The details
This year the 27th Klein Karoo Nasional Arts Festival (KKNK) takes place in Oudtshoorn. Festivalgoers at this family festival can look forward to more than 30 debut works, as well as an array of the best productions seen at other festival and theatres the past year. The festival dates coincide with the school holidays and includes Easter weekend.
The festival showcases debut theatre productions including Mirre en aalwyn, presented on a farm outside Oudtshoorn, Reza de Wet’s drama comedy Mirakel, Droomkraan Kronieke, Bul, a dark comedy directed by Nicole Hol and Flemish playwright Tom Lanoye’s (also writer of the multi award-winning Koningin Lear) Die fel omstrede kroon, Edward II en Gaveston among others.
Stand-up comedians Rob van Vuuren, Alfred Adriaan, Alan Committie and Moses Williams are on stage.
On the music front David Kramer brings a brand-new musical to Oudtshoorn in Ver in die wêreld Kittie. It tells the story behind the major success of the singing duo of Josef Marais and Rosa de Miranda abroad in the 1950s, with songs from South Africa, through the eyes of Kittie Jaftha and Koos Heuningbek. In Woordmusiek by Coenie de Villiers, he brings three theatre legends together: Antoinette Kellermann, Vinette Ebrahim and Jana Cilliers join him on stage with Mauritz Lotz for a musical and spoken word experience.
Other debuts on the music programme include Amber/Ombré with Amanda Strydom, Coenraad Rall and Susan Mouton; Anders/Eenders with Sima Mashazi, Schalk Joubert, Louis Mhlanga, Riaan van Rensburg and Ramon Alexander; Daarom skryf ek with Anna Davel, Jaconell Mouton and Lou-Ann Stone; ’n Blom in elke vrou with Petronel Baard, the South Cape Children’s Choir and the Mossel Bay String Ensemble; and Boeremusiek, Rocco-styl with Rocco de Villiers, Lizelle le Roux and Hansie Roodt jr.
Open-air music concerts are back, and this programme kicks off with a two-day music festival AMOK! with some of the country’s popular bands and artists – to be announced soon.
Other concerts include Spoegwolf en vriende; Die grootste Karoo-paartie ooit! and a concert with Nataniël on Easter Sunday, Passio | Pasión | Passion | Passione. Tickets to the open-air evening concerts include access to the Festival Market for the day.
The first ever KKNK Feeswinkel opens its doors, offering handmade gifts and souvenirs. Deli products and drinks can be tasted and bought in Liplekker and the youngsters can enjoy the adrenalin of the rides and slides. Absa’s Kuierkamer moves into the Festival Market area, where various activities and discussions with, amongst others, Hannes van Wyk, are presented.
This year’s Visual Arts programme, curated by Dineke van der Walt under the theme Hide & Seek: Reimagined Histories, offers an array for art enthusiasts to look forward to. Exhibitions by various Oudtshoorn residents are included and a highlight on the programme is Fragments from Into the Light, where the work of Phumulani Ntuli, Lebohang Kganye and Roger Ballen, who were part of the Venice Biennale last year, are exhibited in South Africa for the very first time.
Group exhibitions include an interesting exhibition from Absa, as well as a group exhibition by the UJ Gallery. All the exhibitions can be visited in the Prince Vintcent building free of charge.
Figure of 8 Dance Collective, honoured with the KKNK Prize for a Young Voice in 2020, can be seen in two dance theatre productions: Embody You and Karatara, crowned with the Kanna Prize for Best Debut last year. Various children’s productions offer entertainment for youngsters. The 2022 Kanna Award-winning team of Liewe Heksie, Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck and Deon van Zyl, are back with Liewe Heksie vang vis. Various Klein Karoo Experiences are presented, offering festivalgoers an opportunity to experience and taste the Klein Karoo in unique ways.
A festive area and restaurant are presented in the Netwerk24-feeskafee, where various discourse ranges are presented, amongst them Die Burger Praat Saam discourse sessions, as well as a bookstore where the latest publications are on sale. The Lucky Pakkie theatre offering moves into the street and just like the lucky packets that you grew up with, the contents are kept secret – various theatre surprises are here.
A KKNK Youth Arts Festival is presented for the first time in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Education and is focused on high school learners and teachers. This festival within the festival focuses on creating a passion for and interest in the arts amongst high school learners through a programme of theatre, music, dance, visual arts, discourse and more.