/ 4 August 2011

Durban theatre pick: August 5 2011

The annual St Anne’s Cultural Festival sees the school laying on a feast of drama and music from across South Africa as well as its own interhouse theatre programme.

The featured theatre production is Die Vreemdeling, a stirring work created by Cape Town’s acclaimed Magnet Theatre. The play picks up the theme of JM Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians to tell the story of a paranoid village that has barricaded itself against the outside world. Touching on issues of xenophobia, prejudice and intolerance, the play uses original music, dance and physical theatre and was well received at this year’s Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunsterfees in Oudtshoorn. Shows take place on August 10 and 11 at 7.30pm.

The musical highlight of the festival is a performance by Tidal Waves, one of South Africa’s most intriguing reggae outfits, whose roots-reggae sound is richly infused with maskanda, mbaqanga, rock, ska and blues. They perform in English, Afrikaans, Setswana and Tshivhenda. The show takes place on August 12 at 7pm. The interhouse theatre programme concludes the festival and sees diverse productions based on contemporary environmental themes on August 17 at 7pm.

St Anne’s College, Hilton. Tickets for all shows are R70 and booking is essential. Tel: 033 343 6100. Email: [email protected]. Visit: www.stannes.co.za.