As part of the Artscape Heritage Festival, Cape Town’s Jungle Theatre Company is presenting Vallende Maan, an interactive play for young people, directed by Jaqueline Dommisse, which grew from themes in a traditional Khoisan myth about the moon falling out of the sky, thanks to the generous support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
Falling Moon Dancing.jpg Caption: Stacey Francke and Unathi Speelman in Falling Moon, photo Lorraine Tanner
Vallende Maan explores this seemingly impossible natural disaster and three characters from very different cultural backgrounds are drawn together into conflict and chaos by this earth-shattering event. The characters try to exploit the moon for individual profit but they come to realise that they need to work together to restore the balance of nature. The play invites the audience, quite literally, on stage, to take part in forging unity in diversity. Performed mainly in Afrikaans, Vallende Maan weaves English and Xhosa into an original story based in the Klein Karoo.
The moon was particularly significant in the cultural and spiritual practice of the Khoisan. The phases of the moon would guide when rainmaking rituals would be performed. In fact in Dorothea Bleek’s A Bushman Dictionary she records 38 Khoisan words for the moon. The world over, the moon is central to religious observations; agricultural practices and many many folktales, fables and children’s stories, a universal and elusive symbol attributed to female power.
Vincent Meyburgh and Unathi Speelman in Falling Moon, photo: Lorraine Tanner
Vincent Meyburgh, Artistic Director of Jungle Theatre Company and actor in Vallende Maan, said: “When I am far from home and look up at the moon I think to myself ‘Well that’s the same moon that my loved ones are looking at’. Who doesn’t feel the power of the moon? ”
Vallende Maan, directed by Jaqueline Dommisse, stars Stacey Francke, Unathi Speelman, Candice Waries and Vincent Meyburgh.
Performances are at 10h30 in the Artscape Arena, from Wednesday 25 to Saturday 28 September. Tickets are R50 and can be purchased through Computicket.
Heritage month is an opportunity to explore the icons; symbols and roots not only of one’s own culture, but to marvel at universal heritage and to celebrate the shared themes and stories that can unite us.
Jungle Theatre
Jungle Theatre Company’s vision is society that is environmentally, socially and culturally conscious and active. They use theatre and physical drama workshops as a medium for conveying key environmental and social issues to a diverse family audience.
Based in Cape Town, Jungle Theatre Company works closely with other organisations to promote community participation in cultural and environmental events and programmes. They develop and facilitate workshops to provide learners, educators, volunteers and groups the skills needed to create their own theatre that deals with issues relevant to their own lives. The majority of Jungle Theatre Company’s work is with school age learners in historically disadvantaged communities. They also train actors from community theatre backgrounds in the style of Jungle Theatre Company as part of a skills development and job creation programme.