The Witness Hilton Arts Festival brings the best of South African theatre to KwaZulu-Natal. For nearly 20 years now, local audiences have been stimulated and thrilled by productions that, as with all good art, tell us about ourselves and our compatriots. How we’re coping with each other, with changing times, what we can laugh at or about — these are the themes that play themselves out on the stage, enriching us with knowledge, wisdom and sheer enjoyment. Like a snake sloughing off its old skin, we too emerge from the crucible of creativity shorn, even if only momentarily, of our old ways of seeing, and the suspension of our prejudices enables us to try on a new skin, one that better serves the purposes of our communal needs.

Since we are spoilt for choice, one of the difficult tasks facing theatregoers is always how to choose what’s best. To make these decisions a bit easier, the Witness’s theatre critic suggests that there are five productions that cannot be missed, and they are:

• London Road – winner of a National Arts Festival Ovation Award and one of the most popular shows at the festival in the past two years. Directed by Lara Bye, it stars Robyn Scott and Ntombi Makhutshi and tells the story of two women whose lives collide in a Sea Point cottage.
• Abnormal Loads – Written by the National Arts Festival’s Standard Bank Young Artist for Drama, Neil Coppen, this is an epic play which whisks the audience through two centuries of South African history as seen by the inhabitants of a small KZN battlefields town. Part love story, part tragicomedy, this is a wonderful production.
• Crush Hopper – Pietermaritzburg-based Mandisa Haarhof’s delightful one-woman show about a young woman who uses crushes to escape the reality of life. A winner at this year’s Musho Festival of One and Two-Hander Theatre and a recipient of an Ovation Award at this year’s Grahamstown Festival.
• The God of Carnage – KickStArt Theatre Company’s wickedly funny comedy enjoyed a sold out run in Durban earlier this year. If you missed it then, book for the Hilton performances as soon as possible. The show tells the story of two couples who meet to discuss a fight between their children. At first everyone is polite but slowly the social masks slip. Hilarious.
• The Complt Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) – One of the funniest two hours I’ve spent in the theatre in a long time. Three men in tights and armed with swords made of sponge weave their way through all the Bard’s works in a manner which will leave you breathless with laughter.

Over to you, and enjoy!

Yves Vanderhaeghen: Managing Editor: The Witness

Welcome to the annual cultural gourmet banquet of wonderful theatre, art, music and crafts associated with The Witness Hilton Arts Festival, set in the most picturesque setting of Hilton College. This is the 19th year of the Festival and brings together the cream of talented South African performers and artists in a kaleidoscope of offerings that feed the soul.

A special welcome to the many performers, directors, musicians, artistsand technical staff, many of whom have been here before. I hope youhave a wonderful weekend and thank you for contributing to the successof the Festival.

This year we continue to broaden the exceptionally succesful JongosiDay for students on the Friday of the Festival, and we hope they will beinspired by the variety of performances that will be on offer.

Thank you to our many sponsors and those who support the event in some way, and especially to TheWitnessfor the partnership that we continue to enjoy with them in this undertaking.

An enormous thank you to Sue Clarence, our Festival Director, and to Doreen Stanley and Sheryl Hodkinwho work in our theatre department. Thank you for all the hard work and effort you have put in to ensurethe success of this Festival. Hilton College is indebted to you.

Enjoy the Weekend.

Gavin Thomson Headmaster: Hilton College

In the olden days artists had patrons. Michelangelo spent much of his life chipping away at marble and producing some of the world’s most loved sculptures thanks to the patronage of the de Medici family. In the 21st century patronage of the arts has mutated into mutually beneficial business partnerships between arts events and companies.

I wish to welcome Grindrod Bank as a new partner of the festival. The Grindrod Bank Theatre and the MindScape programme profile the important balance between IQ and EQ; the very balance which makes the arts a vital part of the human psyche and the soul of the nation.

Welcome, too, to Sappi with whom the festival hopes to build a long term relationship, finding synergy in all the aspects of the event which happen outside the theatres in the wonderful environment which the festival enjoys.

This year sees the Drama Centre become the Spar Drama Centre and the Long Table Bistro now carries the Tops branding. Although Spar KZN is a long time partner, we thank them for their increased involvement this year. Nedbank Business Banking is also a long standing partner and we salute them for their support of the arts and the community and their generous purchase of tickets. To all our long term partners, I wish to extend gratitude – without you we would not be celebrating the 19th festival, nor planning for the 20th!

I trust that you will all find aspects of the festival to enthral and challenge you: from absorbing the wonders of painting and sculpture and meeting the artists; to watching unusual documentaries and listening to debates and talks; to revelling in all aspects of performance art; or browsing the craft market, eating, chatting to friends and absorbing the atmosphere and the music.

I am particularly proud this year that the festival is hosting two special events. Neil Coppen, a born and bred KZN boy, is the 2011 Standard Bank Young Artist for Drama. He has created Abnormal Loads, a piece of theatre born from the soil and history of this province. It premiered at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and has now come home. See it! I would also like to draw attention to
Roy Horowitz and his actors from Israel with three plays, The Timekeepers, Volunteer Man and My First Sony. Thanks are due to those who made this possible: the Embassy of Israel, the Ambassador - Mr. Dov Segev-Steinberg and the Cultural Attache, Mr.Yaakov Finkelstein; the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mr Victor Gordon, the head of Tararam.

At this the 19th annual festival, we celebrate 10 years of participation and support from Christopher Duigan and Music Revival. The dimension that his involvement has added to the festival is immeasurable.

This festival happens thanks to a wide variety of people: the productions houses, the talented performers, the tireless technical team, headed once more by the genius Michael Broderick, the sponsors, Hilton College, a team of admin, support, marketing and publicity staff and you, the audiences. To all of you, and especially to Doreen Stanley, Gail Cornhill and Sheryl Hodkin, thank you.