Suidoosterfees is an annual event with fun colors and spirit that celebrates local culture and heritage.
Named after the constant, dry and beautiful wind, the ‘suidooster’ that sweeps Cape Town, the festival is held at the Artscape Theater in April and features a variety of performances ranging from dance, drama, comedy and music.
To celebrate its 20th year, the festival has a jam-packed program with various discount offers available to festival-goers.
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What to expect at Suidoosterfees 2023
Music
The festival will open with Kick-off concert presented in collaboration with the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Music Foundation on April 26.
Also in the music program, that is 20 Musical Moments with André Schwartz, Lynelle Kenned, Emo Adams, Pierre van Heerden and Niël Rademan; House of Rhythm with the SU Jazz Band, Gloria Bosman and Timothy Moloi; with ATKV Gala Choir with Zanne Stapelberg, Brittany Hope Smith, Conroy Scott, Nina Schumann and Megan-Geoffrey Prins. Elwira Standili, Anslin Gysman, Jodi Jantjies and Jonathan Rubain will appear in the music production thanks.
Popular opera Happy Lying will be staged at Artscape’s Opera House, and actors from kykNET’s Southeast will be back at the festival with Strong Southeast Storm 2.
The famous Stellenbosch University Choir will perform at the festival for the first time ever, and a commemorative concert will be held in honor of Prof. Jakes Gerwel, one of the founding members of the festival.
smooth will be presented in collaboration with Cape Town’s Philharmonic Orchestra. Die-hard festivalgoers can kick off their shoes every night Last night Boogiea musical variety show with Gary Naidoo, Lucy Tops and other top class entertainers.
Theater production
NATi Theater Festival has 20 stage productions.
Bullrazor dark comedy with Wian Taljaard, René Cloete, Wynand Kotze and Peggy Tunyiswa, on the menu.
Marthinus Basson is in the director’s chair with Reza de Wet A miracle. Dawid Minnaar, Brümilda van Rensburg, Edwin van der Walt, Carla Smith, Eben Genis and Rolanda Marais star in this classic drama.
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Magda Lou, based on the popular KykNET comedy, debuted as a one-woman show at the festival. Lee-Ann van Rooi will perform at The woman who fed the doga sensational drama presented in collaboration with Belgian authors and artists.
This year choose The series will feature 10 short, powerful dialogues with 20 actors, 10 directors and 10 writers involved. This innovative series proved very popular with festival-goers last year, and was no exception during the festival’s 20th anniversary, where performances are free to the public. The project, in partnership with LitNet, NATi and ATKV, includes dialogues written by Pieter-Dirk Uys, Valda Jansen, Deon Opperman, Rachelle Greeff, Nathan Trantraal, Marita van der Vyver and Bettina Wyngaard.
Five new drama productions in the NATi Rising Stars program, written by young new voices included in the festival’s development project, are presented every year in collaboration with NATi and the Jakes Gerwel Foundation.
Youth program at Suidoosterfees
The ATKV Youth Theater program is packed with performances by students and students from various schools and universities.
Four winners of ATKV’s Tienertoneel competition are also in the program.
The young audience can hope Cinderella… if the shoes fita unique children’s musical from The Stage Performing Arts Studio.
Rafiek Mammon’s popular children’s book, Gold star for Faizeladapted into a children’s play, and Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck will be on stage in Verna Vels’ Dear Witch caught a fish.
NATi, the National Theater Initiative, also brings great musical theater to the festival. Clara with Nina Schumann and Carla Smith tells the story of composer and pianist Clara Schumann.
Cabaret artist Elzabé Zietsman can be seen at Bruce Little’s Femme is Fatale. Coenie de Villiers, Mauritz Lotz, Jana Cilliers, Antoinette Kellermann and Vinette Ebrahim will share the stage word music.
Love mixtape features Jana Cilliers, Mathys Roets, Christo Davids, Anna Davel, Stephanie Baartman, Laurinda Hofmeyr and Leon Gropp in the cast.
David Kramer’s musical Far away in the world, Kittie will captivate audiences with Rushney Ferguson, Jenny Stead, Dean Balie, André Terblanche and Dylan Roman on stage.
Suidoosterfees dance production
The music you want with students from Dance for All, Synergy Dance Volume II and dust by Garage Dance Ensemble. Dance classes, discussions and improvisational dance performances with Image 8 Dance Collective are offered, as well Sunset Salsa Social @ Suidoosterfees Piazza.
Packages and tickets
The Suidooster package offers access to the show Magda Lou, Hello, what did Bettie say and Strong Southeast Storm 2 only R300.
A package is also available for school students and students offering three festival productions for just R150.
ATKV offers a Tienertoneel package for teachers participating in school play at R1 200. This includes access to four ATKV Tienertoneel winning productions, 11 play festivals and four workshops.
For the full programme, visit www.suidoosterfees.co.za.
Tickets can be booked at Computicket, or at Artscape dial-a-seat on 021 421 7695. Many productions are free to the public, but advance booking by email is essential. It includes a lecture by Jakes Gerwel, a dance production and a workshop.
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