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Wednesday 22 February at 8pm The Theatre Obz Café Harmonic Players of Cape Town will be performing: Bob Hughes |
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©The Monday Missile Dot Coza |
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A play based on the entire Bible will premiere in Sweden this week in what the playwright said will be the world's first attempt to adapt both the Old and New Testaments to the stage. "It is very exciting. And it is amazing that we have actually managed to do this. It was a gigantic task," said Niklas Raadstroem, who has spent the past two years working on 'The Bible' set to open at the Gothenburg Stadsteater in south-western Sweden Friday. "I know Max Reinhardt put up the Old Testament on Broadway in 1936 (The Eternal Road), but we have searched for others who have done both the Old and New Testaments, and found no examples," he told AFP, adding: "We seem to be the first." With 15 actors, three musicians and two extras on stage interpreting around 90 different roles during the four hour and 40 minute play, Raadstroem said he had struggled to draw a continuous storyline from the material. "This is not just a book, but an entire library of books…and the different parts often seemed like they were trying to push and pull us in different directions. It hasn't been easy," he said. When writing the play, Raadstroem said he had tried to "ignore the past 2 000 years of interpretation history and go straight to the Bible texts, the stories inside." It was also important, he said, to approach the material in a serious manner without irony, out of respect for both believers and non-believers, and to interpret it "so it becomes meaningful and relevant to us today." "I hope to de-dramatise the conflict often seen between the secular and the holy. The Bible is relevant to everybody" in traditionally Christian cultures, Raadstroem said, adding he had yet to see any signs the play would give rise to controversy. The play will show at the Stadsteater Stockholm, several times a week through May 8. |
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Free presentation on what it takes to be a storyteller and the process of writing a story for the Big Screen Due to demand The Writing Studio will hold a second free presentation on what it takes to be a storyteller and the process of writing a story for the Big Screen at Homebrew Films in Gardens, Cape Town on Saturday, February 25 from 10am until 12noon. This introduction to the world of screenwriting and being a storyteller is held by Daniel Dercksen, a published playwright, writer, movie journalist, and qualified ETD Practitioner (Education, Training and Development) who has been teaching workshops in screenwriting, creative writing and filmmaking throughout South Africa the past 17 years. The presentation will explore the fundamentals of building and telling a compelling story, how to effectively dramatise your idea, characters and plot. It will look at how to master the writing process and turn theory into practise and ideas inside out. It explores the full dramatic or comedic potential of stories and empowers storytellers to write a compelling story that will reflect the uniqueness of their culture, history and experience. The talk is also ideal for novelists who would like to adapt their work into a visual medium, or writers who want to write stageplays. Booking for this free presentation is essential as space is limited. It will take place from 10am until 12noon. To secure a seat, send an email to info@writingstudio.co.za |