What's on: Catch Aubrey Sekhabi's take on 'Sophiatown' at the State Theatre this weekend. (Sanmari Marais)
UMI: Our Music Festival: This annual festival combines live music, performance arts, art exhibitions and film screenings. Artists include Andee, By Lwansta, The Charles Géne Suite, Congo Muffin, Kat Upendi9, Mx Blouse, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Love & Other Thugs, Slice Frederico, Uncle Party Time, Koek Sista, Little Miss Kay and Mo Cheques. There will also be perfomances from Lazarus Man, Lamaisonderêve, Spazabass and Gilli Apter. Films to be screened include Zombies, Rave and Resistance, Future Sounds of Mzansi and Little America. Details: The festival takes place at Victoria Yards, 16 Viljoen Street, Lorentzville (near Bertrams) in Johannesburg. Doors open at noon on February 29. Tickets cost R250 from quicket.co.za.
Antique Spoons: Vuma Levin’s fourth album as a bandleader, explores the black, post-apartheid South African self through the prism of the everyday story. “The music itself draws on a host of influences including traditional Southern African music, carnatic music, contemporary jazz, popular music and much more.”Levin will be hitting the stage with Sisonke Xonti, Bokani Dyer, Romy Brauteseth and Jeroen Batterink. Details: The show takes place on February 29 at the Wits Theatre from 7.30pm. Tickets are between R60.00 and R85.00 at the door and online through webtickets.co.za/
Sophiatown: Under the direction of Aubrey Sekhabi, this memorable musical has been revived. Sophiatown produced some of South Africa’s most famous musicians, artists, writers, journalists and politicians as urban African culture fomented there during the repressive 1940s and 1950s. The play is an imaginative reconstruction of an extraordinary story of journalists who set up a house together and advertised for another housemate to come and live with them. Details: The production will be staged until February 28 at the South African State Theatre, 320 Pretorius Street, Pretoria Central. Tickets cost R100 and can be purchased from www.webticket.co.za. For more information visit www.statetheatre.co.za or call 012 392 4000
The Hen that Lost Hawk’s Needle: Under the State Theatre’s incubation program, this piece of children’s theatre tells the story of a hen and hawk that were best friends. In order to explain why chickens scratch the ground as if they are looking for something, the tale attributes it to how a hen once lost is best friend’s magical needle and continues to look for it today. Details: The production will be staged until March 8 at the South African State Theatre, 320 Pretorius Street, Pretoria Central. Tickets cost R100 and can be purchased from www.webticket.co.za. For more information visit www.statetheatre.co.za or call 012 392 4000
Kgalagalo tsa Setu: Using the relationship between a married couple as its basis, this play explores themes of projection, infidelity, communication, chronic illnesses and how they play themselves out in intimate settings. Details: The production will be staged until February 28 at the South African State Theatre, 320 Pretorius Street, Pretoria Central. Tickets cost R100 and can be purchased from www.webticket.co.za. For more information visit www.statetheatre.co.za or call 012 392 4000
Gin & Tonic festival: If you’re in Cape Town and want to end the weekend on a high note, explore craft gin culture with loved ones over sundowners. Patrons can look forward to multiple music stages, street food stalls as well as gin making merchants to interact with. Details: The festival takes place on March 1 at The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock. Tickets cost R125 to R250 and can be purchased from www.quicket.co.za. For more information visit www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za or call 021 447 8194
The Mother City Comedy festival: Celebrate Cape Town’s comedic scene by getting to know the stand up comedians that the city has to offer. With over 45 comedians, expect to see familiar and new faces taking to the stage to show patrons the many ways to get crowds roaring with laughter. Details: The festival takes place until February 29 at the Baxter Theatre, 2 Main Road, Rondebosch. Tickets cost R120 and can be purchased from www.webticket.co.za. For more information visit www.baxter.co.za or call 021 685 7880
Accomplice: Through eight oil paintings and a selection of preparatory ink drawings, artist Michael Armitage represents Kenyan politics from his point of view. The visual cues that the works are based on are culled from social and broadcast media and form the basis of the artists commentary on the Western world’s figurative interpretations of East Africa. Details: The exhibition takes place until June 15 at the Norval Foundation, 4 Steenberg Road, Steenberg Estate. Tickets cost R180. For more information or to book tickets visit www.norvalfoundation.org or call 087 654 5900
Celebrating the Goethe-Institut: For 25 years the Goethe-Institute has been fostering South African-German relations by encouraging international cultural exchange and supporting local cultural practitioners. Join as they celebrate with music by Brass Roots and Ralf Gum. Details: The celebration takes place on February 28 at the Goethe-Institut, 119 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood. Entry is free but attendants should rsvp at 25yearsgoethesa.splashthat.com/. For more information visit www.goethe.de/johannesburg or call 011 442 3232