A tribute to women’s endurance

Lusanda Zokufa

The second installation of the Women’s Month celebration production is the Pulitzer Prize winning play titled Ruined by Lynn Nottage at the Market Theatre up to 4 September, directed by theatre and TV writer and director Clive Mathibe.

The award-winning ensemble includes film leading ladies and gents, Hlengiwe Madlala; Shoki Mmola, 2022 SAFTA best actress in TV soap Skeem Saam; Fulu Mugovhani; Samu Maseko; Molefe Monaisa; Edward Nkumishe; Thapelo Sebogodi, best known as Kabzela in The River; Anele Situlweni and Vaughn Callaway, who starred in Legacy. Musical force Banda Banda joins the design team as musical director and composer, making his debut in theatre.

Lynn Nottage’s Ruined is set in a small mining town in DR Congo. It follows a life of the tenacious Mama Nadi, a businesswoman who is trying to stay afloat in a world torn apart by civil war.

Mama Nadi takes “damaged” girls into her brothel/bar and profits from them, but also protects them from the brutality of the world outside her doors.

As such, the women do a fragile dance between hope and disillusionment in an attempt to navigate life on the edge of an unforgiving conflict. We also meet soldiers on both sides of the conflict, frequent customers at Mama’s bar.

Ruined was developed during playwright Lynn Nottage’s pilgrimage to Africa, where she interviewed girls and women who continue to be the battleground upon which war is fought.

Nottage is a multi-award-winning American author, a graduate of New York’s High School of Music and Art in Harlem. Her plays are being produced worldwide.

Ruined offers a graphic portrait of women as lasting victims of war but also shines the light on the resilience women have after the suffering inflicted on them. Without minimizing the pain, the production becomes a tribute to women’s endurance.

This gut-wrenching production was made possible by support from Eyesizwe Mining Development Trust.

For more information on the production call 011 832 1641ext 203.

Theatre presents pantomime

Bongani Maseko

Writer and director Janice Honeyman’s 27th annual pantomime Adventures in Pantoland on the Nelson Mandela Theatre stage of Joburg Theatre marks the finale of Joburg Theatre’s 60th anniversary.

Honeyman says: “When Joburg Theatre invited me to create a new pantomime for its 60th anniversary I became excited and buzzing with ideas in accepting the challenge. This year’s show will be a mash-up mega-mix of pantomimes, where popular characters such as Princess Aurora, Aladdin, Snow White and Jack the Joller meet on stage with the Wicked Queen Evilina, the abominable Uncle Abanazar, Madame

Kakkeloura Khakibos and the crooked Captain Hideosa hook in a quest adventure to retain the golden goblet of goodness. Adventures in Pantoland is an epic journey of traditional good versus evil; obviously good wins in the end.”

Producer of the show Bernard Jay, in his 21st consecutive pantomime collaboration with Janice Honeyman, says: “With all the breath-taking spectacle, magical storytelling, over-the-top comedy and outrageous topical references that Joburg Theatre audiences have grown to expect from the annual pantomime, this year’s panto will once again be the ideal family outing to the theatre.”

The cast features Michelle Botha, Dylan du Plessis, David Ar- nold Johnson, Didintle Khunou, Ilse Klink, Hlengiwe Lushaba Madlala, Carmen Pretorius, Brenda Radloff, Justin Swartz, Grant Towers and Ben Voss.

Production designer Andrew Timm, Naledi Theatre Award winner for his designs of the pantomime Cinderella in 2021, will be returning to transform Joburg Theatre’s technology into a magical wonderland of globallytravelled adventures, along with panto veteran costume designer Bronwen Lovegrove.

Adventures in Pantoland will be on The Mandela stage at Joburg Theatre from November 6 to December 24.

For more information visit the website www.joburgtheatre.com or call telephone 0861 670 670.

The story behind his debut single is an illustration of how two people look to be in a relationship, and all they have is each other’s word. It also stems from how he discovered that some women he had been in a relationship with feared losing him. He poetically expresses how he will be there for his lady no matter what. This is the official start of his music career. He has come a long way from his beginnings on Uzalo and has evolved. His career opportunities have only become more abundant, and he is currently preparing for Season 2 of Umkhokha on Mzansi Magic and Showmax.

“I am honoured to share this intimate piece of me with people I love, family and friends, and I hope the rest of South Africa will also appreciate what I have been meaning to share with them. There are a few things in the pipeline that cannot be mentioned for now, but be on the lookout for exciting projects I’ll be sharing when time is right,” he said.

Musician releases single

Siphokazi Hana, popularly known as Hana Omalicha, has released her single titled Thanda Wena under the umbrella of Splash Records Worldwide.

Her single is set to be available in all music platforms and stores this month. Other songs from her and label mates will follow suit. She is available on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram as Hana Omalicha, and also on YouTube.

For more contact Gordon Splash on 073 453 4488 or gordensplash@gmail.com