance, drama, music and poetry will permeate and reverberate throughout The Baxter from 8 to 16 March 2024, for the 14th annual Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival, with some of the freshest and innovative voices in development theatre, staging their work.
The hugely popular festival will showcase 33 productions and 125 participants, from communities all over the Western Cape, who will entertain, captivate and intrigue audiences. These include two DCAS (Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport) production winners from Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay, as well as children's theatre productions by Magnet Theatre, UNIMA & Indawo Yobomi and the Jungle Theatre company.
For over a decade the Baxter Zabalaza Festival has grown and developed young theatre-makers and artists, many who have gone on to receive recognition and accolades in the local (and in some cases, international), theatre landscape.
Yvonne Msebenzi, Luvo Tamba, Luxolo Mboso, Sivenathi Macibela in Stone Play. Photo by Phakamani Waka
Since its inception, the Zabalaza Family Day has been a much-loved start to the award-winning festival. The Family Day, on Saturday 9 March 2024, will include horse riding, a jumping castle for children to enjoy, and a children’s theatre programme that will run from 09:45 to 12:00. Later in the day, there will be live performances by Qhama Musiq X Msaka Mona in the Baxter Garden. The main festival programme includes themes of tradition, culture and identity.
The main festival takes place from Monday 11 to Friday 15 March, with performances at 10am, 11am, 12pm and 7pm daily. These productions were selected after months of mentorship and development culminating in mini festivals which took place over three weekends at Makukhanye Art Room in Khayelitsha, Black Box Theatre, Delft Rent Office in Delft, and Gugu’s Thebe in Langa and The Baxter respectively.
The festival will culminate in an awards ceremony, on 16 March, where accolades will be handed to various artists and productions and the Best of Zabalaza 2024 winner/s will be announced.
Anelisa Wana, Nico Masepe in Imviko. Photo by Xolani Tulumani
This year's mentors include Thando Doni, Siphenathi Mayekiso, Aphiwe Menziwa and The Baxter’s Fires Burning company, all of whom worked on the mini festivals, which took place in October 2023 at Makhukhaye Art Room Khayelitsha, Rainbow Arts Organisation in Delft, Guga’sthebe in Langa and the script reading addition which took place at the Baxter Theatre Centr
Curated by award-winning director Mdu Kweyama, along with Zabalaza team members Imameleng Masitha (festival administrator), Bulelani Mabutyana (coordinator), Nontsikelelo Maboza (audience development).
The Zabalaza Theatre Festival is generously supported by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, City of Cape Town, HCI Foundation and Pick n Pay, while the script of the winning production of the Best of Zabalaza season, is published annually by Junkets Publisher.
Last year’s four Best of Zabalaza winning productions toured the Western Cape, made possible through a collaboration with STAND Foundation.
Nasiphi Gxikixa in Isifungo. Photo by Xolani Tulumani
Tickets to the main festival are R30 each or R50 for two shows for schools and organisations only and are available via Webtickets on 086 111 0005, online at www.webtickets.co.za or at Pick n Pay stores.
Schools and organisations with group bookings have the option of affordable transportation offered by Golden Arrow Bus services, who support the festival yearly, at R10 per person, for groups of more than 40, with a strict maximum of 60 people per bus.
For school or group bookings, fundraisers or charities contact Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993 or email her at carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za or Nontsikelelo Maboza on 021 680 3984 or email her at nontsikelelo.maboza@uct.ac.za