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CURRENT AND UPCOMING AT THE PLAYHOUSE September - December 2011

Booking for all events is via the Playhouse Box Office on 031-369 9596 or 369 9540, at Computicket outlets, or online at www.computicket.co.za.

The Playhouse calls for Test Drive auditions Thursday 09th and Friday 10th February The Playhouse Company's Test Drive initiative constitutes a valuable part of the company's work in the field of arts development. The monthly free lunch hour concerts which will run from April to December will create a highly visible platform for amateur artists and groups. During these performances, their works are exposed to the public which gives them an opportunity to experience performing in front of an audience Auditions will take place at The Playhouse on Thursday 09th and Friday 10th February 2012 for all participants who wish to participate in the Test Driving the Arts programme during the year 2012. To take part in the Test Drive auditions, participants are advised to collect the limited number of forms at The Playhouse head office on 29 Acutt Road Durban, before close of day on Monday 6th February 2012 when entries close. The Playhouse Company's Test Drive programme is designed to showcase arts practitioners in the fields of indigenous and popular cultural art. Performance genres typically featured in the series include Maskandi, Gospel, Kwaito, Afro Reggae, Imfene, Pantsula, Hip Hop, among others. The Test Drive series provides CBD workers with regular opportunities to enjoy free lunch time concerts close to their places of work. It also fulfills a valuable role to the performing arts community as it serves as a showcase for artists to be scooped by talent scouts on the lookout for quality acts.

‘Abnormal Loads’ heads for Playhouse Neil Coppen’s sensational dramatic comedy a must-see. Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Drama in 2011, Neil Coppen’s latest stage work has its Durban premiere season at The Playhouse from the 16 to 31 March 2012, before transferring to the Market Theatre in Johannesburg in April. The new play by the creator of the widely admired dramas Tin Bucket Drum and Tree Boy, Abnormal Loads is presented by Think Theatre in association with The Playhouse Company, with support by the Catalina Unltd, Arts and Culture Trust and The National Arts Festival. This critically acclaimed work, which swept the boards when it opened the 2011 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, is set in a fictional battlefield town in the once war ravaged valleys of Northern KwaZulu-Natal. It has been described as a breath-taking amalgamation of ghost story, love drama, historical epic and dark comedy…a lyrical (at times bloody) praise-poem to the Province of KZN and its myriad of characters and cultures. The play’s protagonist is Vincent Bashford, a mixed-race descendent of the town’s founding father, who grows up alongside his conservative colonial grandmother, Moira, on a small-holding outside of the town. After 29 years spent in relative isolation, Vincent begins to dream of an escape. Spurred on by his new friend, Katrien Joubert, the rebellious 16-year-old daughter of the NG Kerk dominie, and Moira’s domestic worker, Prudence, the three youngsters begin to unravel a series of secrets and events that connect them across time, memory and history. With a narrative that whisks audiences through two centuries of South African history, Abnormal Loads presents a theatrical universe where the past runs in tandem with the present. The play takes an irreverent look at how history is misconstrued to suit the individual’s needs, while offering a humorous reflection on the many contradictions and complexities of life in small town South Africa as events shift seamlessly from the grandeur of a battle-field in 1879 to the intimacy of the bedroom in 2011. Written and designed by Neil Coppen, the production is directed by Coppen and Jana Ramos Violante. It features a multi-talented cast comprising some of the country’s finest talent, including Allison Cassels, Mothusi Magano (of Totsi and Plein Street fame) and Jenna Dunster (Isidingo), with Fortunate Dhlomo, Ntombikayise Gasa, Nhlakanipho Manqele, Clinton Small, Thomie Holtzhausen and Nosipho Bophela. Once again Coppen has collaborated across disciplines and mediums to bring his new work to life. Movement, sound, music, multi-media and shadow combine to create a arrestingly original theatrical experience. Lighting design is by Tina le Roux, and sound design by Tristan Horton offsets an original score by Gary Thomas. The production’s Heliograph Hill is designed and built by Xavier Clarisse. Audio visuals are by Vaughn Sadie and additional period costuming by Julia Wilson and Neil Stuart-Harris. Military uniforms are by courtesy of The Dundee Die Hard re-enactment group. Abnormal Loads runs in The Playhouse Drama in Durban from 16 to 31 March. Previews are on Friday 16th at 19h30 and Saturday 17th at 14h30. Opening night is Saturday 17 March at 19h30. Performances during the run are Tuesdays to Saturdays at 19h30, with 14h30 matinees on Saturdays and Sundays (no evening shows on Sundays). No show on Wednesday 21st (Public Holiday). The production offers powerful socio-historical perspectives for school learners, and two morning schools performances will be given on Thursday 22 March (no evening show). Early booking for this hot-property production is strongly advised. Call Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com. Alternatively call Playhouse box office hotline 031-369 9540 (office hours). For school bookings and group bookings call Margie Coppen on 083 251 9412. Images from ‘Abnormal Loads’ by Val Adamson

The Playhouse Company is on leave in January, we look forward to presenting the following seasons in 2012: School Season – March – June Community Arts - April New Stages – May Sundowners – 1st Friday of the month SA Women’s Arts Festival – August Traditional Arts Festival – September Festive Season – November – December Test Drive – Lunch hour concerts

The Playhouse Company’s monthly Test Drive programme of free lunch hour programmes runs in the Grand Foyer until December. This offers a free platform for aspiring groups wanting to make the leap from the amateur to professional performance circuits in Pantsula, Hip Hop, Gospel, Isicathamiya, Afro Jazz, Township Maskandi, Isigekle and other contemporary music and dance styles.