Stories of turbulence, healing and triumph thread through this year’s programme as the National Arts Festival returns to Makhanda in a live festival format from 23 June – 3 July 2022.
“There’s a pull towards stories from history, and explorations of other ways of seeing and being, throughout this year’s programme. Uncertain times can lead us to look back, to try and make sense of the present, to find ground,” says NAF Artistic Director, Rucera Seethal. “This year, artists have bravely located themselves inside historical moments, failing ecologies, deep personal questions, and even endings. Here, audiences can expect catharsis, drama, beauty, humour and fascinating storytelling woven through the programme.”
Janni Younge may have returned to the classics for her new production of Hamlet, but the deep conflicts of the piece’s central character receive a powerful contemporary treatment through life-size puppets. The cast is grounded in the formidable presence of Andrew Buckland, who takes the role of Claudius, and the costumes are simple, humble but almost spectral as they float around the puppets.