Murder on Mondays opens soon in Durban

There's a new play opening soon in Durban.

The Cast of Murder on Mondays - Photo Credit: Thousand Words Photography

They say it is best not to mention Macbeth in the the theatre industry so I won't.

Anyway speaking of Macbeth, Murder on Mondays is a dark comedy focusing on a struggling theatre company and their doomed attempts to put on a production of Macbeth.

The story follows eccentric director, Thandeka Dlamini (better known as Cristina Riley to her staff) and her lazy-but-lovable assistant Sarah Murphy on their journey trying to put one of Shakespeare's greatest plays together.  Look out for mishaps, rumours of a curse, a vengeful ghost and if that is not enough someone is slowly killing off the cast one by one. Join the bumbling Inspector Maharaj as he tries to hunt down the Monday Murderer and and uncover the truth behind the Curse of Macbeth.

Cast includes Nqobile Mahlambi, Shannon Newton, Lindo Cele, Jason Pieterson and more.

Murder on Mondays is written by Mikhale Singh and directed by Preven Reddy.

It runs at Seabrooke's Theatre, 277 St Thomas Road, Musgrave - situated within Durban High School.

Dates: 9th - 18th July

Tickets: in selected stores and online from Webtickets

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bluntprod
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluntproductions

Big Bok support from Tsogo Sun

Tsogo Sun is getting behind the Boks in a big way with their 'Fly The Flag' initiative.

They are behind SA Rugby and their #HomeGroundAdvantage social media campaign for the Rugby World Cup.

For a 2 month period the public are invited to sign a good luck message to the Boks on a ribbon using one of  the Ribbon devices at Tsogo Sun properties around the country. These ribbons will be sewn together to form a 3m x 8m flag that will be displayed on the Montecasino Piazza.  A smaller replica flag will be handed over to the Boks at the send-off ceremony at Montecasino in September.

Tsogo Sun also has a competition where a fan and five friends can win a weekend at the Palazzo Penthouse to watch the final game at Montecasino Boktown.  All you have to do is post the best Springbok supporters selfie.

For more info visit tsogosun.com
Twitter @TsogoSun
Facebook TsogoSun


Article by Fred Felton
Twitter @fredfelton

ACT and eThekwini to host networking seminar

ACT, in partnership with eThekwini Municipality, is set to host a free information sharing and

networking seminar in Durban on 01 July.

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) and eThekwini Municipality’s Parks Recreation & Culture Unit invite individual practitioners and representatives from arts, culture and heritage organisations, based in the Durban region, to attend an information sharing and networking seminar, which will provide valuable knowledge on opportunities offered through the Trust, eThekwini and other creative sector organisations.

Venue: Beer Hall Gallery, Rivertown, from 10:00 - 12:00, the seminar will offer a dynamic programme, which is set to kick off with a presentation by ACT CEO, Pieter Jacobs that will offer an overview of the South African arts funding and sponsorship landscape, share information and tips that could be useful to individuals raising funds for the arts or creative projects as well as look at the opportunities offered through the Trust’s programmes.

“We look forward to empowering arts practitioners and arts, culture and heritage organisations based in eThekwini with knowledge about the various options available to them,” says Pieter Jacobs. “By imparting valuable information to practitioners and organisations, we hope to strengthen, inspire and advance the creative sectors in eThekwini.”

Representatives from eThekwini will present opportunities available through the municipality’s Parks Recreation & Culture Unit. As a city, eThekwini’s most crucial resource is our people, their ideas, talents, lived experiences and heritages. Fundamental to our city’s ability to achieve its vision of enjoying the reputation of being Africa’s most caring and liveable city, is the extent to which the city is able to invest in its people beyond the hardware type infrastructure – buildings, roads or electricity and to invest in creative infrastructure which is made up of predominantly soft infrastructure. We need to invest in our people’s creativity and imagination through the cultural and creative industries which together constitute the creative economy in a Creative City.

The seminar will also feature presentations by Sheryl Msomi from VANSA, Gisele Turner and Pauline Dalais from ASSITEJ South Africa, and Shakila Maharaj from AudioDescribe International.

