The UFS Department of Drama and Theatre Arts congratulates the various staff, students, and alumni who shone at the 2024 Vrystaat Arts Festival. Not only was the department represented in about 13 theatre productions, but you would be hard-pressed to find a venue where our students and alumni were not present. We are proud of the high number of Vryskitter nominations and awards received, which testify to the quality of work produced for the festival.
Ons wag vir Godot – a new Afrikaans translation by Prof Naòmi Morgan of the Samuel Beckett play Waiting for Godot – walked away with the top honours at this year’s Vrystaat Arts Festival. The production, co-produced by Ahumba and lecturer Walter Strydom, is the first official Afrikaans performance of Beckett’s iconic masterpiece and was accompanied by a limited-edition publication of the translation by Naledi publishers. After sold-out performances, the production went on to receive 9 nominations and won 5 Vryskitter awards: Best Production, Best Director (Dion van Niekerk), Best Ensemble (Chris Vorster, Gerben Kamper, Peter Taljaard, Charl Henning, and Sibabalwe Jokani), Best Supporting Actor (Peter Taljaard), and the printed script was also announced as the top-selling publication at the Literature Festival. The production also received nominations for Best Artistic Design (Van Niekerk), Best Actor (Vorster and Henning), and Best Supporting Actor (Kamper). Strydom, Van Niekerk and Vorster are lecturers with the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts. Henning, who heads the production company Ahumba, is an alum and part-time lecturer, and veteran stage legend Gerben Kamper is a retired lecturer and alum. Taljaard, also an alum of the department, and Jokani, currently completing his first year as a drama student, joined them.
The Cobus Rossouw Prize for Best Upcoming Free State Artist was awarded to 3rd-year drama student Anke Meyer-Auld for her one-person production, Hoor jy die Water? Meyer-Auld produced the production, which was co-created with the director Walter Strydom.
Khanya and her Golden Dream, a popular theatre-for-young-audiences production produced, written and directed by drama alum Sibahle Mabaso, won two awards: Best Community Engagement and Best Marketing. Mabaso, who completed her honours specialising in Theatre Making and Voice and Speech, is currently completing her master’s degree in Gender and African Studies. Mabaso also received a nomination as Best Emerging Artist.
Other alumni recognised for their work during the festival include Marli van der Bijl, whose production die waarheid oor duiwe won the Best Musical Composition award, and Nathan Janse van Rensburg, who won the award for Best Technician. Fika Majozini (3rd year), Juani Smith (alum), and Jolene Swartz (alum) were also nominated in the Best Technician category.