The 2024 Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees blossoms and blooms this spring with more than 400 unique productions presented in nearly 60 venues in and around Stellenbosch.
The festival takes place this year from 28 September to 6 October in Stellenbosch.
The 2024 programme offers festival goers the opportunity to express and embrace their own spontaneity through this year’s festival theme – Play.
“Play unlocks new possibilities, it discovers worlds, and it puts you in an unrestricted place where you can be only in the moment,” says Saartjie Botha, director of the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees.
“To be able to play you have to press the pause button – play needs your full attention. Play requires total dedication, imagination, and usually partners. Play is a dance with reality, in a world that is, but also a world that is becoming. Where different rules apply, where the impossible becomes achievable and even effortless.”
The programme has 12 sections: the EasyEquities Writers’ Festival, Dance, Discourse, Film Festival, Children’s Festival, Classical Music, Comedy, Lifestyle, Theatre, Toyota Music Festival, Visual Art and the WOW Festival.
The complete programme is now available at wordfees.co.za where a PDF of the festival guide in both Afrikaans and English can be downloaded. The free printed festival guide will be available from mid-July at the Woordfees Offices at Erfurt House (37 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch) and at various libraries, bookshops, tourist offices and guesthouses across the Western Cape.
Tickets are now on sale at quicket.co.za.
PROGRAMME
EasyEquities WRITERS’ FESTIVAL
The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees began 24 years ago as a book festival and the EasyEquities Writers’ Festival is still the heart of our programme with 63 items: From book talks and readings by our country’s leading artists to word games and open mic sessions.
There are talks about politics as reflected in recently published books and the election headlines:
Journalist Pieter du Toit and lawyer and businessman Oyama Mabandla discuss the rediscovery of the values that produced, under impossible circumstances, a constant flow of South African pioneers, and the long-term impact of cadre deployment. Waldimar Pelser talks to authors about their books The Super Cadres: ANC Misrule in the Time of Deployment and Soul of a Nation: A quest for the Rebirth of South Africa’s Values.
Poems are made to be heard. In Asem deur die oor, three poets present listeners with their best words – a gift for the ear. Danie Marais reads from Ek en jy bestaan nie, Lynthia Julius breathes life into the picturesque Northern Cape Afrikaans of Kinderlê, and columnist André le Roux reveals his poetic side with a reading from Liefde en verset. Bibi Slippers is the host.
Poets often write about love, and this time they wax lyrical about the (often more reliable and long-lasting) love between friends. Twelve poets, including Loftus Marais, Jolyn Phillips and Jaco Barnard-Naudé, each bring with them two verses about friendship. Is friendship one soul in two bodies? Or is it simply the one soul that will be there when your wheels come off? Bring your best friend and come and discover fresh insights into the love between friends.
The discourse programme includes 54 conversations, covering everything from agriculture, politics, student life, finances, music and business influenece.
Netwerk24 politics editor, Gert van der Westhuizen and TV and radio presenter Lynette Francis-Puren discuss current affairs on the Netwerk24 Discussion Series. With the MK and the PA doing well beyond expectations in the election, the question of whether ethnic politics and mobilisation is returning is raised.
And In Netwerk24: The interview with Mia Spies, this multimedia journalist and TV presenter talks to prominent figures and opinion makers.
THEATER
This year there are 36 productions, of which 13 debut at the festival.
The new productions include award-winning director Christiaan Olwagen’s adaptation of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s drama Hedda Gabler. It is considered a masterpiece in realism and modern theatre, and the title character a female version of Hamlet. Hedda (Rolanda Marais) and her successful yet simple husband, Jurg, have just returned from their honeymoon. She’s already bored with marriage, so when her former flame Lovborg arrives, she sets her life alight. Why? Because she can. In this modern interpretation, Hedda shows a fat middle finger to being nice. She is horrible and proud of it. Join in.
Theater doyen Marthinus Basson debuts the comedy Kruispad of die legende van die goue vis, a translation of the Estonian author Jaan Tätte’s magical fairy tale about the limits of love, betrayal and the power of money. A young couple stranded beside a main road decide to seek shelter from the biting cold in a remote cabin in the forest. Oswald (Eben Genis), a loner, offers only the girl (Carla Smith) shelter for the night as he firmly believes that she is destined for him. The two men clash over who will win or keep the woman’s heart.