To reserve your place to attend the seminar, please click on the following link to RSVP before 30 June: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1W-8clvDPkfYYO_jPpMm4jxw6EiVz7pDHvn8j6632AGc/viewform?c=0&w=1

For more info, please contact ACT at info@act.org.za or on 011 712 8403 or

Artsmart at enquiries@artsmart.co.za 

Opportunity for a Young MC

Hunt for talented MC to host awards underway

The search for a dynamic young presenter who will emcee the 7th ACT | DALRO |  Nedbank Scholarships finale is underway.  The countrywide series of auditions will kick off in June. This will be done alongside  the search for the top six young performers who will be eligible to win one of three  scholarships, with a combined value of R315 000, to go towards their tuition fees  for a performing arts qualification at any accredited South African tertiary institution. The seventh edition of Magic in the Making awards – set to take place at the  Market Theatre in Johannesburg’s Newtown Precinct on 12 October 2015 –  will have a showcase by the six finalists to a live audience and an independent  panel of judges. The production’s variety show format will not only allow the participants  to deliver enchanting pieces in dance, singing and acting but also have the  charismatic presenter bring all the acts together into a seamless performance for  the audience and judges to enjoy. MC search auditions will take place on the same dates as the auditions for the  Scholarships themselves. There is no registration fee, and participants can register  online at: https://docs.google.com/a/act.org.za/forms/d/16S_D7cKlNPDWF6e9M2U4qByRunkv2Pxygp4XrGjdjnQ/edit Closing date for the MC registrations is 19 June 2015 and all  registered individuals will be  supplied with audition material and necessary details. Auditions will take place in the following regions: 30 June and 1 July: Durban (KwaZulu-Natal) 3 and 4 July: Cape Town (Western Cape) 6, 7 and 8 July: Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape) 15 July: Pretoria (Gauteng) 16 and 17 July: Johannesburg (Gauteng) 24 July: Kimberley (Northern Cape) 25 July: Bloemfontein (Free State) 28 July: Potchefstroom (North West) 30 July: Witbank (Mpumalanga) 01 August: Polokwane (Limpopo) The deadline for registrations for the Performing Arts Scholarships Programme  have been extended to this Friday, 5 June 2015. Click here for more information on previous winners, finalists, guidelines and registration;  email scholarships@act.org.za or contact the ACT office on 011 712 8403. ACT acknowledges support from the following organisations as regional  partners: University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Port Elizabeth Opera House (PEOH),  The Market Theatre Foundation, Mayibuye Arts Centre, University of the Free State’s Scaena Theatre,  Witbank Civic Theatre, Artéma Instituut vir Kunstebestuur en Ontwikkeling,  Limpopo Youth Orchestra and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

Uber is making it easier to get around South Africa

Now Uber is making it even easier to get around Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Travelling around South Africa’s biggest cities easily and safely has just got more affordable than ever before as Uber celebrates the first anniversary of uberX by cutting prices by 20% in June.

An amazing one million+ trips were completed in South Africa during 2014 using the innovative technology that connects riders with drivers.

“We are humbled by how South Africa has embraced Uber. Our launch of uberX a year ago, in particular, has changed how people now move around our great cities. To thank riders for their loyal support, we are cutting prices across the country for the month of June.” says Uber general manager for Cape Town, Anthony le Roux.

Lower fares will mean more trips for partner-drivers who will be able to earn as much, if not more, than before. More than 2,000 people are already earning, building better lives for themselves and their families, by building entrepreneurial businesses using Uber.

“As Uber has seen in many other cities around the globe, more people want a ride when prices are lowered. This increased demand means drivers spend less time waiting for a passenger and more time earning.” says General Manager for Uber in Johannesburg and Durban, Alon Lits.

As well as extending safe, reliable and convenient transport to a growing number of riders across South Africa, Uber aims to further enable the economic empowerment of its driver-partners.

“Using Uber is already more cost effective than owning your own vehicle. This price cut goes further, getting even more people out of their cars and into Ubers and, in turn, helping the entrepreneurs who partner with us to earn more.” adds Lits.

Uber offers a real alternative to car ownership in South Africa and is encouraging people to #DitchYourKeys with lower prices for uberX trips throughout June. So whether heading to the airport, a meeting or even a lunch with friends, it is time to get connected with a safe driver at a further reduced fare.

To make use of this promotion, users need simply to download the free application for Android, iPhone, Blackberry 7, Windows Phone or register for Uber at www.uber.com/go. It’s important to note that this promotion is for uberX only.

I had a chat to Samantha Allenberg from Uber and she confirmed that from Durban to Umhlanga will now cost you R116 either way.

She also went on to explain that Uber has now migrated their Twitter handles to one national Twitter handle so you can find them at @Uber_RSA from now on.

Nederburg's New Spanish-Style Flagship Blend Released

Nederburg has launched its long-awaited, richly-fruited and plush Ingenuity Spanish blend now that it has had enough time in the bottle to begin expressing its potential, says cellarmaster Razvan Macici.

