Production – Sarafina Magazine

A Q&A with Kimmy Skota

Kimmy Skota is a world-renowned opera singer, best known for her performances with acclaimed Dutch violinist Andre Rieu, which led to her touring and performing around the globe. She has won several awards, including at the SAMRO International Singing Competition in 2008. Her opera repertoire includes Gilda in Rigoletto, Tatjana in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Sophie in Werther, Kristine in Miss Julie, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte and Papagena in The Magic Flute. Her oratorio work includes The Messiah and The Creation. She also performed with Richard Cock in his Starlight Concert and Night at the Proms and has worked with internationally-renowned conductors including Kamal Khan and Sebastian Lang-Lessing. On October 22nd and 23rd, Kimmy will be performing in Cantiamo – Mzansi Opera Celebration, a performance which will reopen the Joburg Theatre, as well as being streamed online.

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October 16, 2020October 16, 2020 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Artist, Arts, Interview, Joburg, Johannesburg, Opera, Performer, Production, Q&A, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Art, Arts, Cantiamo- Mzansi Opera Celebration, Covid19, Fiona Walsh, Interview, Joburg, Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg, Kimmy Skota, Live performance, Mandela Theatre, Opera, Opera Singer, Performance, Performer, Q&A, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Theater, Theatre Leave a comment

A Q&A with Chantal Stanfield

In December 2017, we sat down with actress, singer and playwright Chantal Stanfield to chat about her one-woman show, From Koe’siestes To Kneidlach, which was about to debut at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town following a successful run at Theatre On The Square in Johannesburg. Fast forward to 2020 and a global pandemic that has left theatres around the world dark. In response to this, Chantal has released a pre-recorded version of the show that audience members can stream to their homes, in the hopes of raising funds for the two theatres that From Koe’siestes To Kneidlach called home.

Click here to read our conversation with Chantal from 2017.

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July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Artist, Arts, Baxter, Cape Town, Interview, Now Playing, Performer, Playwright, Producer, Production, Q&A, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, Songwriter, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, Womxn, writerTags: Art, Baxter Theatre, Chantal Stanfield, Conversation, Covid19, From Koe'siestes to kneidlach, Livestream, Lockdown, Q&A, Quicket, Recorded, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Theatre on the Square, Women 1 Comment

A Conversation with Theresa Ryan – van Graan

Theresa Ryan – van Graan is a film producer. She heads up Penzance Films in conjunction with Oliver Hermanus and spent seven years as Head of Productions at Moonlighting Films. During this time, she was SA Production Executive on Season 4 of Homeland and actively involved in the servicing and pre-production of the films Invictus, Safe House, The Giver and Mad Max: Fury Road, amongst others. In addition to working with Oliver Hermanus on his previous film The Endless River, she is the co-producer of his latest film Moffie, which arrives in local cinemas on March 13th 2020.

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March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Advice, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Film, Interview, Now Playing, Photography, Producer, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Television, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Advice, Conversation, Film, Filmmaker, Moffie, Moonlighting Films, Movie, Oliver Hermanus, Penzance Films, Producer, South Africa, Television, The Endless River, Theresa Ryan - van Graan, Women, Women in Film Leave a comment

A Conversation with Penny Simpson

Penny Simpson is a costume designer and visual artist. After completing her theatre design studies at Sadlers Wells Design School, she returned to South Africa and began her career by joining CAPAB and designing for several of their productions. She has devoted more than 40 years to the theatre industry and has designed costumes for notable productions including; Hadrian VII, Miss Julie, Mother Courage and her Children, Present Laughter, Relatively Speaking, Show Boat, The Diary of Anne Frank, Exit the King and Fiddler on the Roof, to name a few. Her most recent theatrical credits include; Blood Brothers, Sunset Boulevard, Cabaret and Rocky Horror. During the last several years, Penny has focused her attention on portrait painting. Several of her paintings can be seen displayed in the foyer of Theatre on The Bay. Currently. Penny has returned to her theatrical roots by designing the costumes featured in Mel Brooks’ The Producers, which is currently running at Theatre on The Bay followed by a run at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino in Johannesburg.

