In the shade of a wild fig tree, children gathered to watch Jackal and Wolf, a colourful fable told through puppets, masks and amapiano dance breaks. For the next five weeks, East London theatre company Wêla Kapela Productions will be on the road, travelling to nearly 50 schools across the Eastern Cape after securing R342,000 through the National Arts Council's (NAC) Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP 4).
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to the Guild we go! Wêla Kapela Productions, in collaboration with the Guild Theatre, has decked the stage with fairytale fun in preparation for its upcoming Snow White and the Seven Dofs pantomime.
There are about 3,000 shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which transforms the capital city of Scotland into a carnival of artists from about the wold, all jostling for audiences.
The National Arts Festival programme launched a flurry of over 200 shows, and now that bookings are open, East London performers have been gearing up to showcase their talents.
The audience has spoken and East London thespians have come out on top, winning numerous categories in the 2022 BroadwayWorld Regional Awards. Winners included Amanda Bothma of Wêla Kapela Productions, Sonwa Sokuba, Daniel Anderson, Nathan Johannisen, Akhona Nkinti, Bathandwa Diniso and the ensemble casts of multiple Wêla Kapela productions.