South Africa‘s annual Klein Karoo Arts Festival, enjoys its 15th anniversary next month.
Circle your diary now for August 19 to 21, as that’s when Port Natal School in Dirk Uys Street, Umbilo, plays host, once again, to the annual event.
This year it will present nine varied productions seen earlier this year at the Absa KKNK in Oudtshoorn.
The festival promises top acts that include recording star Koos Kombuis, vocalist Elizma Theron and popular group Romanz, as well as an acclaimed comedy, God of Carnage (translated into Afrikaans and starring Anna-Mart van der Merwe), and the award-winning drama, Dinsdae By Morrie.
The festival opens at 6pm on Thursday, August 19, with a lively performance by top quartet Romanz. This show is bilingual and runs for 75 minutes. Tickets cost R70 and R90.
Next up, on the same evening, at 8.30pm, is a 90-minute comedy show, Die Rolmodelle, starring heavyweight comedians including Vaatjie and Bosveldklong.
This show runs for 90 minutes and tickets cost R70 and R90.
At 5.30pm on the Friday, the festival will present the James Bond spoof, Dowwe Dolla: 007.
Dolla’s send-up of the James Bond world is said to be a hoot. Her bra shoots arrows and her ever-present lollipop is filled with cyanide. Tickets for the 90-minute show are priced at R60 and R80.
This show will be followed, at 7.30pm on the Friday, by Musiekskouspel 2010, a musical extravaganza starring Thabo Pitse, Gerhard Steyn, Elizma Theron and Bok van Blerk. It runs for three hours and tickets cost R120 (golden circle) and R100 (unreserved).
“The Saturday offerings begin at 10am with a real scoop for Durban – Dinsdae By Morrie, a great translation and stage adaptation of Mitch Alborn’s bestseller, Tuesdays With Morrie,” says a festival spokesman.
This gentle, heart-warming drama, for which tickets cost R70 and R90, stars Pedro Kruger and Chris van Niekerk.
The festival pick for 2.45pm on the Saturday is Vry Voël, starring Koos Kombuis and Nicole Holm. It runs for 70 minutes and tickets cost R60 and R80.
At 7.30pm on the same day a play by Yasmina Reza, which won three Tony awards on Broadway, hits the festival stage, translated into Afrikaans and adapted by Hennie van Greunen.
It’s the 90-minute God of Carnage, presented as God van Chaos, and teams Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Johann Nel, Martelise Kolver and Leon Kruger. Tickets cost R70 and R90.
A highlight of the Saturday programme is the second annual Afrikaans Rock Festival, Innikol, featuring Van Coke Kartel, eF-eL and all-girl band Saarkie.
This rock fest will be presented in a large marquee on the main rugby field of Port Natal School. The three-hour show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost R70 each and all seats are unreserved.
“By popular demand, the Absa/Pinotage Wine and Food Show returns to the festival this year. Different winemakers from several Cape wine estates will present a wine tasting and gourmet food. Vocalist André Schwartz will be a guest artist.”
Performances are at 7.30pm on the Friday and 12.30pm on the Saturday. Tickets cost R60.