Music and theatre lovers are in for a treat as the enchanting musical, “Calling Us Home”, premières its all-new international version in Cape Town for a limited time before hitting international stages.
The play will run for one week only at Artscape Theatre from February 15 to 19.
Composer and producer Alice Gillham joined forces with acclaimed New York director Peter Flynn to bring to life this universal story of courage and love.
“Calling Us Home”, is about Grace, an African princess, fleeing a devastating war in her country. She arrives penniless in the freezing, grimy docklands of an American city.
The underworld of the city is ruled by evil gang lord Ivan, who, after an unexpected encounter, has set his sights on Grace.
But has another man captured her heart?
The street-smart Rafael, a young construction worker with bold ambitions, is determined to win her love. But will his dreams lead to tragedy?
Forced to adapt to a different world, Grace becomes friends with Rafael’s feisty and reckless sister Isabella. Together, they must survive and keep their dreams alive until Grace can find a way to return to her beloved homeland.
The musical is set to transport audiences into a spectacular musical world, allowing them to feel joy, heartbreak and compassion, as it celebrates love, the triumph of hope and the invincible strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Speaking to IOL Entertainment, Gillham said it wouldn’t have felt right for the show to embark on an international tour before first sharing the story with South African audiences.
“For me, it is always a thrill and a privilege to work with our talented South African artists, crews and creatives. They bring a unique energy and a spirit which I have never experienced anywhere else in the world.”
Reflecting on her vision and the inspiration behind the play, Gillham said: “When I first started to write ‘Calling Us Home’, I was working in London and I was feeling very far away from home.
“And when I was walking down the street, I realised that almost everyone around me was from somewhere else. Everyone around me was there because they had come there for work, had to flee unrest or had somehow been displaced.
“I then realised that all of these people and all of us are looking to feel at home. We're trying to find a sense of home. So then, I started to think: What does that really mean? What does it mean to be at home? Is that a person? Is it a place?
“Is it a state of being in ourselves, you know, when we are being true to our own hearts? Does that mean that we feel at home? I started to explore that and think about that.
“And I really started to think about what it feels like to be displaced and what it feels like to be forced to be somewhere other than your home.
“People across the world are grappling with these questions: ‘What does it mean to feel at home? And what does it mean to feel connected and to feel unified?
“What does it mean to love someone and to be loved? And these are universal issues. These are stories and the issues that we are grappling with in our time.”
Catch “Calling Us Home” at the Artscape Theatre on Wednesday, February 15.
CAPE TOWN
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Where: Maynardville Open-Air Theatre.
When: Until February 23.
After three years of Covid, Maynardville has bought the stage back to life with “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, starring Chi Mhende, Roberto Kyle, Mark Elderkin and Sophie Joans.
Directed by Geoffrey Hyland, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a Shakespearean comedy that was the second play to be performed in the venue’s history in 1957 and (including that debut) has been performed there six times between 1957 and 2013.
Hyland has chosen to tell the story through reassigned genders and gives actors multiple roles, as is the tradition of Shakespeare.
“There is a certain accessibility to ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’, which was written by a young Shakespeare,” said Hyland.
“But there are somewhat sinister forces at play and the plot does threaten to tip over into madness or loss.
Luckily, Shakespeare has chosen to resolve those tensions and the play ends in reconciliation and celebration but I have chosen to include these tensions within the performance.”
DURBAN
The Moon Looks Delicious from Here
Where: Rhumbelow Theatre.
When: February 24 and 26.
Written and performed by Aldo Brincat and directed by Sjaka Septembir, this is a theatre play of magical realism and far-off places.
Through the mediums of physical theatre, mime and characterisation, “The Moon Looks Delicious from Here” explores immigrant family dynamics and how they shape identity and heritage in a first-generation citizen in a 70-minute, semi-autobiographical one-man theatre show.
Though set in Durban, the story is universal in its theme, particularly at this time when the intersectional effects of migrancy are brought increasingly into our consciousness.
JOBURG
Fences
Where: Joburg Theatre.
When: Until February 26.
Tumisho Masha, Hlomla Dandala, Atandwa Kani, Khutjo Green and Sbusiso Mamba will bring to life the classic play, “Fences”, at the Joburg Theatre stage in celebration of Black History Month.
Set in the ’50s in Pittsburgh, “Fences”, follows the story of Troy Maxson, his wife Rose and sons, Cory and Lyons.
Written by renowned African-American playwright August Wilson, “Fences” explores the evolving African-American experience while examining race relations and other themes that resonate with what South Africa experienced during apartheid and then democracy.
“August Wilson is the most performed playwright in America today. Most of his plays have been adapted into great movies including ‘Fences’, directed by and starring Denzel Washington,” explained co-producer John Kani.
“Viola Davis won an Oscar for Best Actress for playing Rose. It is so fitting that the Joburg Theatre celebrates this great writer in February 2023 during Black History Month.
“Would it not be wonderful if we here in South Africa could also have a season in all theatres celebrating our writers as well?”