World Cultures Festival's monodrama series to provide insight into journeys through turbulent eras in Africa (with photos)

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The World Cultures Festival will this week present two biographical monodramas, "A Woman in Waiting" by celebrated actress Thembi Mtshali-Jones and "Split/Mixed" by Rwandan actor Ery Nzaramba, that provide thought-provoking insight into journeys through turbulent eras in different African countries.

     "A Woman in Waiting" stars Thembi Mtshali-Jones, a household name in South Africa, and tells the story of a housemaid's legendary rise to stardom under apartheid in a riveting one-woman show. In a lively, honest and totally absorbing performance, Mtshali-Jones combines song, dance and narrative as she recounts her own early life story - from waiting to see her mother every Christmas to waiting to see her own daughter, after she, like her mother, becomes a domestic servant for a white family.

     "A Woman in Waiting", winner of a Scotsman Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, is directed by internationally acclaimed Yaël Farber, who uses simple, evocative sets in the poetic and courageous rags-to-riches tale. The work offers a remarkable biographical rendering of humiliation overcome, emotional pain endured, and joy maintained against the odds. Mtshali-Jones boasts a performing arts career in music, theatre and television spanning more than 40 years, which led to a Lifetime Achievement Award in South Africa last year. Even the late South African President Nelson Mandela noted that watching her TV series was his major entertainment while in prison.

     "Split/Mixed" features a Rwandan boy's bittersweet coming-of-age tale. Actor-playwright Ery Nzaramba was 15 years old during the shocking genocide in Rwanda. His survivor identity has become a lifelong companion. Nzaramba, born in Belgium of Hutu and Tutsi descent, finds it difficult to respond to questions as to who he is and where he comes from. Directed by Jude Christian, this autobiographical one-man show was performed to acclaim at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The charismatic Nzaramba journeys back to his Rwandan childhood. With the help of a cassette player, he conjures up family, friends and other people he encountered to deliberate how they escaped during the genocide, taking on a variety of roles in a candid search to comprehend both himself and the country's story as a whole.

     Nzaramba trained as an actor at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles in Belgium and the Birmingham School of Acting in the UK. He has been lauded for his performances in recent world tours of "Battlefield" and "The Suit", both directed by Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne.

     Details of the two shows are as follows:

"A Woman in Waiting" (in English and Zulu with Chinese surtitles)
Dates and time: November 2 and 3 at 8pm
Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre
Tickets: $200 and $280
"Split/Mixed" (in English with Chinese surtitles)
Dates and times: November 4 at 8pm and November 5 at 3pm
Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre
Tickets: $200 and $280

Tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999.

Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the World Cultures Festival 2017 - Vibrant Africa is running from October 20 to November 19. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.worldfestival.gov.hk.

Ends/Monday, October 30, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:45

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The World Cultures Festival will this week present two biographical monodramas, "A Woman in Waiting" and "Split/Mixed". "A Woman in Waiting" by celebrated actress Thembi Mtshali-Jones tells of a housemaid's legendary rise to stardom in South Africa and provides thought-provoking insight into a journey through the turbulent era under apartheid.

The World Cultures Festival will this week present two biographical monodramas, "A Woman in Waiting" and "Split/Mixed". In "A Woman in Waiting", Thembi Mtshali-Jones highlights how different generations of African women have all shared the same destiny: waiting. Filled with laughter and tears, resilience and resolve, the story speaks for millions under apartheid.

The World Cultures Festival will this week present two biographical monodramas, "A Woman in Waiting" and "Split/Mixed". "Split/Mixed" features a Rwandan boy's bittersweet coming-of-age tale, with the charismatic Ery Nzaramba journeying back to his Rwandan childhood. With the help of a cassette player, he conjures up family, friends and other people he encountered to deliberate how they escaped during the genocide, taking on a variety of roles in a candid search to comprehend both himself and the country's story as a whole.

The World Cultures Festival will this week present two biographical monodramas, "A Woman in Waiting" and "Split/Mixed". Actor-playwright Ery Nzaramba was 15 years old during the shocking genocide in Rwanda, and his survivor identity has become a lifelong companion. Nzaramba, born in Belgium of Hutu and Tutsi descent, finds it difficult to respond to questions as to who he is and where he comes from.