Love Letters by A R Gurney is a beautiful play which is nostalgic, funny, and moving.

The play was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and has been performed on Broadway and on the West End and in other cities with an array of brilliant actors playing Andy and Melissa.

The timing of this production could not be better as we kick off the month of Love.

The company comprises seasoned actors David Muller and Suzi Gehr with direction by Celia Musikanth.

Sit back and let the beautiful words of Love Letters wash over you.

 

 

CELEBRATING THE BARD AGAIN

We are so excited to be back at Westlake Primary working with a group of Grade 6 and 7 learners again.  Some familiar faces from last year who enjoyed their first experience of a “real  theatre” when we took Romeo and Juliet to the Baxter.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Our third production for the Shakespeare Schools Festival with our Westlake drama group is something quite different.  We are presenting Jacques’ speech – the Seven Ages of Man – from As You Like It and like our past productions are making it accessible, colourful, relatable,  and local.

WHAT WE LEARN IN DRAMA CLASS WE TAKE TO THE STAGE

We include various snippets of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets to depict the ages and use clever set pieces and simple props to describe those ages.  We sing, we dance, we narrate, we mime, we act, we love and we enjoy.   As WE like it.

We perform at the Star Theatre – Homecoming Centre, District Six, Cape Town city centre at the end of May.  Watch this space for updates.

Certificate Party

Westlake Primary is a forward-thinking, energetic and committed school in the heart of the Westlake community.   We are so blessed to have worked with the school and the Labia Foundation since 2019,  with a Covid-19 break in 2020.

We celebrated the achievement of our 2022 drama kids with the awarding of their certificates on Wednesday 9th November and as in past years, the afternoon was an exciting and fond reunion.

The group  delighted in quoting their favourite lines from Romeo and Juliet, our production for  SSF 2022.  Those who are returning next year in Grade 7 are looking forward to being part of our group again.  We are just as excited and we will also be taking some new learners on the journey with us.

Photos Taken by A Gorman Photography Say it All

Mia Rogers of the Labia Foundation with Tracey Petersen, Principal of Westlake Primary hand over the Certificate to Lukhanyo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Fun in Town!

A group of energetic and very “young at heart” seniors joined us for a 60-minute session of short, lively and varied activities.   Everyone had a chance to find their creativity by expressing themselves  through words, mime, and body language.   Together, we teased our imaginations, played with voice and character and discovered just how energizing and self-affirming a series of simple acting games can be.

This is a wonderful activity for those who love words, theatre, self-expression, and a bit of something different…….oh, and lots of laughter.

Enjoyable Moments

 

WE DID IT!

Bigger, bolder, brighter is the way to describe the production of Romeo and Juliet  that our Westlake Primary School drama kids presented at the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

With generous sponsorship from the Fondazione Labia (third year), we were able to take 15 learners through an intense programme of auditions, casting, acting games and  exercises.  Teaching story telling techniques, voice production and dance we brought a contemporary, re-worked tale of the star-crossed lovers.

The cherry on the top was the performance on August 10th at the Baxter Theatre.  We went from a large school hall onto a  real stage.  There was a lot of  excitement in the dressing rooms,  joyful wonder at the effect of added  lighting and sound, and the joy of  performing for an audience.

Bring on 2023

All images of the show A Gorman Photography    For more images visit our Facebook Page.

 

Diego Cornelius joined our Drama Kids Extramural Programme in 2019.  With the support of the Fondazione Labia,  Circle Productions has run a part time programme at the Westlake Primary School with Grade 6 and 7 learners.

In 2021, six of our kids auditioned for the Waterfront Theatre School’s Junior Programme (Recreational).  All six were accepted and they were generously sponsored by the Fondazione Labia and the Waterfront Theatre School.   They finish in 2022.   Diego’s is just one of many wonderful  journeys that were kickstarted in 2019.

Big Thanks to Fondazione Labia,  Westlake Primary, Shakespeare Schools Festival and the Waterfront Theatre School.

DIEGO’S JOURNEY IN PICTURES

• Diego at Casa Labia 2019
• Diego – Comedy through Mime – 2019 Westlake Primary Showcase
• Westlake Drama Kids with Coleen and Celia 2019
• Shakespeare Schools Festival 2021 – Julius Caesar
• The Waterfront Theatre School Auditions 2021 – Diego has shot up!
• Waterfront Theatre School in class 2022 – Diego in red blazer

Photo Credit:  A Gorman Photography

 

 

 

HSFA (Helderberg Society for the Aged) celebrated Drama for the month  of March.    We ran a series of  fun-filled workshops for their seniors – seven in total at different facilities run by them.

What a  great time we had together!  Groups of enthusiastic and talented seniors, from frail care to  independent living, took part. With our flexible programme,  everyone had a chance to shine.   We were blown away by their willingness to play. 

Our actors exchanged rude and sometime  bawdy Shakespearean insults,  read poetry, explored character through games, and played parts in hats. They kicked their inhibitions out the door and let their natural actors enter!

 

What a time we had together on the 16th of Feb at the Douglas Murray home for Seniors in Retreat, Cape Town.  We introduced a group of enthusiastic participants to some fun acting games and warm ups and then performed a poem to the rest of the residents using voice, mime and sound effects.   Our actors who started  out shy and uncertain, ended up confident and shining!

Our programme proved that any age can experience the joy of acting and performance and that letting our inner children come out to play is a liberating activity for body, mind and soul.

 

The programme is tailormade for Seniors who are living independently in a seniors home  or in  a frail care facility.