The Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) within the College of Humanities has chosen a group of writers and composers to perform in its inaugural Cabaret and Beyond Festival (CAB) aimed at developing new works of musical theatre.
The CAB festival is facilitated by Roland Perold, who holds a MMus in song writing and has written four-chamber musicals, while a cohort of writers has been commissioned to compose individual songs that will be staged in Durban using a small cast and a creative team.
Works showing the most promise for further development will receive grants to extend their material into presentations of a longer format.
The festival aims to fill the existing gap in writing new works in the musical theatre genre.
A total of 12 participants from all over South Africa, will write on a solo basis. They are language educator, literary researcher, composer, lyricist, singer, creative and academic writer, Tsitsi Sachikonye; electronic music producer Luca Hart; musical theatre composer Roné Roux; multi award-winning performer Tankiso Mamabolo; cum laude drama graduate Mthokozisi Zulu; musical director, composer and performer, Rexleigh Bunyard; writer, director, lyricist and performer, Zeph Nzama; actor and composer Trudy Rozani; multi-award-winning performer, actor, director, writer, and composer, Godfrey Johnson; musical creator Dani Petersen; award-winning actor and designer Marcel Meyer; and guitarist, singer, rapper, and songwriter, Chad Cochrane.
‘I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much interest in the project, enabling us to assemble a strong collection of candidates who will compose for the showcase in October,’ said Perold.
South Africa has a long tradition of musical theatre, he said, that was richly textured by nuances and social narratives. It gave the CCA great pleasure to add this new festival to its bouquet of successful festivals, inspired by the diverse talent taking part in the inaugural festival.
‘The participants represent an exciting mix of experienced writers alongside some newcomers whose submissions exhibited great potential,’ he said.
During this festival there will be a writing duo consisting of musical theatre director Wessel Odendaal and producer Marcel Meyer, as well as a writing trio made up of performer and creative Dionne ‘Song’ Malan, Zolani Shangase and Mthokozisi Khanyile, who is currently playing Mufasa in the Lion King.
