Preview: The Jackal and the Wolf/Udyakalashe kwaye Nongcuka/Jakals en Wolf – exciting family theatre at National Arts Festival 2022

The Jackal and the Wolf/Udyakalashe kwaye Nongcuka/Jakals en Wolf

Dates and times:
Saturday – Monday,  June 25 – 27  10h00 – 11h00
Booking link: https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/the-jackal-and-the-wolf/
Tickets:  R40
Venue: Victoria Theatre, Victoria Girls High School, Beaufort St, Makhanda
Genre: Family
Duration: 55mins
Age: All ages  

Scroll down for production credits.

The Jackal and the Wolf, which is an an exciting collaboration between the Guild Theatre, Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts and Wela Kapela Productions. The puppets look sensational – created by a supremely talented team. This show is on the Curated Programme at NAF. Info as supplied.

About the show

The Jackal is an adventurer and raconteur par excellence. He travels far and wide, and his only companion is his trusted bag of tricks. Yes, Jackal is far too clever for poor old Wolf, who is easily convinced to do the Jackal’s dirty work. Sweet Catherine Crow, who just adores her own image in the mirror might have a crush on Jackal, and poor old Mother Sheep is on the verge of a nervous breakdown after her encounter with a cannibalistic sheep! All is not well in the animal kingdom, but will the Jackal be clever enough to outwit the wisest of all, our dear friend the Owl? The Jackal and the Wolf is based on the age-old fable of Aesop and performed with life-size puppets and masks, with each actor playing multiple parts. The performance is choreographed to three pre-recorded soundtracks, one in each of the languages most prevalent in the Eastern Cape. The Jackal and the Wolf is a collaboration between the Guild Theatre, Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts and Wela Kapela Productions.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

The production is created by Amanda Bothma, Sonwa Sakuba and Reggie Dunster.Puppet construction: Reggie Dunster, Mauzandile Solombela and Wandile NtlaganisoSound recording: Jonathan Fortuyn

Lighting design: Andre Donaldson, East London Guild

Theatre puppeteers:

Chule Novukela
Malusi Mbekwa
Mzamo Kunene
Obakeng More
Xola Mziwakhe

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

SONWA SAKUBA

As an award-winning dancer, actor, singer, choreographer, and founder of the Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts, Sonwa returns to South Africa with a wealth of knowledge and an eclectic array of international experience from productions and training programmes from around the world. Sonwa graduated top of his class from the highly acclaimed Waterfront Theatre School where he trained in Musical Theatre, Drama as well as Advanced levels in Modern Dance, Tap Dance, Classical Ballet and Jazz Dance. Sonwa also earned professional Modern Dance and Tap Dance teacher status from the internationally recognized Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (London).

Upon graduation he went on to further his studies in New York City at the famous Broadway Dance Center, Alvin Ailey School and Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance. It is at the Martha Graham School where he was awarded a scholarship and worked as an intern for the Martha Graham Dance Company. Some of his New York credits include dance captain for the off-broadway production of Crybaby the Musical in 2018. He worked with Danielle Pollanko (choreographer for Beyoncé), Rachel Rak and Yanis Marshall to name a few and served as Production Assistant to Tony Award winner Baayork Lee.

In theatrical and corporate stages both nationally and internationally he has performed in numerous productions such as The Lion King, Hairspray, Richard Lorings African Footprint, A Chorus Line, Footloose, Estée Lauder Product Launch, West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, British Airways Commercial and Guys and Dolls. His TV credits include playing a lead role on SABC2’s Hectic Nine9 youth show Signal High. As a choreographer, he has choreographed works for Dancers Love Dogs, Baxter Dance Festival, the Netflix series Blood Drive, EC Provincial Cultural Awards and stage productions of The Jungle Book, Alladin and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change to name a few.

Sonwa also lends his time to choreograph, direct, teach and adjudicate competitions and eisteddfods all over the country whilst striving to create platforms for excellence in arts education and performance for all. In 2018 he was awarded Best Choreographer at the EC Cultural Awards and between 2019 and 2021, served as the Artistic Director for the Johannesburg-based Glam Dance Company. He currently is a member of the International Dance Council CID (UNESCO) and has most recently been awarded the 2020 Eastern Cape Department of Arts and Culture MEC’s Special Award for Performing Arts.

Amanda Bothma

Amanda Bothma graduated with a BA Drama and Acting from the Drama school at the University of the Free State in 1982. In 2017 she did a two week residency at Complicity in London, UK. She is an alumna of the Eugene O’Neil National Theatre Institute (fall 2017) and attended the National Puppetry Conference in 2018 and 2020 (virtual). Amanda trained in the Chekov method under Mara Radulović, co-founder of the Michael Chekhov Actors Studio Boston.

