THE DAY AFTER THE WORLD CUP FINAL
In my search today I've had in mind things that may distract and console us as we come down from our month-long high and learn to live without the special high-dosage oxygen that we've been drinking in draughts, and the riveting entertainment that we've been fed morning, noon and night. Many many words will have been written, and photos printed, and blogs are meant to be short. So no commentary here, just lots of thanks to all who made sure that really, truly, everybody was invited.
PUBLIC ART
On Saturday I went on a City tour of the art works adorning the new IRT bus stations; pop in anytime and see the nicest of them, Lovell Friedman's mosaics at the stadium in Greenpoint, and Julia Anastasopoulos's detailed child-friendly drawings at the Civic Centre stop. It's good that the City of Cape Town is investing in art and artists, in the performing as well as the visual arts - as world cup host city they employed about 120 diverse groups to sing, dance, and play in all the public spaces, great for the artists and great for the buzz. When you're at the Civic Centre end of town, have a look at the gorgeous installation made of the row of trees nearby in Adderley Street.
NEW PUBLIC SPACE
Have you tried the new walk from Somerset Road on the far side of the stadium, through the new park, straight to the old lighthouse? It's a lovely wide path with beautiful views and you'll find a little coffee shop sprung up between the lighthouse and the sea.
POETRY LAUNCH: BEVERLY RYCROFT'S MISSING
A poetry collection called Missing by Beverly Rycroft will be launched at Kalk Bay Books on Saturday evening. Finuala Dowling, who will introduce the poet and lead a discussion about her work, wrote of this book:
“This astonishingly moving debut collection reads compellingly as one complete story. Missing covers the archetypal journey from sickness and near-death to transformation and hope. Rycroft wears her exquisite poetic technique lightly – through rich and deftly crafted images, the poems are profoundly inviting, readable and memorable. I could not put it down.” Read examples of these poems on the bookshop website and on a poetry website called Peony Moon.
Kalk Bay Books 124 Main Road Kalk Bay
Saturday 17 18h00 for 18h30
A poetry collection called Missing by Beverly Rycroft will be launched at Kalk Bay Books on Saturday evening. Finuala Dowling, who will introduce the poet and lead a discussion about her work, wrote of this book:
“This astonishingly moving debut collection reads compellingly as one complete story. Missing covers the archetypal journey from sickness and near-death to transformation and hope. Rycroft wears her exquisite poetic technique lightly – through rich and deftly crafted images, the poems are profoundly inviting, readable and memorable. I could not put it down.” Read examples of these poems on the bookshop website and on a poetry website called Peony Moon.
Kalk Bay Books 124 Main Road Kalk Bay
Saturday 17 18h00 for 18h30
BOOK LAUNCH: SHORT STORIES BY HENRIETTA ROSE-INNES
Another literary conversation that should be interesting is Diane Awerbuck talking to Henrietta Rose-Innes, author of a new collection of short stories called Homing, to be launched at the Book Lounge on Thursday.
"Diverse characters – a teenager learning to be a boyfriend, an ageing copywriter, a girl on the brink of womanhood – are animated in sparse, sparkling prose. The Cape Town they mostly inhabit is both a playground and an obstacle course, filled with menace and delight. Through this landscape, like the pigeons in the title story, they find new paths home – and are themselves transformed by the journey."
The Book Lounge 71 Roeland Street Cape Town
Thursday 15 17h30 for 18h00
AT THE FUGARD
This is the last week of the musical theatre show for all the family, Aesop's Fables by Isango Portobello at the Fugard Theatre, covered in a previous posting and well-reviewed by others since.
till Saturday 17 19h00 plus Saturday matinee 15h00
021 461 4554 www.thefugard.com
Something to anticipate and book for is another Waiting for Godot, coming to the Fugard for a two-week run after an international two year tour. It features an illustrious British cast including Ian McKellen as Estragon (played by David Isaacs in the wonderful recent production at the Little.) The director Sean Mathias described how this production came about:
"Having successfully played 14 major cities internationally, including two London seasons, with a production that has been acclaimed extensively, the Fugard Theatre then invited me to bring the troupe of actors to them and to start our Godot anew. At the Fugard we will play to an auditorium one quarter the size of other theatres we have previously played and with an ad hoc set and a new lighting design by Mannie Manim, we will re-invent our Godot wheel. The heart and soul of the production - the actors' performances, will remain intact (albeit a little stirred) but in every other sense - the physical space, the visual impact, the overall dynamics will debut at the Fugard Theatre."
The Telegraph called this "almost certainly the funniest and most compassionate production of the play you will ever see."
29 July to 14 August
021 461 4554 www.thefugard.com
This is the last week of the musical theatre show for all the family, Aesop's Fables by Isango Portobello at the Fugard Theatre, covered in a previous posting and well-reviewed by others since.
till Saturday 17 19h00 plus Saturday matinee 15h00
021 461 4554 www.thefugard.com
Something to anticipate and book for is another Waiting for Godot, coming to the Fugard for a two-week run after an international two year tour. It features an illustrious British cast including Ian McKellen as Estragon (played by David Isaacs in the wonderful recent production at the Little.) The director Sean Mathias described how this production came about:
"Having successfully played 14 major cities internationally, including two London seasons, with a production that has been acclaimed extensively, the Fugard Theatre then invited me to bring the troupe of actors to them and to start our Godot anew. At the Fugard we will play to an auditorium one quarter the size of other theatres we have previously played and with an ad hoc set and a new lighting design by Mannie Manim, we will re-invent our Godot wheel. The heart and soul of the production - the actors' performances, will remain intact (albeit a little stirred) but in every other sense - the physical space, the visual impact, the overall dynamics will debut at the Fugard Theatre."
The Telegraph called this "almost certainly the funniest and most compassionate production of the play you will ever see."
29 July to 14 August
021 461 4554 www.thefugard.com
DOUBLE ENTRY AT WHATIFTHEWORLD GALLERY
Not distracting and probably not consoling, but very pertinent, is an exhibition called Double Entry by Dan Halter at Whatiftheworld Gallery. "Informed by two field trips to the Beitbridge border between Zimbabwe and South Africa, this new body of work looks at the notorious barrier and the passage Zimbabwean immigrants face in order to get into South Africa. With a touch of Halter’s own dark humour, this exhibition of video, print and installation relates to these ongoing issues."
Whatiftheworld Gallery 208 Albert Road Woodstock
till 8 August 10h00 to 17h00
021 448 1438
Not distracting and probably not consoling, but very pertinent, is an exhibition called Double Entry by Dan Halter at Whatiftheworld Gallery. "Informed by two field trips to the Beitbridge border between Zimbabwe and South Africa, this new body of work looks at the notorious barrier and the passage Zimbabwean immigrants face in order to get into South Africa. With a touch of Halter’s own dark humour, this exhibition of video, print and installation relates to these ongoing issues."
Whatiftheworld Gallery 208 Albert Road Woodstock
till 8 August 10h00 to 17h00
021 448 1438
SHOPPING NEWS 1: FRESHLY PICKED FLOWERS AT FARM PRICES
Next to the Waldorf School in Spaanschemat Road, Constantia, is a farm where you can buy freshly picked and beautiful flowers for a fraction of the price of a tired supermarket bunch. This morning they had lavender, summer asters, poppies, proteas, sunflowers, and others, at 12 or 15 rand for a fat bunch. And it's such a pleasure to go there, down a country lane, past chickens and fields .... take the dirt road between the school and Peddlars restaurant.
Monday to Friday 7h30 to 17h00, Saturday 8h00 to 13h00