The 2012 maiden vintage is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, both famous Rioja varieties that have transplanted extremely well to the Cape's growing conditions. 

Nederburg has been experimenting with these and other Mediterranean varietals well-suited to changing climatic conditions for more than a decade.  Both the Tempranillo and Graciano were established at the winery's Simondium farm in 2004.

The new blend forms part of Nederburg's flagship Ingenuity collection, which is the showcase for the winery's most innovative and original wines. Grapes were selected from individual vines that were then further sorted at the cellar that is equipped with a top-of-the- range vibrating hand-sorting table for the exclusive wines in the range.

Macici describes the blend as big and bold with intense aromas and flavours, supported by smooth, silky tannins. "It abounds with aromas and flavours of ripe dark fruits and dried plums, tempered by some savoury notes of leather and tobacco leaf and well-integrated wood spices of vanilla and clove."

He was inspired to create the wine after working with renowned Spanish winemaker Simon Arina Robles, the technical director of top boutique Rioja winery Bodega Baigorri. Robles spent a month working at Nederburg in 2010.

Macici decided on Graciano as a blending companion for its concentration of colour, and for the firm backbone of acidity and weight it would lend to Tempranillo's intensity of fruit.

The fruit was cold-soaked to delay fermentation. The technique allows for optimal extraction of colour, aroma and flavour and gives a fine mouthfeel, good structure and accessible tannins to the resulting wine. "Even after fermentation on the skins in old 500-litre open wooden vats, maceration continued.  We wanted vivid colours, aromas and an explosion of flavour in the mouth but also depth, complexity and staying power, and a very approachable texture."

Unusually, the wine underwent double first-fill barrel maturation. It first spent three months in first-fill American oak, followed by another 14 months in first-fill French oak.

"The wine needs the wood. It provides a well-balanced counter to the fruitiness and enriches it, imparting excellent structure so it manages to be very approachable but serious at the same time."

He says it can be cellared for at least 10 to 15 years with excellent results but is obviously sufficiently aged now, after some time in the bottle, to give great enjoyment.

He recommends serving it with bold-flavoured, robust dishes prepared with a bite of spice, such as paella, game fish, chorizo, grilled venison, beef or pork, smoked meats and also dishes featuring roasted brinjals, peppers and mushrooms.

Locally, it is available from the farm, via www.vinoteque.co.za, and from selected wine specialists in the major centres. It retails for around R280 a bottle. 

Visit www.nederburg.co.za for more on the brand, or send an e-mail to nedwines@distell.co.za. 

Follow Nederburg on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nederburg), Twitter (www.twitter.com/nederburg) and Youtube (www.youtube.com/user/NederburgWine) for the latest news, events and wine and food pairing ideas. 

Join the conversation using: #NederburgDiscover

Related articles

• How to Throw a Wine and Cheese Party

Actors, musicans, dancers wanted for theatre project | Suncoast gets their own Braai Master | Call for Artworks

Actors, musicians, dancers, acrobats wanted for the international theatre and music project "INSTANT ACTS against violence and racism 2015"

Interkunst e.V. (Berlin) is looking for young performing artists for their upcoming theatre and music tour "INSTANT ACTS against violence and racism". The project takes place in Germany, Italy and lasts from the beginning of September until the end of October 2015. We are looking for individuals and duos (age between 17 and 30), who are active in theatre, dance, music, circus (no aerial acts), x-sport,etc. We want to create an international ensemble of 15 talented and creative people who are open for new experiences. The artists will come from different cultural backgrounds and represent various types of performance art: „from hip hop till classic“. Together we strive to make audiences aware of the different faces of violence and racism. Through interactive workshops, workshops-presentation and a high quality performance the project aims to motivate young people to lead active and creative lives.

“INSTANT ACTS” works effectively against prejudices, violence and racism.

Invited artists will be requested to bring pre-prepared short performances for the project (max 10 min), based on their personal experiences and ideas concerning the subject matter (against violence and racism). During the short rehearsal process prior to the tour, we will work together as a group to create original pieces as well. With the help of an artistic director, all the elements will then be brought together to create one professional touring show (75 min). Once on tour the artists will lead theatre, dance. Music (etc.) workshops for local youth. The morning workshops will be followed by an afternoon show. We will present our project in schools, theatres, cultural-centres and youth prisons. Travel, board, lodging and a salary are provided for every artist. We will inform per email about the amount of the salary everyonewho is interested in the participation.

