The Little Prince
Theatre performance by Kwasha!

As advertised on the IFAS website

A unique African adaptation of The Little Prince to celebrate his 75th anniversary!

 As a continuation of the partnership which was consolidated in an MOU in 2016, the Market Theatre Foundation and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) are very proud to present an African inspired adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic fable,

 The Little Prince performed by Kwasha!

 the Market Theatre Foundation's brand-new theatre company. This promising Pan African production will premiere at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and then tour South Africa, including Durban, Bloemfontein, Sasolburg and Johannesburg.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's world famous and timeless classic book is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year – and is still as vivid as ever! The book is brought to life in an exciting production created with the additional support of Mazars.

Originally written in French, The Little Prince is the world's most translated book, outside of religious works. It is translated in 300 languages including English, Zulu, Afrikaans and Xhosa.

The Little Prince performed by Kwasha! will be a magical re-telling of the book using an innovative and playful fusion of art forms - storytelling, music and circus - in multiple languages, creating a unique South African inspired production of this French masterpiece, for adults and children alike.

Cast & Crew

Directed by
Clara Vaughan and Mwenya B. Kabwe
Cast
Balindile Ka Ngcobo
Khanysile Ngwabe
Lesego April Chabedi
Mathews Rantsoma
Sinenhlanhla Mgeyi
Set and Costume Design
Wilhelm Disbergen
Lighting Design
Sibusiso David Ndumndum
Stage manager
Ali Monanye Madiga
Choreography
Daniel Buckland
Sound design
João Orecchia
Special thanks to
Ryan Lloyd

South African Tour

Grahamstown
28 - 30 June at 12pm
1 July at 12pm
National Arts Festival, Victoria Theatre

Bloemfontein
6 July and 11 - 12 July
Vrystaat Arts Festival

Sasolburg
23 - 24 October
ERT (Etienne Rousseau Theatre)

Durban
1 - 3 November
DUT, Courtyard Theatre

Johannesburg
8 - 25 November
Market Theatre Laboratory

and more dates to come throughout South Africa!

ABOUT THE LITTLE PRINCE

This book is a philosophical tale about a Little Prince who, through an initiatory journey around the galaxy, discovers adulthood and several concepts such as Love, Friendship, Happiness, Loneliness ...

The story begins when the narrator comes across a mysterious little boy in the middle of the Sahara's desert who tells him about his adventures. The Little Prince left his small asteroid where he lived with a very special Rose, to start an intergalactic travel. He visited many planets where grown-ups incarnate humankind's most common vices before landing on Earth where he learnt his most important lesson from a fox: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye".

ABOUT ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Born on July 29th 1900 in Lyon (France) in an old aristocratic family, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry served in the Air Force as a pilot. His career nourished his writing, and both talents earned him the French Medal of Honor. His novels Southern Mail (1929), Night Flight (1931, Prix Femina) and Wind, Sand and Stars (1939, Prix de l'Académie Française), are worldwide successes, as are his late novels, written in the US during the war: Flight to Arras (1942) and The Little Prince (1943).
Having joined the Free French Forces to combat Nazi Germany, Saint-Exupéry was shot down on mission on July 31, 1944. The Little Prince was first published in April 1943, initially in French and in English.

ABOUT KWASHA!, THE THEATER COMPANY

Facebook Kwasha Theatre Company
Twitter @Kwasha_TC
Instagram @Kwashagram

Kwasha! is the isiZulu interjection which, loosely translated means, 'it's on fire!'
The Kwasha! theatre company is a collaborative project between the Market Theatre Laboratory and The Windybrow Arts Centre. The project aims to support the careers of recent graduates and to provide drama classes for youth at the Windybrow Arts Centre. Five of South Africa's most exciting emergent theatre-makers have been identified as the inaugural members of the company, and now work together to create a programme of exciting new theatre pieces.