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February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Advice, Art, Artist, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Costume Designer, Designer, Interview, Joburg, Johannesburg, Musical, Now Playing, Painter, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Theatre on The Bay, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: CAPAB, Cape Town, Costume Designer, Costumes, Designer, Interview, Montecasino, Musical, Painter, Penny Simpson, Photography, Pieter Toerien, Portrait painter, Rocky Horror, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, The Producers, Theater, Theatre, Theatre on The Bay Leave a comment

A Conversation with Rushney Ferguson

Rushney Ferguson is a triple threat performer from Cape Town having completed her advanced I.S.T.D training in Modern, Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Musical Theatre, including Associate qualifications, at the Waterfront Theatre School. Her theatre career started with David Kramer’s District Six: Kanala, Amper Famous and Langarm for which she received a Fleur du Cap nomination. Rushney also Dance Captained and starred in the revival of King Kong: Legend of a Boxer at The Fugard Theatre. Choreographically, she works regularly behind the scenes with many local artists like Emo Adams: Brother Love 2, Emo Celebrates 30 Years in Music and the live finale of Maak My Famous. She recently appeared as Juanita in David Kramer’s new musical Danger in the Dark which returns to the Baxter Theatre in March 2020. She is currently starring as Abigail in Aunty Merle: It’s a Girl!, the highly anticipated sequel based on Marc Lottering’s beloved character, Aunty Merle. Continue reading →

December 18, 2019January 22, 2020 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Baxter, Cape Town, Comedy, Conversation, Dancer, Fleur du Cap, Interview, Musical, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Abigail, Actor, Actress, Advice, Aunty Merle, Aunty Merle: It's a Girl!, Cape Town, Conversation, Danger in the Dark, David Kramer, Fleur du Cap, Marc Lottering, music, Musical, Rushney Ferguson, Singer, The Baxter, Theater, Waterfront Theater College, Women Leave a comment

A Conversation with Nicola Hanekom

Nicola Hanekom has been a freelance actress, director and writer for the past twenty years. Her theatre work as writer/director includes a series of site-specific productions; Betésda, Lot, Babbel and Land van Skedels. As a writer and performer, Nicola created Trippie, and her self-penned one-woman show Hol/Running on Empty. These together with her latest play In glas have garnered twelve Kanna awards, eleven Fiësta awards, two ATKV writing awards and one Aartvark award. Nicola was also awarded the Eugène Marais Prize for her collection of plays Die pad byster. She has written and directed two short films, Trippie and Unspoken. Her short, Trippie won two Silwerskermfees awards. Cut-Out Girls is her first feature film and arrives in local cinemas on November 22nd.

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November 19, 2019November 19, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Author, Cape Town, Conversation, Director, Film, Filmmaker, Interview, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Playwright, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, SWIFT, Television, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, Womxn, writerTags: ACT, Actors, Actress, Advice, Babbel, Betésda, Cape Town, Conversation, Cut-Out Girls, Die pad byster, Director, Dwaalster, Film, Filmmaker, In glas, Land van Skedels, Lot, Movie, Nicola Hanekom, Performance, Photography, Television, Trippie, TV, Unspoken, Women, writer 1 Comment

A Conversation with Fiona Ramsay

Fiona Ramsay is one of South Africa’s leading actresses, working locally and overseas. A doyenne of the South African performing arts industry, over the course of 40 years her award-winning professional career has successfully spanned across film, television and theatre. She is also a lecturer at Wits University and is the founder of Speakeasy Vocal Academy where she specialises as a dialogue and dialect coach and runs vocal empowerment workshops. She is currently starring as Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie at the Artscape Arena. Continue reading →

