The cast of Hostel Lights. PICTURE: Imameleng Masitha
The two productions which were selected as the Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival’s Finest of the Fest will be staged from Saturday September 3 to Saturday September 17 in the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio at 7.30pm nightly.
Hostel Lights and Back to Ashes were the best to emerge from the 13th annual festival, which was held in April.
“The themes that they cover are those that audiences can resonate with and, sadly in many instances, is a daily reality for many South Africans. Hostel Lights speaks to loyalty and friendship, while Back to Ashes addresses the ever-relevant topic of gender-based violence,” says Mdu Kweyama, artistic director of the Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival.
The Baxter Zabalaza Finest of the Fest starts with Hostel Lights, written, choreographed and directed by Sohail Booise. Performed in Afrikaans, it runs from Saturday September 3 to Saturday September 10 with matinee performances on Tuesday September 6 and Wednesday September 7, at 11am, and on Saturday September 10, at 2.30pm. Friendships are tested when one of four high school boys, who have formed a close bond while living together in a hostel, decides to do something that could get each of them expelled.
Back to Ashes, written and directed by Molupi Lepeli, runs nightly from Saturday September 10 to Saturday September 17, at 7.30pm, with matinees performances on Tuesday September 13 and Wednesday September 14, at 11am, and Saturday September 17, at 2.30pm. Performed in isiXhosa with English surtitles, the play is about a young woman’s journey from her village to the city to pursue her educational dreams. Her life is cut short through a gender-based violence incident.
Tickets are R80 and R40 for group block bookings of 10 or more. Book through Webtickets or for discounted block or schools’ bookings, charities or fundraisers, contact Carmen Kearns on camen.kearns@uct.ac.za or 021 680 3993.