BALINDILE KA NGCOBO

Balindile ka Ngcobo is a Pietermartizburg-born actor, voice artist and theatre-maker. She got her first taste of the international stage in a self-devised performance piece at the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Student Concert and hasn't looked back since. Back in Mzansi, Balindile attended the Method Actor's Training Centre before beginning her undergraduate studies at Rhodes University, where she majored in Drama and Linguistics. Ultimately, she went on to complete her studies at AFDA Cape Town. During her time at AFDA, Balindile starred in eighteen short films, numerous seminal theatre works directed by veterans Christopher Weare and Lara Bye, as well as a powerful devised work with celebrated director Thando Doni. Her final-year performances on stage and screen garnered her Best Actress award nominations in both categories. Balindile graduated cum laude in 2017, obtaining a BA in Live Performance. In 2017, Balindile toured Swaziland with Theatre for Africa's renowned physical theatre play Kwa Manzi! She performed in two productions at last year's National Arts Festival, taking home a Standard Bank Ovation award with the triple Fleur-du-Cap nominated Cattle Drive.

KHANYISILE NGWABE

Khanyisile Ngwabe is a singer and actor. She began her artistic journey with a community theatre production under the direction of Dieketseng Mnisi. Between 2015 – 2016 she performed in student productions at the Market Theatre Laboratory under the direction of Jacques da Silva – Inkanyamba, Salome, Sebola – And The Girls in Their Sunday Dresses and Christiaan Bloem's – Ssssh. She has since performed in professional theatre productions: Everyman, directed by Mahlatsi Mogkonyana and Billy Langa, Itsoseng, directed by Lesedi Job, The Letter directed by Monde Mayepo and the Children's Monologues directed by James Ngcobo.

LESEGO APRIL CHABEDI

Lesego April Chabedi is a young actor/ performer who is a graduate of the Market Theatre Laboratory. The plays she has performed in to date include Next Sunday directed by Godfrey Thobejane; Batsamayi directed by Robert Colman; I Ophelia, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, directed by Dorothy Ann Gould; Ketekang directed by James Ngcobo, Fun House directed by Esmeralda Bihl. South Venturing North directed by Jefferson Tshabalala; Goree directed by Billy Langa and Titus Mekgwe. She performed in the show June 16 monologues directed by James Ngcobo. She worked as a stage hand for Sizwe Banzi is Dead directed by Dr John Kani at the Market Theatre and was an assistant stage manager for Rain Dance choreographed by Gregory Maqoma and Luyanda Sidiya.

MATHEWS RANTSOMA

Mathews Rantsoma started acting in the Life Movement Organization theatre group and then later in high school and never stopped since then. In 2015, he enrolled at the Market Theatre Laboratory, where he was part of a handful of school productions like Lampedusa Beach, Hani The Legacy and The Love of the Nightingale which directed by professional directors won awards. He has been involved with directors across the spectrum including upcoming young theatre directors such as Mxolisi Masilela and Lucky Kunene. He has performed in a handful of plays such as Turning Tables which was part of the Market Theatre's Trade Fair festival in 2017 In addition Mathews has other skills like lighting design, stage design, stage management and directing. He would like to spread his wings in other fields like film and television

SINENHLANHLA MGEYI

Sinenhlanhla Mgeyi is a theatre maker, dancer, choreographer and actor who recently graduated from the Market Theatre Laboratory. His love for the stage began when he was still in Zase Laduma Art Centre in Mpumalanga under the supervision of Howard 'Brother' Dladla, a legendary theatre-maker. Sinenhlanhla has since then practised his craft in several theatre and dance productions. He is a very committed and knowledgeable director and choreographer with a passion for physical theatre and ensemble storytelling. He says, "coming to the Market Theatre Laboratory has been an eye opener, exposing me to different ways of engaging with the arts and creating my own work."

PUBLICITY INFORMATION
The French Institute of South Africa (IFAS)
Chloé Thébia
T: 011 403 0458
E: comm.culture@ifas.org.za

The Market Theatre Foundation
Lusanda Zokufa
T: 011 832 1641
E: lusandaz@markettheatre.co.za