The application should include following information:

1. Personal data: name, date of birth, nationality.

2. Pictures, videos, links.

3. Description of skills and artistic experiences.

4. Description of your capability to lead a workshop with young people.

5. Motivation to take part in this project (short, few sentences).

Please send your application latest until May 31st 2015 by email:instantacts@gmail.com

Please feel free to ask us about further details.

Some impressions from previous tours you will find in internet, writing „Instant Acts“ on youtube, fb, myspace and on our webpage.

The international youth theatre project "INSTANT ACTS against Violence and Racism" gets public support from various municipalities, districts and ministries of the federal states of Germany. The project has already been carried out more then 700 days in Germany and other countries in Europe.

SUNCOAST’S VERY OWN ULTIMATE BRAAI MASTER

VIP host at SUNCOAST, Tsepo Mchunu (23) has qualified for the 4^th season of South Africa’s popular reality show, The Ultimate Braai Master alongside braai buddy Nthando Phungula (23).

Mchunu was a bursary recipient through the SUNCOAST Bursary programme facilitated by Chesterville based public benefit organisation, Vukukhanye. SUNCOAST has supported Vukukhanye as its main CSI beneficiary for the past six years. Tsepo’s journey with Durban’s premier entertainment destination began when he was awarded one of the first bursaries in 2009 through the Vukukhanye initiative. SUNCOAST supported Mchunu throughout his high school and tertiary studies where he graduated with a Marketing Diploma from Rosebank College. Mchunu joined SUNCOAST’s Marketing Department in 2014, as part of the SUNCOAST 2014 Graduate Program, where he gained invaluable experience in the fields of eventing, promotions, customer relations management, public relations and advertising.

Tsepo Mchunu’s introduction to the Ultimate Braai Master competition came by chance and through the encouragement of his mother. A day after entering he was notified via e-mail that he had caught the attention of the producers who requested further information.  After submitting his information Mchunu received a phone call from the crew to do a home audition, Mchunu obliged and the rest is history.

“I gladly said YES and we scheduled a date that suited myself and the team and on the day I saw them downstairs with film crew, lights...THE WORKS.....that is when I knew that things were about to get real...” says Mchunu. If he wins the Ultimate Braai Master competition, Mchunu says he will donate proceeds from the competition to Vukukhanye. “A few days ago I wanted to start a restaurant for myself, but then realised that sometimes being popular is irrelevant without the motivation to help others. In my situation I got this far because of someone who didn’t think of themselves but thought of others,” says Mchunu.

Johannesburg based Nthando Phungula, originally from Pinetown, is a Regional Project Co-ordinator for a marketing company based in Melrose. Like Tsepo, Nthando has a bucket load of dreams to fulfil should they become the Ultimate Braai Masters such as building his parents their dream home, travelling all 7 continents and to make a success of at least one of his passions.

SUNCOAST Marketing Manager, Louise Howell says they look forward to seeing Tsepo and his braai buddy, Nthando Phungula on one of the most exciting culinary reality TV shows in Africa! “We wish him luck on his exciting road trip around Southern Africa and we will be cheering him on all the way!”

Tsepo Mchunu and Nthando Phungula join Eldry Leibrandt and Louis Pillay as the only two teams representing KwaZulu-Natal. Audiences can keep up to date on the progress of Tsepo and Nthando on the SUNCOAST Facebook and Twitter pages.

Call for Artwork Proposals 

The Africa Centre is calling for Curation and Artwork proposals for Infecting The City -Public Arts Festival 2016, which will be held from the 7th – 12th March 2016.  
 
Infecting The City unfolds on the streets and various other public spaces in the Central Business District (CBD) of Cape Town. The Festival provides an unusual opportunity for visual art, music, dance and performance to leave the confines of theatres and galleries to engage with or disrupt Cape Town’s daily movements.  The Festival's programme challenges audiences, shifts perspectives and helps to make sense of the public spaces we occupy.

Infecting The City experienced another successful year in 2015 with 53 artworks, 290 participating artists, and over 38,000 audience members.  This call is both for curators and artists.   We are seeking proposals from established curators/artistic directors to develop programmes within the Festival.   We are also, seeking artworks in two categories: New Works and Restaged Works.  Visual, performing artists and practitioners from other disciplines are invited to submit. The work can be a full ensemble piece, intervention, installation, video, totally interactive or some other form newly imagined. All works should translate to or work within a public environment, and actively engage intentional and incidental audiences alike.  For more details about the call, time frames and process go to the webpage.  The deadline for this submission is the 30th June for curators and 15th July for artworks.   Please watch the Facebook pagefor more announcements.