Opinion – Sarafina Magazine

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

Guest Post: Swan Song Takes Flight

During our conversation with storyteller Buhle Ngaba in 2017, she spoke about winning the Brett Goldin Bursary and creating her show, Swan Song during her time at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Now, almost three years later and after a successful developmental and award-winning run at the Klein Karoo National Festival in 2017, Swan Song has its eyes firmly focused on Vrystaat Kunstefees. Prior to its run, Buhle has launched Going For A Song, an art auction with a difference, making a difference to make art accessible. At the auction which will take place at the Book Lounge on July 1st, bidders will raise funds to get Swan Song on stage in front of a wider audience. On the night, it’ll be chosen at random and announced to guests which items will be up for auction – sold, to the highest bidder! – and which will be raffled. This split is symbolic of what Buhle hopes to do with Swan Song, and her wider body of work: to democratise art in a way that allows accessible participation and an easy buy-in to art that maintains its value. Those purchasing ‘tickets’ will do so at a fixed cost and post them into the “bidding box” beside each artwork to stand a chance to make it their own. In celebration of the upcoming auction, Buhle writes about the evolution of Swan Song. Continue reading →

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Art, Artist, Arts, Cape Town, Culture, Essay, Now Playing, Organisation, Performer, Playwright, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Shakespeare, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, Womxn, writerTags: Actress, All womxn creative team, Amy Rusch, Auction, Author, Brett Goldin Bursary, Buhle Ngaba, Cape Town, Conversation, Creative, Creator, Essay, Fundraiser, Guest Post, Ilana Cilliers, KKNK, Klein Karoo National Festival, Neo Baepi, Opinion, Royal Shakespeare Company, RSC, Shakespeare, Sitaara Stodel, South Africa, Storyteller, Swan Song, Theater, Theatre, Vrystaat Festival, writer Leave a comment

A Conversation with Faniswa Yisa

Faniswa Yisa is an actress, theatre-maker and director who has performed in 19 countries and whose work has spanned almost two decades. She is currently starring in the TV drama series Ingoma and was recently awarded a 2018 Best Actress Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for her performance in Nadia Davids’ critically acclaimed play, What Remains. We sat down to chat about her career, her Fleur du Cap win and staying true to herself. Continue reading →

May 30, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Artist, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Interview, Performer, Photography, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Television, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Actor, Actress, Advice, Cape Town, Chris de Beer, Conversation, Faniswa Yisa, Fleur du Cap, Ingoma, Opinion, Photography, Television, Theater, Theatre, Theatre-maker, TV, UCT, What Remains, Women 20 Comments

A Conversation with Veronica Paeper

Prolific choreographer and ballet dancer, Veronica Paeper has created more than 40 ballets, among them sixteen full-length works. During her performing career Veronica rose to become a principal dancer with three South African companies; CAPAB Ballet, PACT Ballet and PACOFS Ballet. Her latest production, Carmen, is a restaging of her award-winning choreography and makes its way to Joburg Ballet for a limited engagement. Continue reading →

March 14, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Artist, Arts, Ballet, Choreographer, Conversation, Culture, Dance, Dancer, Interview, Joburg, Joburg Ballet, Johannesburg, Now Playing, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Woman, WomenTags: Ballet, Carmen, Chanel Katz, Choreographer, Choreography, Conversation, Dance, Dancer, David Poole, Frank Staff, Joburg Ballet, Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg, Opinion, Photography, Veronica Paeper 3 Comments

A Conversation with Melanie Burke

Melanie Burke is the chairman of the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards. Originally based in the corporate world, Melanie was appointed to her position six years ago. She serves on the board of many NGO’s but it’s the Fleur du Cap’s that have broken her “three-year volunteering rule.” A fierce and formidable presence in the theatre industry, we sat down with Melanie at the Baxter Theatre, the upcoming venue of the 53rd annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, to discuss her journey as chairman of South Africa’s most coveted theatre award. For a list of the nominees, please click here.
Continue reading →

March 7, 2018January 23, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Arts, Artscape, Baxter, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Fleur du Cap, Interview, Organisation, Photography, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Theatre Awards, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Awards, Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, Chairlady, Chairman, Chris de Beer, Conversation, Distell, FDC Theatre Awards, Fleur du Cap, Melanie Burke, Opera, Opinion, Photography, Theater, Theatre, Theatre Awards, Women 2 Comments

