The drama department of Rhodes University, a newcomer to the competition, is the 2009 winner of the coveted Sanlam Prize for Afrikaans Theatre (SPAT).
On Friday (10 April) at Oudtshoorn their play, Die Bannelinge (The Exiles), won all the major prizes in a tussle with the winners in the previous five years, the universities of Stellenbosch (2004 and 2006) and the Free State (2005, 2007 and 2008).
This contest on stage has been designed to give the younger generation the annual opportunity to hone their talent at the Absa KKNK arts festival at Oudtshoorn.
Die Bannelinge won Rhodes a cool R100 000, provided that the drama be performed at two more festivals in the course of the year. Written by Bauke Snyman and directed by Heike Gehring, the play secured them the individual prizes (worth R20 000 apiece) for best playwright and best director respectively, and for Shaun Acker, as “Mr O” in this play, the golden award for best actor.
The following awards were received at KKNK 2009:
Best Production (R100 000.00)
Best Actor | Shaun Acker (R20 000.00)
Best Director | Heike Gehring (R20 000.00)
Best Writer | Bauke Snyman (R20 000.00)
A certificate for Best Design
Rhodes University’s Die Bannelinge is a contemporary South African version of the Oedipus story and deals with issues of heritage and land redistribution. Ani is a modern Antigone that has to do an autopsy on her brother. Family secrets reveal themselves as she tries to come to terms with the curse that is placed upon her and her family. The production is performed by a group of dynamic, talented performers from the Rhodes University – Claudia Coleman- Brown, Ignus Vermaak, Madelé Vermaak, Shaun Acker, Tristan Jacobs and Zanne Solomon
DIE BANNELINGE will be performed at Rhodes University on the following days:
Wed | 22 April | 19:30 | Main Theatre
Thu | 23 April | 19:30 | Main Theatre
Fri | 24 April | 19:30 | Main Theatre
Age recommendation | sixteen and above
Ticket price | Rhodes University | R20 & R25 | Theatre Café, Theatre Foyer
Duration | one hour & twenty minutes no interval
Language | Afrikaans
Late-comers will not be admitted
Each competition has a 12 months cycle and makes prize-money of R270 000 available for the development of new theatre productions in Afrikaans. It is open for the drama departments at South African institutions for higher education that also undertake Afrikaans productions. The 2010 competition is now in progress and playwrights have until 30 June to offer their scripts to institutions of their choice.
Full particulars of the competition can be accessed from the Sanlam web site, or from Martie de Lange at 021 947 5174.
As an additional stimulus the scripts of the winning dramas are also published. Lewensreg and Die Begrafnis, the winning scripts of 2007 and 2008, were introduced during 2008 and copies are available from Joho Printers (Bev Maritz, 021 521 2000).
Issued by Sanlam Group Communications