The multi award-winning one-woman show Isidlamlilo / The Fire Eater with Mpume Mthombeni tells the story of grandmother Zenzile Maseko who talks to God about the incredible events in her life. But she is no ordinary grandmother: she was recruited by the IVP and was one of the most feared assassins in the run-up to the 1994 elections. Her nickname was The Lightning Bird. This tour de force received, among other things, four Naledi awards for best theater production, best director, best solo performance and best lighting. Mpume Mthombeni co-wrote the piece with Neil Coppen, who is also the director.
What a beginning for David Elridge’s drama ’n Begin which debuts at the festival with Cintaine Schutte and Carel Nel under the direction of Tinarie van Wyk Loots. It’s the early morning hours in the aftermath of her (Cintaine Schutte) new apartment’s house-warming. He (Carel Nel) is the last remaining guest. The flat is a mess and so are they… This astute and poignant piece is a tender examination of mutual loneliness, connection, humanity and intimacy in modern relationships.
In her internationally acclaimed adaptation of the tragedy Othello, director Lara Foot focuses on Othello’s inner life. This authentic South African production is performed in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa with, among others, Atandwa Kani (Othello), Albert Pretorius (Lago) and Carla Smith (Desdemona). Foot moves this decolonized interpretation to the time of German colonialism, the Herero rebellion in the then German South-West Africa and modern-day Namibia. It emphasizes the role of theater as a political instrument in challenging colonial violence and as a possible space where decolonial love can ignite.
In Speelgoed van glas Nico Scheepers is director, translator and designer in this new production of Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece The Glass Menagerie. Untangle the fine web of love and loss, spun by a matriarch (Anna-Mart van der Merwe) to keep her family together at all costs – and the family who all want to escape. Speelgoed van glas is a compelling, touching story about falling apart, and a riveting exploration of fragility, longing and the fallibility of family.
Suurdeeg is set in the conservative environment of Namaqualand, where two almost sisters-in-law are trying to figure out their purpose in life. Anna (René Cloete), who has been married to Old Brother Gert for ten years, falls in love with her brother-in-law’s girlfriend, Emma (Jodine Ockers), who is on the farm, Besondersmeid, without Little John for the first time. Suurdeeg is a romantic drama in which the characters face loneliness and a desire for love and meaningful relationships. Miché van Wyk is the writer and Sandra Temmingh the director.
Monsters is the transcript of the interrogation of two ten-year-old boys after a two-year-old British boy James Bulger disappeared in 1993. Tinarie van Wyk Loots has experimentally translated Swedish playwright Niklas Rådström’s play. She is also the director. The roles, played by Michele Burgers, Elton Landrew, Ntlanhla Kutu and René Cloete, are performed in turn in a read-aloud style and the players exchange the texts at the beginning of each scene. Monsters received the KKNK’s Kanna award for best ensemble.
Two tickets for the price of one with Double Trouble: Bettie innie selle & Chronicles vannie Lavis!
How did it happen? Antie Bettie (Dean John Smith) was arrested. How did she survive those 21 minutes in a holding cell with hardened criminals? Bettie tells how the poor criminals got the sharp end of her tongue and how she made it through. Gantane Kusch is the director and Dean John Smith the writer.
Experience a queen on a mission. Make no mistake: she is no fairy. And she certainly isn’t fair. She is from Die Lavis and proudly so. Take a trip down memory lane and get a front row seat to Mavis’s (Veronique Jephtas) juiciest stories. Promiscuity, brutal honesty, sarcasm and good old-fashioned gossip. If you are from Die Lavis, you are safe. Anywhere else, clutch your pearls and while you’re at it, soema hold your horses! See you there! This is an adaptation by Veronique Jephtas based on the writings of Mavis vannie Lavis. The director is Rafiek Mammon.
The drama Gas follows Dawid (Elton Landrew) who returns to Alexander Bay after 15 years with an important assignment. He must ensure that the community of his hometown gives approval for a government project that will affect the whole of South Africa. However, Dawid’s sister, Maria (Jill Levenberg), who has been estranged from him for years, is determined to put a stop to this project, which will profoundly disrupt the fishing community’s life. Geralt Cloete is the writer with direction by Dean Balie.