A Conversation with Lesedi Job

Lesedi Job is an actress and director. Lesedi made her directorial debut in 2017 with Mike van Graan’s When Swallows Cry at the Market Theatre and went on to win the Sophie Mgcina Emerging Voice Award. The production, which has transferred to Cape Town, is currently running at the Baxter Theatre. An accomplished performer in her own right, Lesedi received a Naledi Theatre Award nomination for her role in Lara Foot’s Fishers of Hope. Continue reading →

February 14, 2018February 14, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Arts, Baxter, Candice van Litsenborgh, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Director, Interview, Johannesburg, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Actor, Actress, Advice, Baxter Theatre, Candice van Litsenborgh, Cape Town, Conversation, Director, Fishers of Hope, Johannesburg, Lesedi Job, Mike van Graan, Opinion, Performer, Photography, Sophie Mgcina Emerging Voice Award, South Africa, The Market Theatre, Theater, Theatre, When Swallows Cry, Women 1 Comment

A Conversation with Chantal Stanfield

Chantal Stanfield is an actress and singer who has featured in a number of South Africa’s leading television and stage productions. In the last year, she has charmed South African audiences by featuring on local Television soap operas Sewende Laan and Getroud met Rugby. After completing a run in Rock of Ages at the Lyric Theatre, her one-woman self-written show From Koe’siestes to Kneidlach makes its Cape Town debut at the Baxter Theatre following a successful Joburg engagement. We sat down at the Baxter to chat about her career, being labeled a “Soap Star” and finding the courage to create her own work.
Continue reading →

December 20, 2017January 2, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Baxter, Cape Town, Comedian, Conversation, Culture, Interview, Johannesburg, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Playwright, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Television, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, writerTags: 7de laan, Actor, Actress, Advice, Chantal Stanfield, Chris de Beer, Comedy, Conversation, Daphne Kuhn, Geraldine die Tweede, Getroud met rugby, Koesiestes to Kneidlach, Ladies Choice, Megan Furniss, One woman show, Opinion, Performance, Performer, Photography, RJ Benjamin, Rock of Ages, Soapie, Television, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Theatre on the Square, TV, Women, writer 2 Comments

A Conversation with Leanetse Seekoe

Leanetse Seekoe is a performer and theatre-maker. Upon graduating from UCT’s Drama department in 2014, Leanetse was nominated for a Fleur du Cap award in the Most Promising Student category. Recently, Leanetse wrote 4 cups 1 tbsp while she pursued her Masters of Arts in English and Comparative Literature. In 2017, she performed her debut one woman play, 4 cups 1 tbsp at The Market Theatre Laboratory and The Plat4orm in Johannesburg, and Theatre Arts Admin Collective in Cape Town. Continue reading →

November 22, 2017November 22, 2017 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Artist, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Dance, Dancer, Interview, Photography, Playwright, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, WomenTags: 4 Cups 1 Tbsp, Actor, Actress, Advice, Cape Town, Conversation, Creator, Dance, Dancer, Lea Seekoe, Leanetse Seekoe, Opinion, Performance, Performer, Photography, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Women, Wynne Bredenkamp Leave a comment

A Conversation with Mari Borstlap

Marí Borstlap is a theatre director, writer and designer. Following a successful run at the Vrystaat Arts Festival earlier this year, her most recent directorial endeavour, Winterboom, begins performances at Aardklop on October 3rd. We sat down to chat about the show and her perception on the current climate for female theatremakers.

To read this conversation in Afrikaans please click here. Continue reading →

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Art, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Designer, Director, Interview, Photography, Playwright, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, writerTags: aardklop, Advice, Afrikaans, Chris de Beer, Conversation, Designer, Director, Kristalvlakte, Mari Borstlap, Opinion, Performance, Photography, Playwright, Production, South Africa, Stellenbosch, Theater, Theatre, Winterboom, Women, writer 1 Comment

Guest Post: Being a woman in the world of Viljoen

Actress and author, Emily Child is currently starring in The Eulogists at The Fugard Theatre, a play that reunites her once more with playwright Louis Viljoen. In 2015 Emily took home a Fleur du Cap award for her performance in Viljoen’s The Pervert Laura. Each Viljoen production that Emily tackles feels like a true collaboration between playwright/director and performer. While many can voice their opinions on Louis Viljoen’s writing, there is no one who understands it better than Emily Child. Continue reading →

June 6, 2017September 12, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Art, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Essay, Now Playing, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Woman, Women, writerTags: Actor, Actress, Cape Town, Conversation, Emily Child, Essay, Guest Post, Louis Viljoen, Op Ed, Opinion, Playwright, The Emissary, The Eulogists, The Fugard, The Kingmakers, The Pervert Laura, Theater, Theatre, Women Leave a comment

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