A new rendition of ‘Fiela se Kind’
Refreshed production of the beloved tale of ‘Fiela se Kind‘ is a must see at Carnival City.
ONE of South Africa’s most memorable stories and a longstanding set workbook for English high school learners, Dalene Matthee’s Fiela se Kind is retold with a fresh twist on stage at Carnival City from February 7 to 18.
The heart-warming story, adapted for the stage by Suzanne van Wijk and directed by Frans Swart, plays out at the Mardi Gras Theatre.
In this refreshed production of Fiela se Kind, Swart pays homage to Matthee, one of South Africa’s most talented authors. Swart has produced the production twice before (in 1997 and 2007) and he and Matthee became great friends before she died.
“It is once again time for us to experience the wonderful story of Fiela se Kind on stage. From the outset, my team and I said that we did not want to copy any of the former productions, and so this production is fresh and new.
“I am very excited about what happened during the creative processes. Theatregoers will definitely experience a wonderful new production, and after 30 years there is, of course, a whole new generation that has never seen Fiela se Kind on stage,” said Swart.
Young Benjamin is played by Eloff Snyman from Cape Town and Nina is played by Jaime du Toit from Vereeniging. These two are extremely talented young actors who Swart says will do justice to the very important roles of the young Nina and Benjamin. Zenobia Kloppers does the honours as Fiela in the run of the production at Carnival City. Then there are two wonderful young actors, Marissa Claasen and Phillru van Achterbergh, who will play the roles of the older Nina and Lukas, respectively.
Fiela se Kind tells the story of the coloured woman, Fiela Komoetie, who raised her white foundling, Benjamin, with love and pride, until the day, nine years later, when the census takers took him away. On the other side of the mountain, in the Forest, lived the woodcutter Elias van Rooyen and his wife Barta who had lost their three-year-old son, Lukas. Could Benjamin and Lukas be the same child?
Years later, Benjamin/Lukas struggles with the question: “Who am I?” He had to find out, otherwise, the woman he loved could never be his. He knew that there was an answer, somewhere within himself, hidden deep within the past.
“Whether you have read the book or watched the play before, this production of Fiela se Kind is a must see,” said Michelle Smith, marketing manager at Carnival City. Bookings can be made by contacting Computicket at 0861 915 8000, or by booking online at www.computicket.com
Performances, especially for schools, will be staged on February 8 and February 15 at 10am. However, schools can also be accommodated on other days.
Courtesy The Mail Room PR.
For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You can also email our offices on cvdwalt@caxton.co.za, juliem@caxton.co.za or luckyt@caxton.co.za
Add us on WhatsApp today! Comaro Chronicle: 079 427 8074 and Southern Courier: 079 404 5789.
