At the start of the new decade, the National Arts Festival naturally reflected on its growth over the preceding fifteen years. In his Festival Message, Professor Alan Crump – Chairman of the Festival Committee – reminded festival goers that the Fringe had begun with just five events in 1978! There were 21 events in the 1982 Fringe programme, and by 1989 had over 330 events. That year saw the sale of 60 000 Fringe tickets, an increase of 44%, while the Main Festival’s ticket sales grew by 32%. Such promising growth and scale placed the Festival unequivocally amongst international events of its kind, and set the tone for an optimistic start to the nineties!

Nowhere is the Festival’s remarkable growth more notable than in the programme for 1990. More diverse than ever, and with the largest selection of work to date, the programme combined serious reflection with exuberant entertainment, and is bursting with artists that have become household favourites. Gibson Kente, often remembered as the ‘Father of Black Theatre’ in South Africa, presented Give a Child, and Guy Butler brought Demea, with Nomsa Xaba in the titular role, to the Rhodes Theatre. Bill Flynn, Andrew Buckland and Robyn Orlin all participated, while the cast lists of the Student Programme had two hidden gems in future legends PJ Sabbagha and Craig Urbani! The Visual Arts were well represented with an exhibition of work in clay by Bonie Ntshalintshali and Fee Halsted-Berning, as well as a guest exhibition of etchings by Cyprian Shilakoe, brought by the Goodman Gallery.

The Fringe Programme, not to be outdone by the Main, was more vibrant than ever. Patrick Mynhardt performed the seminal Boy from Bethulie, as well as a collection from Herman Charles Bosman, and Reza de Wet and Damon Galgut directed The Crucible and Sizwe Banzi is Dead respectively. Seasoned Festival fans would be delighted to uncover an unassuming advert for Raiders of the Lost Aardvark – the first of the Raiders series from ‘Theatre for Africa,’ which became a Festival staple for more than 2 decades. 

And for just R4, younger audience members could take a drama class or learn to make tea cozies, Rice Krispie creatures, decorative wall hangings, and – most importantly – Festival hats!