ANTAKALIPA

The Bacchae – An African Choral Ballet: A Night When Johannesburg Reimagined a Greek Tragedy There are evenings at the theatre that entertain. There are evenings that impress. And then there are evenings that completely redefine what one believes theatre can be. The opening night of The Bacchae – An African Choral Ballet at Johannesburg's Joburg Theatre belonged firmly in that final category. Presented through the extraordinary collaboration between Joburg Ballet , the UJ Choir , and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra , this was not merely a ballet. It was an operatic, choral, orchestral, theatrical and deeply African reimagining of one of humanity's oldest tragedies. It was a production of immense ambition, staggering artistic confidence and astonishing execution. As someone who considers Joburg Ballet one of South Africa's greatest artistic institutions, my expectations were already incredibly high. They somehow exceeded them. The...

Constellations: Infinite Possibilities, One Extraordinary Love Story There are some productions that entertain. There are others that challenge. Then there are rare productions that linger long after the final curtain call has fallen, continuing to occupy the mind like a beautiful unanswered question. Constellations , currently playing at Theatre on the Square in Sandton, is one of those rare productions. Written by acclaimed playwright Nick Payne and presented by How Now Brown Cow, this remarkable play arrives in Johannesburg carrying the weight of glowing Cape Town reviews and considerable anticipation. Having spoken before the performance with producer Julie-Anne McDowell Hegarty, whose enthusiasm for the production was impossible to miss, it quickly became clear that this was a work everyone involved believed in deeply. Animated, passionate and visibly excited, she spoke of the show's reception in Cape Town and the audiences who returned to experience it...