Zwakala Festival unearths new acting talent and exciting scripts

By Edward Tsumele CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

Zwakala Festival with 30 years behind it has the distinction of being one of the longest community theatre festivals in the country where often real issues affecting communities are put on stage, dramatized in front of an audience. Though it became obvious over the weekend that instead of a having a national foot print, the lack of adequate funding has regrettably reduced it into a provincial festival, focussing on community groups around Gauteng.

Gone are the days when the festival had field workers travelling around the country to unearth talent and therefore create a base of thespians from which future starts and formidable talent was often discovered. However this year at the Market Theatre festival goers were introduced on stage to new talent and great scripts that could be developed into really good plays meant for mainstream stages in future. It is a pity that only one play further development at the Market Theatre later in the year.

I was however happy that on Sunday the adjudicators picked up one of my favourite players called Prayers for a longer season on the main stages of the Market Theatre later in the year. It is a play by a group based in Thembisa on the East Rand. The name of the group is called Soetry Media.

The synopsis

Haunted by the untamed urges that bind him in a web of sexual immorality, he confronts the shadows of his own existence. Is his relentless pursuit of pleasure merely a diversion, a desperate escape from the chilling embrace of self-awareness and the haunting specter of loneliness?

Prepare for a night of gripping revelations and soul-stirring conflicts as this young man unearths the hidden truths within himself, weaving a narrative that blurs the lines between pleasure and salvation. In a world where shadows dance on the edge of desire, witness the electrifying drama unfold as he grapples with the age-old question: Can one find light from within, even in the darkest corners of the soul?

A cultural complex for theatre, music, dance and the allied arts. A cultural complex for theatre, music, dance and the allied arts.

The Writer

Solly Ramatswi is a poet, playwright, performer, and theatre-maker from Limpopo— currently based between Klipfontein View, Winterveldt and Tembisa. Despite the many challenges in the province that impact on the sustainable growth of the arts Solly’s entremeneurial creativity has enabled him to rise above the challenges and build a career for himself that is constantly gaining momentum and being responsive to newer opportunities that are evolving.

Solly’s love for art and oral performance was sparked by his grandmother’s storytelling. Drawing inspiration from her legacy, Solly works extensive;y in the field of oral performance using imagery, music and movement. At the height of the National Lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Solly launched an exciting and innovative project to incorporate sign language in oral poetry performances. Not only did this raise awareness about people with disabilities and created a more inclusive poetry event but it also inspired non-disabled South African poets to learn to communicate through sign language. Beyond the stage and his multi- poetry slam championships, Solly wrote for theatre productions— Sight, “sinking”, Prayers, Pata, to mention a few.