RSG’s renowned on-air arts festival is back from 10 to 14 November with a quality offering ranging from theatre and comedy to music and even an experiment with silence. Last year’s inaugural radio arts festival won the Fleur du Cap theatre award for innovation, and most recently with the Business Arts South Africa (Basa) award for innovation.
The festival kicks off on Monday, 10 November with the award-winning actress June van Merch as Katriena, the famous character created by Riana Scheepers. The Russian playwright Anton Chekov, who this year died 110 years ago, is celebrated with a short drama Op pad, as well as the solo piece Die euwels van tabak with Tobie Cronjé.
The performance of Shakespeare’s classical play, Koning Lear, promises to be an absolute radio drama highlight. This story is more than 400 years old and RSG decided to produce Uys Krige’s Afrikaans translation that is more than 50 years old.
The authors Dot Serfontein and Antjie Krog – mother and daughter – forms part of this year’s festival. The multi-award winning actress Antoinette Kellerman portrays the role of Serfontein in My mense (with direction by Juanita Swanepoel and Eben Cruywagen) whilst Krog’s first volume of poetry in eight years, Mede-wete, will be launched exclusively during the festival. Krog will personally read new poems and then discuss it with actress Susanne Beyers on-air.
The singer and storyteller Nataniël produced a unique piece for the RSG Arts Festival. In Nataniël vertel…. eight stories can be heard from this world class performer.
In the daily Kunstefees-klets a variety of topics will be addressed – ranging from nepotism in the art world, the future of journalism in art circles, the timeless appeal of Shakespeare, and also asking the question whether the arts is drowning. Kunstefees-klets will broadcast at 08:00 and 14:00 daily.
The RSG Arts Festival will broadcast on RSG from Monday, 10 November until Friday, 14 November. The festival can also be experienced online.
