The 11th Shakespeare Schools Festival opens on Monday 19 April at 7pm in the Artscape Main Theatre, all social distancing protocols observed! Opening night features De la Bat School and Worcester Gymnasium in their versions of Anthony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet respectively.
Since inception, the SSFSA has been a highlight on the cultural calendars of amateur dramatic societies and school drama groups, and being able to hold the event after a particularly harrowing year for the theatre industry is welcome news. Said festival Founder Kseniya Filinova-Bruton who is now based in St. Petersburg in Russia, “we are thrilled to be doing live performances- it means so much to us and our enthusiastic Shakespeareans who are able continue on their thespian paths of discovery, connect with other Learners and further develop their dramatic talents and associated skills.”
Over the past decade the festival has become Africa’s largest Shakespeare youth drama program and to date has worked with over 490 schools, 9000 youth and 670 educators across the Western Cape, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape.
100 at Artscape and 50 at the Masque Theatre
Audiences at both venues will be limited to 100 at Artscape and 50 at the Masque Theatre, with socially distanced seating arrangements. All productions will also be filmed and then streamed at a later date (to be confirmed) which gives theatregoers the option of enjoying the productions virtually.
The online aspect is huge in terms of global accessibility for Shakespeare fans and SSFSA representatives managing the festival in the different provinces in SA and in Russia, Estonia and Malawi. Most schools are conducting rehearsals in physical spaces using school halls or outdoor areas and technical rehearsals and performances will be onstage.
This year, the Artscape line up comprises of Hermanus High School, Fish Hoek Primary School, Reddam House College, Atlantic Seaboard, De la Bat School, Leiden High School, Wynberg Boys’ Acting Association, Worcester Gymnasium, Westlake Primary School, Hout Bay International School, Athlone High School, Erinville Drama Club and Rhenish Girls’ High School.
Performing at The Masque this year will be Curro Sitari High School, Herschel Girls School, Curro Century City High School, The Settlers High School and Westerford High School Drama Society.
The way the festival works is that schools prepare and perform abridged versions of the Shakespeare play of their choice, approximately thirty minutes in duration, and year after year the interpretations have been incredible and innovative. Staging a Shakespeare play is a challenge and from start to finish the SSFSA provides guidance and resources, assisting with scripts, acting tips and directing and there are a number of educational programs that exist to benefit educators, emerging learner-directors and casts. “The SSFSA is an ideal way for young people to explore their dramatic potential in a fun, developmental way and in a non-competitive environment”, said Stuart-Linger. The SSFSA is managed holistically and aside from the on-stage aspect the focus is also on the promotion of life skills with a spotlight on literacy, classic literature and the performing arts.
The SSFSA is about strengthening the link between the Arts and Education and uniting and empowering children from across socio-economic spectrum using the transformational power of theatre and specifically the works of Shakespeare to achieve that goal.
WHERE: Artscape Theatre Centre, Cape Town 8001
WHAT: 11th Shakespeare Schools Festival
TICKETS: R50 at both venues, available via Computicket.
