A Feast of online shows at the Market Theatre throughout 2021
Salute the Playwright will present a mixture of South Africa and Continental works that will be online throughout the year as part of the 45 years of the Market Theatre celebration.
By CityLife Arts Writer
The explosion of online theatre productions during the pandemic has provided an alternative space for theatres. The curation of theatre online has allowed for more audiences to engage with the work.
The Market Theatre has curated a series of 30-minute online productions under the banner of Salute the Playwright, shot in high definition to be viewed online from 10 April 2021. Salute the Playwright will present a mixture of South Africa and Continental works that will be online throughout the year as part of the 45 years of the Market Theatre celebration.
In the past year online theatre has offered audiences the comfort of watching great theatre in the comfort of their homes. Salute the Playwright will engage audiences who would not normally experience Market Theatre.
For the next eight weeks Salute the Playwright will provide a jam-packed line up of pulsating projects for theatre lovers across the globe. A Vegan Killed My Marriage will kick start the online series from 10 – 30 April 2021.
Award winning playwright Craig Freimond makes his return to the Market with this satire A Vegan Killed My Marriage. James is a meat eating South African man. He is plugged into the world of media and insistent concerns about the meat industry role in impending climate catastrophe.
Avalonwill premier 10– 30 April 2021, written and starring Lunga Radebe, directed by award winning director Vice Motshabi Monageng. The play revolves around Sabantu, a young nouveau riche who, desperate to save his mother’s wilting life, take on the advice from a traditional prophet to embark on a search for his grandmother’s grave in one of South Africa’s largest cemeteries.
New to the Market Theatre writing sphere is writer and director Rorisang Matuba who brings us this heart-warming drama Di a Paro Tsa Mama. On the eve of their mother’s funeral, two sisters, aged 23 and 29, sort through their beloved matriarch’s clothes in search of the perfect outfit to bury her in. Their sensitive nostalgia morphs into harrowing discoveries about death, grief and survival.
The Market Theatre’s initiative to interplay between live and digital shows has brought about innovation that is driven by the quest of widening audience reach. This new producing for digital consumption has left us with a gift of a parallel industry.
Under level 1, theatres are partially operating again with a limited capacity and social distancing measures in place. The convergence of live theatre with online works provides opportunities for new types of viewing experience for current and new audiences.
PRODUCTION INFORMATION CREATIVE TEAM
Avalon10 – 30 April
Author and Actor: Lunga Radebe
Director: Vice Motshabi Monageng
A Vegan Killed My Marriage 10 – 30 April
Author and Director: Craig Freimond
Starring: Aaron Mcilory
Di a Paro Tsa Mama 21 – 31 May
Author and Director: Rorisang Motuba
Age Recommendation 13
.To make block bookings, please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/
083 246 4950.