2024 sees the 14th edition of the annual Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa (SSFSA). This year’s programme will open in Cape Town next month, running at the Star Theatre at the District Six Homecoming Centre from 8 to 27 May.
Audiences can expect “bite-sized” productions of Shakespeare as talented participants in and around Cape Town stage their abridged versions of the plays in innovative and inspiring ways. From Othello to Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and more, imaginations run wild and the sky is the limit!
This is the longest SSFSA season to date, showcasing 42 schools and drama groups. Together, under the 2024 theme ‘Liberating Our Histories’, they will embark on a journey of cultural reclamation in honour of the rich tapestry of Africa’s heritage. The 2024 festival is not just about Shakespeare but about the stories, experiences and voices of Africa; as always, participants are encouraged to explore Shakespeare’s plays while reimagining them in a vibrant, modern context and putting their unique stamp on each production.
Inclusion, diversity and accessibility has always been at the heart of the festival. One of the ways this is demonstrated is through the translation of Shakespeare’s works into various African languages - including isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Xitsonga, Sesotho and Tshivenda.
“Shakespeare’s stories are our stories,” says SSFSA founder Kseniya Filinova. “This year’s theme opens up so many ways to share Shakespeare’s works and reach even more new audiences.”
Various performance methods are encouraged alongside the spoken word, including dance, physical theatre, song and more, so that the stage becomes a canvas for self-expression where everyone has a voice.
Since its inception in 2009 the SSFSA has grown into Africa’s largest youth drama event that focuses solely on Shakespeare’s plays. Over the years the Festival has worked with almost 14000 learners from over 700 schools, supporting over 900 teachers in their capacity as drama and performing arts directors.
The SSFSA is thus a novel way for young thespians to discover their dramatic potential non-competitively and in a fun, developmental way. In the lead-up to the event the Festival also offers training programs for teachers, learner directors and casts in preparation for their performances onstage.
Tickets for the Cape Town season cost R140 per person or R99 per person for group bookings of ten or more, all through Webtickets.
After the conclusion of the Cape Town leg, the Festival will return in September: in Johannesburg from the 3rd to the 8th, in George from the 12th to the 15th September and in Durban from 23 to 28 September 2024. For further details, email info@ssfsa.co.za.