Thursday, July 7, 2016 — The closing weekend of the National Arts Festival sees the 11-day Festival end on a high note with top talent performing some highly anticipated acts.
Among the big attractions are AKA (fresh from the USA) and The Muffinz (pictured), who are returning to the Festival after previous award-winning performances in Grahamstown. Standard Bank Jazz Festival favourites Simphiwe Dana, Ringo Madlingozi, Caiphus Semenya and Swing City will be sure to take Festival-goers into the small hours, while international flavour will flow from Colombia’s Alvaro Meza.
Theatres are filling up fast for Scorched!, the premiere of 2016 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre Jade Bowers’ epic new work. Also pulling strong crowds are Sleepwalkingland (based on the novel by Mia Couto) and Neil Coppen’s adaptation of Animal Farm.
Audiences can also book for a reimagining of Tennessee Williams’s play The Day on Which a Man Dies and Popart’s Jemma Kahn in her new piece In Bocca Al Lupo, as well as Unveiled, starring South-African born Gulshan Mia who has come from the US to perform the role.
Festival CEO Tony Lankester said ticket sales had remained consistent with last year’s numbers and that final sales would be revealed once the post-Festival tally was complete.
“In light of the current economy, the arts are proving extremely resilient and South Africans are still seeking out quality work at the National Arts Festival,” Lankester said.
A quick count on Thursday morning revealed that 600 shows had houses that were more than 80% full.
Commenting on the programme, Lankester said, “Feedback on the shows has been positive – every festival of this nature will have its hits and its misses, and this one is no different, but the Main Theatre programme, particularly, has been very well received.”
Keep in touch
To stay in touch with the National Arts Festival use the hashtag #NAF16 and follow:
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/nationalartsfestival
- Twitter: @artsfestival
- Instagram: @nationalartsfestival
Sponsors
The National Arts Festival is grateful to the National Lotteries Commission, the Department of Arts and Culture, Eastern Cape Provincial Government, M-Net and Standard Bank of South Africa.
Contact
All media queries to:
Rabbit in a Hat Communications
Sascha Polkey
sascha@rabbitinahat.co.za
083 414 0552
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