Restless Calvin Ratladi a committed provocateur performer is Standard Bank Young Artist for Drama for 2025

By Jojokhala Mei

Crackling, but elusive, all-round independent change provocateur dramaturge and University of Pretoria performance lecturer, Calvin Ratladi, is jumping in his skin like a boy locked in a candy store to have finally provoked the ultimate Standard Bank Young Artist Award to admit him into its hallowed ranks last night. Afterall, Calvin joins the likes of legendary John Ledwaba and Mbongeni Ngema.

 You may simply know him for stage productions like Silent Scars which he devised, and produced on the capital city’s State Theatre stage; or as delightful screen actor on the TV production UShaka Ulembe. Even as the one theatre festival producer who also commissioned and choreographed a disability movement company for a 2024 festival at Johannesburg’s Market Theatre.

Until now you could not have known that Calvin Ratladi researched, devised, cast, and directed the spiritual stage production MARIKANA calling on 34 names of striking miners mowed down in the North West province. Afterall, it only toured the European capitals right where most exploiting mine owners live.

For a change this is a committed provocateur performer who doesn’t care two hoots about fame yesterday’s German Bertol Brecht, or militant academic Prof Ngugi wa Thiongo’s theatre, or African theatre-as-Development agit-prop advocacy-cum-agitation community theatre of Prof Kamlongera and others.

This award allows him to finally polish research and casting on the spiritual story ion of deceased Zimbabwean liberation leader Robert Mugabe’s life, partly based on works like Johannesburg journalist Heidi Holland’s Dinner With Mugabe. Enjoy.