Cape Winelands drama festival leg ends off on a high note

Audiences were kept entertained while watching the productions of the drama groups from the Cape Winelands region this weekend as the Cape Winelands Drama Adjudication showcase took place on 31 August 2019 in McGregor.

The showcase final was presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport in partnership with the Baxter Theatre’s Zabalaza Festival and hosted by Breedevalley , Langeberg, Stellenbosch Municipality and Cape Winelands District Municipality.

Twelve drama groups from various areas such as Zwelethemba, Mbekweni, De Doorns, Franschhoek, Kayamandi and Villiersdorp took part in the first two adjudication legs of the festival, with the hope of becoming one of the final groups.

The showcases were adjudicated by Kanya Viljoen and Khayelethu Anthony, both previous winners of the Zabalaza Festival, Mdu Kweyama, as well as the celebrity actor from the hit TV soapie Scandal and artistic director of Zabalaza Festival, Bongile Mantsai.

Moss Art Productions, Our Hope Drama Group, Zwelethemba Youth Developers, Mayenzeke Productions were selected in the first leg while Franschhoek High School, Opskrif and Bonnievale Culture Project were selected in the second. They will to go through to the final leg of the festival which will take place next year, where the overall winner of the festival will be selected.

Programme manager Moeniel Jacobs from DCAS said he was impressed with the growth of each of the groups and how their craft has developed over the years. “The youth have taken their talent to another level with the strong productions that were showcased this year” he said. The highlight of the showcase was the McGregor showcase, which saw the Women’s Month being well celebrated with 90 percent of the performers being female and all the plays written and directed by women.

DCAS and its partners aim to develop the arts through these festivals and to expose the young talent in communities to exciting opportunities BETTER TOGETHER.