Bringing Stories To Life At The Zabalaza Theatre Festival

The Zabalaza Theatre festival was launched on 17 March 2017 at the Baxter Theatre, in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS). The audience was treated to a glimpse of what the various drama groups have to offer over the past weekend.

The festival has grown from strength to strength over the last few years, making 2017 the biggest it has ever been, with a total of 56 productions on offer.

As part of the opening weekend, the participants of the various regional Best of Drama competitions from around the Western Cape had the opportunity to showcase their productions.

The three groups from the Best of DCAS competition who performed on Saturday were Cay Cay from Dysselsdorp who performed their production ‘n Draaiende Wiel, African Calling from Robertson who performed Question Mark and Most Wanted whose performance of ‘n Myl In My Skoene earned them a standing ovation from the captivated audience.

Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais, applauded the Zabalaza Theatre Festival for its efforts in creating an environment where creative innovation can thrive among our young drama stars. ”Each participant performing at this festival earned their rightful place on stage. They are examples in their communities and will indeed succeed and rise above their circumstances if they remain committed to developing their crafts and grab each opportunity with both hands and feet,“ said Minister Marais.

The festival will run until 25 March 2017, and includes daily performances of Afsnypunt by Team Explosive, who initially entered the DCAS Eden Drama Festival, and were invited by Zabalaza Theatre to take part in the main festival this year. 

Along with its partners, DCAS aims to grow our next generation of theatre stars through festivals such as Zabalaza - BETTER TOGETHER.