2004 was a year of milestones – South Africa celebrated 10 years of democracy, the National Arts Festival celebrated its 30th birthday, and Rhodes University celebrated its 100th year. In art, as in life, the celebration was also touched with sadness, as we bid farewell to a beloved member of the Festival family. Mr Ramolao Makhene, who served on the Committee of the National Arts Festival for 15 years, passed on the 13 July 2003, very shortly after the end of that year’s festival. Having been an integral part of the programme planning and curation for an extended period, he would no doubt have been pleased by the calibre of work on this year’s programme. Gregory Maqoma, already a festival favourite, performed the multi-disciplinary dance piece Sylver Synergy, as well as Ketima with Vuyani Dance Theatre. The South African Ballet Theatre brought Giselle, the First Physical Theatre Company danced The Unspeakable Story at the Rhodes Theatre, and PJ Sabbagha created There’s No Room in this Bed with The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collective. The Baxter Theatre brought a reimagined Antigone, with a cast that included John Kani and Hanle Barnard, and Barney Simon presented Cold Stone Jug – a dramatized retelling of one of Herman Charles Bosman’s most famous works.

Page 63 of the programme contains a special treat for Festival aficionados – a small headshot of the young Ashraf Johaardien, who would go on to serve as Executive Producer of the National Arts Festival several years later, but who is here credited as the writer for Happy Endings are Extra.