Rural Drama Groups to Feature at Zabalaza Festival

Four rural Western Cape drama groups look set to make their mark at the 4th annual Zabalaza Theatre Festival at the Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town from 7 to 14 March 2014. Zabalaza 2014 is hosted by the Baxter and the Magnet Theatre, with the support of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS).The groups will be performing on Saturday 8 March.

Ubumnandi Bethu (from Knysna), Little Legends Drama Group (Riversdal) and Vangnet (Bonnievale) received an invitation after they starred at the 2014 Eden/ Cape Winelands Drama Festival finale earlier this year. Regional runners-up Khoisan Drama Group from Robertson is the fourth rural Western Cape group that will be participating.

Zabalaza plays across four different theatre spaces over eight days in a celebration of the power of theatre to connect, entertain and educate. What started out as a small “community theatre” festival in 2011 has transformed itself into the premier showcase of upcoming drama talent in the Western Cape. A total of 25 fringe productions are on offer, as well as 12 main festival productions, regular “open mic” sessions and two nights of spoken word and hip-hop performance in the Baxter Concert Hall.

Upcoming artists are sure to deliver some memorable performances on the fringe. The best can look forward to being in the running for festival awards such as Best Production, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.

Tickets for the Zabalaza Theatre Festival are available at R25 each. Book through Computicket by phone at 0861 915 8000, online at www.computicket.co.za or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet.