Out of South Africa and in to Lancaster’s Dukes theatre comes a festival guaranteed to banish the autumn blues this October.
Afrovibes will transform The Dukes into a little South Africa from
1st – 6th October, with the very best contemporary theatre, dance, music, film
and spoken word from South Africa.
And there’ll be a chance to enjoy a taste of South Africa too — at The
Dukes Township Café, which will be serving authentic African food and
drink. It’s also the place to meet and soak up the festival atmosphere
and see a host of fringe events including post show talks, impromptu
jamming sessions and other surprises.
The Dukes is one of only eight venues nationwide to host the biennial
Afrovibes Festival which is produced by UK Arts International.
The festival kicks off at 6.0pm on 1st October with a launch including free beats and eats in The Township Café.
Monday also sees performances of And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses and Thirst which are repeated on Tuesday.
Thirst is a magical theatre piece based on the eventful journey of
three water carriers trying to find the source of their dried-out river
and features dance, physical theatre, song and African storytelling. Age
guidance 7 plus.
And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses is performed by two of South
Africa’s most acclaimed comedians. This entertaining, comic drama
centres on two women from different backgrounds who discover they have
more in common than first thought when they meet in a queue to buy rice.
Age guidance 11 plus.
Drama with a more serious edge is presented on 3rd October with Mother To Mother, a tour-de-force monologue telling the story of an American
Fullbright scholar killed in Capetown by four youths. The mother of one
of them recounts events in an imaginary conversation with the victim’s
mum. Age guidance 14 plus.
On Wednesday 3rd October the film Fezeka’s Voice will be shown. This is
a sweet portrait of the Fezeka High School Choir, their inspirational
teacher, Phumo Tsewu, and their two week trip-of-a-lifetime to perform
in Salisbury Cathedral. The tireless, spirited Tsewu’s infectious love
of music inspires 77 children from Guguletu township to have confidence
in themselves and their ability to shape their own future. Fezeka’s
Voice reveals the life-changing power of music and the real value of
cultural exchange.
The festival steps up to the beat of The Sibikwa Arts African Indigenous Orchestra on Thursday 4th October. This exuberant and awardwinning
ten-piece orchestra evokes the true spirit and ancestry of South Africa
and gets the audience on their feet and joining in. Age guidance 7 plus.
Festival Friday on 5th October gives visitors a chance to pay what they
can for a range of Afrovibes activities including dance, film, spoken
word, beats and eats.
And the festival comes to its finale on Saturday 6th October with a Dance Double
Bill. Originally performed in 2011, Inception is a complex dance solo
which has already evolved into a classic. My Exile Is In My Head is a
solo dance/physical theatre piece inspired by Wole Soyinka’s prison
notes, The Man Died. Age guidance 11+.
• More info on The Dukes web site here
• Download the Afrovibes programme from The Dukes web site direct