Tammy O'Reilly
21 June 2005
Hundreds of youngsters in Soweto and Doornfontein will get their first glimpse of the performing arts when an international travelling theatre company stops off in Johannesburg as part of its world tour.
The Het Waterhuis youth theatre, based in the Netherlands, has been travelling the world building awareness of social issues with its spirited performances. This tour is no different.
Using actors from local theatre groups, Roel Twijnstra of Het Waterhuis directed and choreographed Vuka Vuka! - isiZulu for "Wake up!".
The show captures the lives of the homeless children who live in South Africa's major cities of Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Vuka Vuka! is a fusion of their stories, telling of the harsh realities of street life, their means of survival and their dreams.
Adding a dash of reality to the production, 10 children from the Topsy Foundation in Bryanston, an orphanage and sanctuary for children who are affected by or infected with HIV/Aids, will also appear.
The Het Waterhuis Theatre previously toured South Africa in 2003, when it performed a musical called Freebirds, focused on HIV/Aids, to capacity crowds.
"Het Waterhuis is a youth theatre, but plays and musicals are sometimes performed to adult audiences to make us aware that what we do as parents affects our children," says Wayne Nhlangothi, the play's publicist.
"This play in particular is intended to reach a wider audience as it deals with an issue that is sometimes brought upon by parents."
The travelling theatre brings its own props, shelter and seating for 800 people. The City of Johannesburg is sponsoring the electricity needed for the production.
Vuka Vuka! will be performed at Oppenheimer Park in Soweto from Wednesday 22 June to Sunday 26 June at 5.30pm; and at IH Harris School in Doornfontein from Saturday 9 July to Saturday 16 July at 5.30pm. Admission to all performances is free.
Source: City of Johannesburg