Frank Opperman also returns to his Fiësta Award-winning role in Reünie, and over in Marion Monroe, the remarkable Marion Holm questions the value of a name.
DANCE
Three selected productions make up the dance programme, which offers an opportunity to see dance pioneer Gregory Maqoma’s final performances in Exit / Exist. He also celebrates his 50th birthday with this sensitive piece that explores the legacy of Chief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma (1798-1873), one of his ancestors. Chief Maqoma is considered one of the most important Xhosa leaders in history and was arrested after reclaiming the Xhosas’ land from the British colonizers. He breathed his last on Robben Island. James Ngcobo is the director, and the ensemble includes Tobela Mpela, Sizwe Nhlapo, Xolisile Bongwana and Lubabalo Velebayi.
The Luitingh Alexander Musical Theater Academy promises to enchant audiences with their latest dance production, Hollywood. Viewers will be drawn into the glamorous and complex world of Hollywood by some of the country’s leading choreographers.
The Figure of 8 Dance Collective’s award-winning production Set in motion explores the internal and external forces which pulls us in opposite directions, and often hinders us to live life fully, and focusses on the unexpected twists and turns which make us feel trapped. It won the KKNK Herrie Award for groundbreaking work. The dancer and founding member Grant van Ster is the director.
COMEDY
Some of South Africa’s most popular comedians are bringing fresh material to the comedy programme.
Marc Lottering and Alfred Adriaan join forces and bring their best material to the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees. Both of these comic star regularly attract packed theaters – locally and internationally – and fans can expect to be treated to two hours of pure delight.
In Nik Rabinowitz: Pension Killer, you can immerse yourself in our hilarious world as seen through the eyes of this semi-heroic comedian and self-proclaimed goat whisperer.
In AfriSnaaks, Wayne McKay takes you on a whirlwind ride through the unique humor, playful nuances, colloquial language and absurdities of Afrikaans that will make you laugh until you cry, promises actor-director Jeremeo Le Cordeur. Expect razor-sharp comedy fresh from the Cape Flats.
The Children’s Festival offers seven productions that promise great, educational entertainment and fun for the little ones and their parents.
Last year’s Woordtrofee award for best performance in children’s theatre, The King of Broken Things with Cara Roberts, is back. The world does its best to break everything and everyone, but in the end most things are stronger where they were broken. Go on a magical, adventurous exploration of fixing things that have been broken and thrown away – including hearts. With references to Japanese traditions, mythology and the power of dreams, this production is a poignant reminder of magic that is everywhere. Michael Taylor-Broderick is the writer and director.
THE TOYOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Toyota Music Festival has expanded significantly with 57 productions on offer – from stadium-size to small and intimate. You’ll find everything from open-air concerts at the Jan Maris Nature Reserve to a capella, musical theater and comedy, a toast to Afrikaans music, cabaret, and exuberant performances of jazz, rock, hip-hop and pop.
Between the five large open-air concerts, there is an affordable ticket for every contemporary taste: Ricus Nel, Neon Dreams, Matthew Mole, Emo Adams & Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels, and a country-pop festival awaits when BlackByrd and Elandré take to the stage.
Amanda Strydom tells a story of hope, wonderful adventures, self-discovery, and the joy of coming back home in her musical theater piece The Incredible Journey of Tinkerbell van Tonder. It is interwoven with music arranged and accompanied by the pianist Coenraad Rall.
On her album Spoorsny, Frieda van den Heever explores the landscape of life and death – and everything in between. She is accompanied on this journey by some of our country’s leading musicians, the Hoërskool D.F. Malan Choir led by Jade Paige, and the great spirits who inspire her to sing in Afrikaans, tell stories and love: Pierre Greeff, Coenie de Villiers and Laudo Liebenberg, to name a few. Join the adventure.
KFilms and e.tv proudly present Kelders se geheime, where everything happens “with a little wine”. The Soebatsklowers’ many talents are released from the cellar and brought into the spotlight: maybe they will reveal a secret or two, surprise you with their ingenuity or even stand closer for a selfie. It’s your chance to see them live and perhaps even catch a glimpse of Charl senior! Stefan Lombard is the music director with choreography by Rushney Ferguson.
