In his final year as Artistic Director, Ishmail Mohammed had organized the 2016 programme into Curatorial Strands – themes running through the diverse programme elements, allowing it to be understood both in parts and as a whole. These six Curatorial Strands were: Celebrating Women; Conflict & Resolution; the Politics of Identity; Legends & Legacies; Re-imagining Classics; and Art for Art’s Sake. Each of these strands was intended to entertain, inspire and challenge, in ways best suited to the nature of each piece.

Within these strands, the Curated programme included Scorched with Jaques de Silva and Cherae Halley; The House of Truth – a play about Can Themba; and Lara Foot’s The Inconvenience of Wings, with Andrew Buckland and Mncedisi Shabangu. For lighter fare, audiences could go to Alan Committie’s LoveFactually, or for a taste of Japanese kamishibai theatre there was In Bocca Al Luppa – the third in the immensely popular series of works by Jemma Kahn. The Unmute Dance Company performed Sold at Alec Mullins, alongside Nadine Joseph’s dance work LOOKING/SEEING/BEING/DISAPPEARING.

Whilst the Curated Programme was tightly organised across its strands, the Fringe programme was as rambunctious and chaotic as ever, with hundreds of productions across every genre!