The Absa Fugard Festival

"If you manage to get through all the culture on offer at this year's festival, you will not want for other things to keep you busy in this tiny Karoo town"

With a long list of awards, honours and honorary degrees behind him, Athol Fugard is a South African playwright, novelist, actor and director worth knowing about. Home-grown talent is not hard to come by, but Mr Fugard is right at the top of the international list, which is why an entire festival is held in honour of his much-loved plays.

The Absa Fugard Festival is an annual event that allows Fugard lovers to indulge in as many plays and other productions as they can manage in one weekend. Held in the secluded town of Nieu Bethesda in the Eastern Cape, the Absa Fugard Festival is the biggest of its kind in the world. This remote and almost forgotten town nestles in the fertile valley below the Compassberg and is home to one of Fugard’s powerful female characters, Helen Martin, known as The Owl Lady from The Road to Mecca.

“If you manage to get through all the culture on offer at this year’s festival, you will not want for other things to keep you busy in this tiny Karoo town. ”

Now in its third year, the 2011 Absa Fugard Festival is bigger and better than ever, with so much on offer. With Absa as its major sponsor being committed to communities and the arts, Fugard is given recognition for his contribution to the struggle against apartheid and the arts in South Africa today. Artists from all over the country will flood this tiny Karoo town to pay tribute to Fugard through renditions of his plays.

Among the professional drama societies and drama schools showcasing their talent, a number of rural schools surrounding Nieu Bethesda will also be involved in the music and drama of the festival. Fugard based most of his plays on politics, particularly the injustices caused by apartheid and, as such, has always managed to cause a stir with his work. He has, however, never taken his eye off the humanity of every situation and his characters rarely fit a stereotype. Yet it is impossible to not relate to one or other of those characters on some level. It is this human insight that made Fugard the internationally acclaimed playwright he is today.

One of the more famous theatre productions on show this year is Boesman and Lena, the story of a coloured couple who are uprooted from their home as their shanty town is razed to the ground. The events take place over one evening, and a powerful story unfolds as they search for a new home.

The Captain’s Tiger is another tale of human interaction which follows Fugard in his adventures on board a merchant’s vessel sailing the Pacific Ocean. The characters who influence him on his journey are, once again, not an obvious choice of mentors. He is also visited by dreamlike visions of his mother who becomes his muse, making this one of Fugard’s most poetic plays.

While Fugard is half Afrikaans, he wrote all his plays in his mother tongue, English. A number of his plays have, however, been translated into Afrikaans and will be performed as such at the festival.

More than just plays, the Absa Fugard Festival also offers fantastic music performances by the likes of Nianell, whose dazzling voice was also heard during the Soccer World Cup closing ceremony, as well as alongside Andrea Bocelli at the Celebrate Africa event at the FIFA World Cup. Andre Swiegers and Mathys Roets will also be singing to their fans during this arts-packed weekend.

Not to be outdone by the performing artists, a number of static art exhibitions can also be visited at the Absa Fugard Festival this year, including Nesskop by Sieg de Beer, the Berg Group Art Show, the Ware on Earth gallery exhibition and Karoo Cameos by Joanne Reen.

If you manage to get through all the culture on offer at this year’s festival, you will not want for other things to keep you busy in this tiny Karoo town. There are restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries to relax in or wander around and, if you fancy a bit of action, all manner of outdoor activities to keep you busy.

The Absa Fugard Festival runs from 23 to 26 September.

Don’t forget to book your accommodation early as the influx of people during the festival overruns the number of beds available. And remember, Nieu Bethesda has no petrol and no bank or credit card facilities, so make sure your tank and your wallet are full before you leave home.

Written By - Jane Hendry
Photos - Abs