November 8, 2019November 8, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Art, Artist, Arts, Artscape, Cape Town, Conversation, Director, Film, Interview, Joburg, Johannesburg, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Television, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Abrahamse and Meyer Productions, Acting, Actor, Actress, Advice, Arcadia, Artscape Arena, Candice van Litsenborgh, Canned Rice Productions, Cape Town, Conversation, Decadence, Dialect Coach, Doyenne, Film, Fiona Ramsay, Fred Abrahamse, Night Mother, Opinion, Photography, South Africa, Speakeasy Vocal Academy, Sweet Bird of Youth, Television, Tennessee Williams, The Fugard, The Glass Menagerie, Theater, Theatre, Troupe Theatre Company, TV 6 Comments

A Conversation with Alexis Petersen

Alexis Petersen is a UCT Performance Diploma Graduate who majored in Western Classical Voice. She has performed on various stages both nationally and internationally. Alexis has performed in several musical theatre productions including Calling Us Home, The Little Mermaid and David Kramer’s Langarm. Her opera credits include FOUR:30, Le nozze di Figaro and La traviata. With a strong passion for dance, she has also competed as a ballroom dancer, dancing under the Federation of Dance Sport South Africa. She also features as a vocalist in a unique contemporary trio called Inside Voice. Alexis is currently starring at the Baxter Theatre as Pamela in Danger in the Dark, David Kramer’s re-imagining of the Kramer/Petersen ’90s hit, Poison. Continue reading →

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Art, Arts, Baxter, Cape Town, Conversation, Dance, Dancer, Interview, music, Musical, Now Playing, Opera, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Advice, Alexis Peterson, Baxter Theatre, Calling Us Home, Conversation, Danger in the Dark, David Kramer, Interview, Langarm, music, Musical, Pamela, Photography, Poison, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, Theater, Theatre, UCT, Vocalist, Western Classical Voice, Women Leave a comment

A Conversation with Liezl de Kock

Liezl de Kock is an actor, director, theatre-maker and lecturer. She performed the lead role of Janet in the Ovation Award-winning and double Fleur du Cap Theatre Award winner Pictures of You, which was the highest-grossing theatre production on the fringe at the 2009 National Arts Festival. Liezl was also nominated for a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for her role in Rob Murray’s Womb Tide. She performed with Andrew Buckland in Crazy in Love, which received an Ovation Award and the Amsterdam Fringe Fest award for Best International Production. Her performance in Crazy in Love received a Naledi Theatre Award nomination. Her final Master’s production, Piet se Optelgoed won a Silver Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival and was nominated for Best International Production at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival. Earlier this year, she was nominated for a Naledi Theatre Award for her role as Sussie in Reza de Wet’s African Gothic directed by Alby Michaels. She is currently reprising her role in Athol Fugard’s Statements After an Arrest Under The Immorality Act at The Fugard Theatre following its debut run earlier this year at the 2019 Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees.

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October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Director, Interview, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Actor, Actress, Advice, Athol Fugard, Cape Town, Clown, Clowning, Conspiracy of Clowns, Conversation, Director, Greg Karvellas, Liezl De Kock, Photography, South Africa, Statements After An Arrest Under The Immorality Act, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, Theatre-maker, Women 1 Comment

Guest Post: The Chronicles of an Independent Theatre-Maker

In 2018 during our interview with theatre-maker Dara Beth, we spoke about the return engagement of her play, Nasty Womxn. Now, 18 months later, Nasty Womxn is back for its third return engagement, this time featuring a new cast, a reworked script and coinciding with Dara’s latest theatrical offering, The Chronicles of Athena, Babes. Tasked with staging two independently produced works which almost run concurrently, we ask Dara to share her thoughts around this creative process. Continue reading →

August 14, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Advice, Artist, Arts, Baxter, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Designer, Director, Essay, Guest Post, Now Playing, Producer, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, The Alexander Bar, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, Womxn, writerTags: Alexander Bar, Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, Dara Beth, Director, Essay, Guest Post, Masambe Theatre, Nasty Womxn, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, The Chronicles of Athena Babes, The Furies, Theater, Theatre, Theatre-maker, UCT, Women, writer Leave a comment

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