The iconic Koos Kombuis keeps his enemies close. His wayward and outspoken behavior led to many feuds and enemies over the years. However, the hatchets got buried one by one as he grew grayer and wiser (or maybe not). He takes to the stage with some of the music legends with whom he has stood the test of time, such as, Anton Goosen, Valiant Swart, Gert Vlok Nel and members of the Gereformeerde Blues Band and the Warmblankes in Koos Kombuis en vyande. Even his famous “Lisa” will come to play the piano with Koos for the first time. Schalk Joubert is the music director.
Sama award-winning afro-soul jazz musician Mandisi Dyantyis brings fab vibes and spirited sounds to Stellenbosch. This trumpet player and singer has charmed the jazz world with his deeply emotional sounds and lyrics.
Emo and Loukmaan Adams captured the hearts of South Africans the moment they entered the entertainment world. In Two of a Kind, the brothers put on a show with artists who understand their antics. We are reminded why people who know say: “They are after all their father’s children!”
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Symphony, style and grace. On our extensive classical music programme, there are 29 productions to choose from, offering a rich variety in terms of style, approach and content. This includes a centenary celebration of George Gershwin’s most famous work, Rhapsody in Blue by the award-winning Charl du Plessis Trio. This ensemble is known for their arrangements of classical masterpieces and their exquisite technical skills – all on display in a combination of familiar melodies and foot-tapping rhythms. It includes popular Gershwin melodies such as “I loves You, Porgy”, “I Got Rhythm” and “Summertime”, plus two lesser-known piano waltzes that were only discovered after his death.
The talented young pianist Mike Wang will also be performing a solo of Rhapsody in Blue in American Rhythms – a promising musical journey with the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra led by Reghardt Kühn.
Die Schöpfung (The Creation) gives contemporary colour to Haydn’s (1732-1809) oratorio – the product of the composer’s acquaintance with G.F. Handel’s Messiah in London. The text is based on the German translation of the poet John Milton’s poem “Paradise Lost” and narrates the story of creation as recorded in Genesis. The five soloists in this select production are from Germany and South Africa. Martin Berger conducts, with Christian Rathgeber and Felix Rathgeber (soloists), Schola Cantorum (choir) and Stellenbosch Camarata (orchestra).
In Horizons, the award-winning Cape Town Opera Choir presents a gift box of diverse musical styles – from traditional African songs to works from operas by different composers. They have delighted audiences all over the world and regularly play to sold-out performances. In 2013 they walked away with the International Opera Prize for the best opera choir in the world.
In an exciting programme that incorporates 10 pianos and 20 pianists, new meaning is given to the idea of “play”. Piano Extravaganza (Klavier-extravaganza) features big local classical music names and 14 young, up-and-coming pianists. Legendary pianist Nina Schumann is the producer and music director.
In Paranoid Android, an eclectic sextet surprises with a concert of 20th century music. Expect compositions by, among others, Arnold Schoenberg, Guillaume Connesson, Alban Berg, Radiohead and Kathleen Tagg. The sextet members are Magdalene Minnaar (voice), José Dias (piano), Petrus Coetzee (violin and viola), Peter Martens (cello), Gabriele von Dürckheim (flute and piccolo) and Féroll-Jon Davids (clarinet and bass clarinet).
The renowned Wits Trio present their first performances at the Toyota Stellenbosch Word Festival with works by Mozart, Brahms and Arno Babajanian. The members are Zanta Hofmeyr (violin), Susan Mouton (cello) and Malcolm Nay (piano) who have been making music together for 15 years.
The beloved Stellenbosch University Choir performances focus on cultural treasures from around the world. Audiences will enjoy a programme full of new choral compositions and arrangements, with new a cappella versions of, among others, “The Crossing” (Johnny Clegg) and “Blou” (André Swiegers). Two highlights are “Kasar mie la gaji” (The earth is tired) by Alberto Grau and “Balleilakka”, an adaptation of the popular song from the Indian blockbuster The Boss. André van der Merwe is the conductor.