Over the past 30 years she has written, directed and produced many dramas, pantomimes, musicals and cabarets in Connecticut, USA. In 2019 Bothma founded Wela Kapela Productions.Directing highlights from the last three years:

2019 SEASON

The Doctor in spite of Himself by Moliere (Comedia Del Arte Style)
Spot the Adventurer (a puppet show)
A Star is Born – the rise and fall of Judy Garland (Kerry Hiles & Liz Campbell) – STANDARD BANK OVATION AWARD 2019
Cinderella – Rodgers and Hammerstein
2020 SEASON

Eastern Cape Dept Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Award Directing – Cinderella
A STAR IS BORN scooped a second STANDARD BANK OVATION AWARD 2020
NEXT!!! (Kay Mosiane & Jacques Du Plessis) Winning a SILVER STANDARD BANK OVATION AWARD

2021 SEASON

Secret Garden Series – Damsel In Distress, Mad About The Boys and Boccochino de Opera
Damsel In Distress – STANDARD BANK OVATION AWARD 2021
Liewe Heksie (Cara Roberts and Daniel Anderson)
Wela Kapela Cape Town CabareFest – The Story Of Eva Cassidy, A Star Is Born, Mad About The Boys, Damsel In Distress
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Reginald Danster

Reginald is an award winning dancer and choreographer, and founder of the Eastern Cape Cultural Help desk from where he freely shares his experience gained from international productions and training programmes from around the world. Reginald attended the Academy of Drafting, where he studied Architectural Structuring, followed by a qualification in Building Engineering from Highveld College. He joined the Dance Factory where he obtained a qualification in Stage-management. In London he furthered his studies in Dance and Choreography at the London Contemporary School of Dance. Back in South Africa he obtained a qualification in Project Management for Damelin.
In theatrical and corporate stages both nationally and internationally he has performed in numerous productions working with P J Sebaga, Vincent Mantsoe, Debbie Rakhuzen, Wendy Ramokgadi, Augusto Cavillas, Lulu Sala, Moeketsi Koena, Carly Dibakwane, Jamaine Akonie, Bertinah Halvanders and Simon Foster. As a choreographer, he has choreographed works for Magema, Dada Masilo, Zabalaza (a piece dedicated to the freedom fighters of South Africa), Mate, Identidada (an exchange project with the National dance company of Mozambique), Cream Of Gauteng, Space Out (a multimedia production), Tsalo (Macufe 2006 Opening), I am (a solo piece) and the Eastern Cape Dance and Music Ensemble 2014-15. Reginald is currently working as a manager for Eastern Cape Artists in schools and he runs the Eastern Cape dance company.

Puppeteers

Chule Novukela

Chule Novukela is a singer, actor screenwriter and playwright. Chule received his Bachelor in Screenwriting from AFDA as well as an Honors degree in Screenwriting. In the past two years Chule has worked as freelance performer on several productions.

Malusi Mbekwa

Malusi Mbekwa is a 24-year-old actor, dance, and vocalist. Malusi grew up in a small village called Tshabo in the Eastern Cape. Growing up with a learning disability was challenging, then he enrolled at Lady Grey Arts Academy where he had the chance to became the best version of himself. Under the wings of Johan Hattingh, Marquin Sharneck and Marriet Pitout, he has participated in several productions, e.g. Greece, Passion Play, Oedipus, Dalro ACT and was granted the opportunity to perform in Stockholm. Malusi is at the Sonwa Sakuba institute For Performing Arts.

Mzamo Kunene

Mzamo Kunene, 29, trained under Musa Hlatshwayo at The Movement Lab, from there was selected to join the Siwela Sonke dance theatre intensive dance program where he worked under Jay Parther and Ntombi Gasa. Mzamo joined The Playhouse Company in 2015 where he worked with the likes David Gouldie, Lulu Mlangeni, Mzo Gasa and Luyanda Sidiya. In 2021 Mzamo joined the to the Sonwa Sakuba institution the performing arts where he teaches dance.

Obakeng More

Obakeng More is an inspiring singer/songwriter. At the age of 11, he started playing drums at his dad’s church and from then on he immediately knew that music and the arts are his true passion. The one production he attended almost every year ever since the age of 12 is called Blood Speaks. Obakeng is now training at Sonwa Sakuba Performance Arts Institution.

Siyanda Matwa

Siyanda Matwa studied performing arts at Lovedale College for 3 years from 2010. In 2014, Matwa attended the performing arts training program at The Steve Biko Centre for 3 years. He is a performing artist, facilitator, writer and a director, and has performed in most theatres and festivals in South Africa. In 2015 he was an actor and voice-over artist in a radio serial ‘UHAMBOLWETHU’ at Trufm.

Xola Mziwakhe

Xola Mziwakhe is performer and theatre maker who received his training from KCAP (Actors Incubation Mentorship program) 2017. He has performed his one-man show, AZANIA, at the Durban Playhouse company and been involved in Fundiwa Zwane’s industrial theatre. Xola has also been trained in theatre for kids through the Assitej Kickstarter program in 2019 and 2022. He is currently a Drama facilitator at Sonwa Sakuba institution of performing arts.      

Family theatre: The Jackal and the Wolf/Udyakalashe kwaye Nongcuka/Jakals en Wolf is on the Curated Programme at National Arts Festival 2022. Booking link: https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/the-jackal-and-the-wolf/

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