top of page
FAMILY FESTIVAL POSTER 2018 A1_PROOF.jpg

In Partnership with the Goethe- Institut South Africa, Magnet Theatre presents the Family Festival 2018.

 

Magnet Theatre, one of South Africa’s longest standing physical theatre companies, the Goethe-Institut and Helios Theater present the Family Festival 2018: A 2 day theatre festival for children between the ages of 2-7 years and their families. The programme presents 6 new enchanting shows performed by the Magnet Theatre’s final year Full Time Training and Job Creation Programme trainees as well as six guest artists from Uganda, Lesotho, Botswana, and Mozambique. The casts of performers were trained specifically to engage and communicate with young audiences in a six-week long incubation process with Jennie Reznek and guest children’s theatre specialists Barbara Kölling and Anna-Sofia Zimniak from the Helios Theatre Company in Germany. The project aims to skill a whole new cohort of young actors in the creation of work for pre school children.

​

With innovative designs by Asiphe Lili and Puleng Stewart, each production explores a different material, captivating and fascinating the audiences with Magnet Theatre’s particular brand of play and physical theatre. Using mostly the language of the body, song and strong images these 6 productions offer totally unique South African and African theatrical experiences. They are evocative and poetic, designed to engage the imagination of young and old.

​

All productions created by the company with input from Jennie Reznek (Magnet Theatre), Barbara Kölling and Anna-Sophia Zimniak (Theater Helios), Jayne Batzofin and Andi Colombo.
Stage Management: Andi Colombo
Lighting Design: Themba Stewart and Andi Colombo
Production Manager: Themba Stewart

Project Manager: Jaqueline Dommisse

SH!
2 -7 years
( South Africa )


In the rustling of paper, we find celebration of both sound and silence. Three actors play amongst discarded pieces of newspaper as they learn about the world around them. News! News! News! It is everywhere! How do we both break away from and engage with a world saturated with news and newspaper? 


With Sithyilelo Revelations Makupula, Abigail Mei, Siya Gqumehlo 

Designed by Puleng Stewart 

Photographs by Mark Wessels

Sh!
UBIZO

2 -7 years

( South Africa )

​

Three performers explore the call and response of stones.  Together with the stones they play games of song and sound, evoking places and feelings. The stones are the land. And the people need the land. It is exchanged, given away and shared.  

With Siphesande Mkokose, Carlo Daniels, Luxolo Rapula Mboso
Assisted by: René Brown 

Designed by Asiphe Lili

Photographs by Mark Wessels

TRANSFORM

2 -7 years

( Mozambique and Botswana )

​

Out of the dried earth and dust, life remains hidden until the rains come. And when they do, the earth transforms into clay and the clay transforms the lives of three friends! Three performers from Mozambique and Botswana invite us to explore this material that keeps on changing and changing. 

With Yuck Miranda, Jessica Lejowa, Amade Buanamade 

Designed by Asiphe Lili

Photographs by Mark Wessels

RESHAPE

2 -7 years 

( South Africa )

​

Newspapers act as both barrier and bridge. Three performers visit and rebuild a neighborhood, crafting new worlds, animals and objects through seemingly ordinary pieces of newspaper.

With Choice Songezo Mtshixa, Bonga Shabbs Tshabalala, Sivenathi Sibahle Macibela 

Designed by Puleng Stewart

Photographs by Mark Wessels

Ubizo
Transform
Reshape
PLAY ALONE

2 -7 years

( South Africa )

​

Play Alone stands as  a short curtain raiser preceding Plastika.

 

A lone actor takes to the stage and invites us to explore the magic he can create out of discarded paper. Now its one thing and now another!

With Vela Zozo 

Designed by Puleng Stewart

Photographs by Mark Wessels

PLASTIKA

2 -7 years

( Uganda and Botswana )

 

The sound of plastic and song fill the air. A sea of plastic and a land of plastic. Through rustling bags and empty bottles, three performers from Uganda and Botswana explore the malleability of plastic and take pleasure in discovering treasure from trash. 

With Samson Setumo, Zoey Kayendeke, Linda Nabasa 

Designed by Puleng Stewart

Photographs by Mark Wessels

ROCKIN' MBOKODO

2 -7 years

( South Africa )

​

Ritual and rock, song and sound ground this performance. As they jump from stone to stone, four performers remind us of the importance of family, the power of journey,
healing and the significance of finding our way home.


With Palesa Mohlala, Asamkela KK Ketelo, Sizwe Ginger Lubengu, Yvonne Msebenzi
Assisted by: Andiswa Pearl Anthony

Designed by Asiphe Lili

Photographs by Mark Wessels

Plastika
Rockin' Mbokodo
bottom of page