Don’t Miss This: July 17 – 23

Johannesburg

• If you missed the 2015 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, you can still catch the cream of this year’s crop at the 969 Festival, at the University of the Witwatersrand. Shows to look forward to, include Phala O Phala’s production of Kafka’s Ape, performed by Tony Miyambo, and We Didn’t Come to Hell for Croissants: 7 Deadly New Stories for Consenting Adults featuring Jemma Kahn and Roberto Pombo, directed by Lindiwe Matshikiza. WHEN Until July 26. WHERE Wits Theatre complex, Braamfontein. COST R25 to R80. Tickets are on sale through Webtickets. INFO visit wits.ac.za

• Le monde flottant is the title of a new body of work by painter and printmaker Fiona Pole, whose work has been described as an unconventional take on traditional Japanese woodcuts. She references 19th-century Japanese printmaker Kawanabe Kyosai’s famous woodcut Crow on a Snowy Plum Branch. WHEN Until August 1. WHERE Gallery AOP, 44 Stanley Avenue, Milpark. INFO Call 011726 2234 or email [email protected]

Wooden boat by Fiona Pole

Pretoria

• Pianists will compete for the top spot and R200 000 worth of prizes when Unisa hosts the final round of the annual National Piano Competition. It feature two classical pianists and two jazz pianists who’ll perform with a symphony orchestra and a rhythm section respectively. WHEN July 18. WHERE ZK Matthews Great Hall, Unisa, Nieuw Muckleneuk. TIME 7pm. COST R180. Tickets are available at Computicket. INFO Visit unisa.ac.za

Durban

• The show One Jazzy Night goes back in time to classic songs by George Benson, Randy Crawford, The Stylistics, Al Jarreau and Roberta Flack, to name but a few. The band paying tribute to these artists comprises Clinton Philander (director and writer), Afritude band (trumpeter) Gabriel Joseph, Ashleigh Joseph (Dukes Combo), Kiren Kissoon (saxophonist), Kerry Cherry and Stacey Lee Erasmus. WHEN July?18. WHERE Greyville Racecourse’s Silver Ring Room. TIME 8pm. COST R150. Tickets are available at Computicket. INFO Call 031 314 1651.

• The humorous play Ndebele Funeral gives a human face to the HIV epidemic in Africa, with a cast comprising Yusef Miller, Jonathan David Martin and Zoey Martinson. The production, written by Martinson and directed by Awoye Timpo, tells the story of a woman faced with a decision that will affect her relationships. WHEN July 17 and 18. WHERE The Natal Playhouse. TIME 7pm. COST R70. Tickets are available at Computicket. No under 13s. INFO Visit smokemirrors.org

Ndebele Funeral 

Cape Town

• “How do photographers from communities in Africa, and specifically South Africa, photograph their own people?” is a question posed by a photography exhibition entitled The Other Camera, curated by documentary photographer and filmmaker Paul Weinberg. The work comprises rare collections and archives that have been digitised, researched and curated at the visual archives of the University of Cape Town’s libraries. It includes the work of photographers such as Angus Gibson, the Ikamva Youth Project, the Isolezwe Collective, Lucky Sipho Khoza, William Matlala, Bobson Sukhdeo Mohanlal, Daniel Morolong, Ronald Ngilima, Linda Qampi, the Ruth Sack Collection and David Selepe. WHEN July 21 to August 11. WHERE Commune.1, 64 Wale Street, Cape Town. TIME Tuesday to Friday, 10am–5pm; Saturday, 10am–2pm. INFO Call 021 423 5600 or visit commune1.com

• English singer-songwriter Ben Howard will start his South African tour in Cape Town. Howard, known for his folk-rock sound, has two studio albums, Every Kingdom (2011) and I Forget Where We Were (2014), with hit singles Only Love and The Wolves. His supporting act is local indie-folk band Bye Beneco. WHEN July 22-23. WHERE Grandwest’s Grand Arena. TIME 7pm. COST R465. Tickets are available at webtickets.co.za and seedtickets.co.za

English singer-songwriter Ben Howard

• South African musicians, composers and songwriters Wendy Oldfield and Paul Hanmer are going on a national tour entitled Songlines. They kicked off in Johannesburg with intimate and close-up performances they hope will create “a new live music experience” for audiences. Oldfield is known for her indie-rock sound and pianist Hanmer for his jazz tunes. WHEN July 22. WHERE Straight No Chaser. TIME 8:30pm. COST R100 at the door. INFO Call 076?679?2697.

Jeffreys Bay

• Leading local bands will perform at this year’s JBay Winter Fest while world-class surfers chase the waves in the background. The JBay fest is renowned for holding about 13 sporting events that draw more than 10?000 spectators. Music acts include Phrat and Grimehouse (July 17), and Desmond & The Tutus (July 18). WHERE Jolly Dolphin. COST R50 to R80 at the door and online. Tickets are available at Computicket. INFO Visit jbaywinterfest.com