Abaphantsi – untold stories

The Port Elizabeth Opera House presents Abaphantsi (Ancestors) co-created by Sonja Smit, Siya Mbambaza and Jen Schneeberger. Abaphantsi revolves around the idea of unspoken narratives and how words are not always enough to tell a difficult story. A solo dancer (Mbambaza) responds to a voice (Schneeberger) that lies beyond the physical world as he begins to construct some sense from the debris of his past, telling a personal story in a highly atmospheric theatrical landscape.

Schneeberger, Mbambaza and Smit were all at one point affiliated with the Rhodes Drama Department and the First Physical Theatre Company in Grahamstown. Their work has been performed on various platforms, such as the National Arts Festival, Spier Contemporary, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees and the Dance Umbrella.

Teaming up in PE in 2018, these three distinctive creatives have collaborated to create a work that speaks to the human need to process and make sense of the past. Particularly, the challenging but important relationship between the living and the deceased: our ancestors.

The inspiration for Abaphantsi was drawn from T.S Eliot’s ‘The Hollow Men’, a poem dealing with spirituality and trauma. A haunting sound score, composed by Kendal Beadon, an accomplished musician from PE, accompanies the work adding texture and depth to the emotionally compelling landscape of the performance.

Those interested in dance, strong visual statements and powerful vocals will resonate with Abaphantsi.

Abaphantsi is on the stage from 24 to 27 October 2018 at The Barn Theatre, PE Opera House – (Times: 24 to 26 October – 19:00 and 27 October – 14:00 and 19:00). Admission: R100.00 Single, R150.00 Double and
R50.00 (Students and Pensioners). Limited seating be sure to be early