The Cape Baroque Trio explores various instrumental storytelling techniques from the Baroque era. The period’s practices of affect, rhetoric, allegory and symbolism are demonstrated in Narratives with the seasoned baroque instrumentalists performing works by Arcangelo Corelli, Heinrich Biber, Georg Philipp Telemann and Antonio Vivaldi, as well as an innovative new composition for baroque instruments by Antoni Schonken.
Peter Martens leads an ensemble of seven Cape cellists and the young Korean cellist Gunwoo Park, winner of the International Cello Competition in Italy. In 8 Cellos in Concert Frances van Vuuren performs as soloist in Heitor Villa-Lobos’ fifth work from the popular Bachianas Brasileiras. The concert forms part of a series that will be recorded for www.artmusic.tv and broadcast by RSG.
VISUAL ART
The canvas is brightly coloured with 45 presentations: From exhibitions and tours to studio visits with artists like Ingrid Winterbach and Paula van Coller, a Picasso on display case and many more.
The festival artist for 2024 is the painter and clay sculptor Marlene Steyn. Her approach and art echo the festival theme with bright colors, fantasy and inventive shapes which she uses to conjures up dreamlike landscapes. Her work also encourages observers to revel in their own playfulness of which they often were not even aware. For the duration of the festival, she will present a free exhibition of her work which has been included in several collections and recent exhibitions, such as Home Bodies at the SMAC Gallery in Stellenbosch and NON-PLACES in the Powerlong Art Center in Shanghai, China.
The annual art exhibition and auction of the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, in collaboration with Strauss & Co, will be taking place online in the Stellenbosch Town Hall for the duration of the festival. Teresa Lizamore is the curator of the exhibition. The artworks that can be bid on this year include works by established and emerging artists. Bidders can bid on their personal device online in the city hall or from any other location. Strauss & Co also offers tours with, among others, their executive chairman, Frank Kilbourn, special presentations for students to unleash their artistry, and the educational trend is continued with lectures and discussions.
LIFESTYLE
The 2024 festival once again opens with the ever-popular Langtafel (Long Table) under the leafy oaks, between the beautiful old buildings of Ryneveld Street. Chef Johnny Hamman will take care of festive food, all prepared over fire. Tickets to the Langtafel on 29 September cost R1 200, with a discounted price of R1 000 if you reserve your place before 1 August. It includes a three-course meal, and guests will be greeted with a glass of wine or bubbly with the compliments of Alto wine estate, Blaauwklippen, Dorp St Wine and Spier. Reserve your place at this popular table in advance.
There are 30 more offerings on the Lifestyle programme that will rekindle your zest for life: a Picasso in a display case, walking, jogging, garden and art viewing, cooking demonstrations, architecture tours, and a taste of everything delicious to eat and drink that wine country has to offer.
NEW, FREE OR A BARGAIN
The economy is putting pressure on everyone and one of the festival priorities is to ensure that festival goers have access to as many quality affordable experiences as possible.
The Toyota shuttle service and free parking offers a solution to the parking shortage in Stellenbosch. The shuttle service provides transport to all venues and costs only R20 per trip, R50 for a day pass and R150 for a festival pass valid for the duration of the festival. Buses shuttle festival goers from the car parks across from Rhenish Girls’ High on Kochstraat and from the Oude Libertas amphitheater.
The Visual Arts and Discussion programmes are largely free, although some presentations draw a cost.
The Film Festival thrives with 49 feature, short and musical films, mini-series, documentaries and more. And it ranges from free to affordable prices ranging between R60 and R70.
This year there will be a variety of discount packages available with reduced prices for students and pensioners.
The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees is growing organically and for optimal use of space the festival center will look different in 2024 from past years:
Ryneveld and Victoria Street are the main streets of the festival. Adults can explore their inner child in the Woordfees playroom at the SU Museum Quad. Here you can jump rope, play puzzle and word search games, do sums and much more.
Adults can explore their inner child in the Woordfees playroom at the SU Museum Quad. Here you can jump rope, play puzzle and word search games, do sums and much more.
There is also a cozy restaurant with, among other things, coffee and delicious roosterkoek at Die Plataan behind the SU Museum.
For further information, email Candice Jantjies at candice@woordfees.co.za.
