Cultural Outing – Faustus in Africa
Our Senior Art & Design students, siblings and parents were excited to attend the show Faustus in Africa at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town recently. We were particularly keen on seeing Kentridge’s work, having viewed his earlier works, More Sweetly Play the Dance (2017), a multi-channel video installation, at the inaugural exhibition, All things being equal … (2017-19), with his major exhibition, Why Should I Hesitate: Putting Drawings to Work (2019) at the Zeitz MOCAA Museum in Cape Town and the Handspring Puppets Company’s impressive show, War Horse, at the Artscape (2014/5).
Faustus in Africa is a groundbreaking theatrical production that reimagines the classic Doctor Faustus legend in the context of colonial Africa. Directed by Mark Dornford-May and produced by Dimpho Di Kopane in collaboration with the Handspring Puppet Company, the play combines Goethe’s Faust with the history of European imperialism and exploitation in Africa.
The production is visually striking, with artwork and animations by renowned South African artist William Kentridge. His bold, monochromatic drawings and projected animations create an evocative and layered backdrop that reflects the themes of greed, power, and moral compromise. Kentridge’s work explores the tensions between colonial history and contemporary identity, lending the play a distinctly African perspective.Handspring Puppet Company, known for their intricate and expressive puppetry, brings to life characters and allegorical figures, blending human performers with large-scale puppets to create a dynamic and immersive theatrical experience. Their work underscores the tensions between humanity and inhumanity, a central theme of the narrative.
Faustus in Africa critiques the legacy of colonialism through its layered storytelling, innovative visuals, and poignant exploration of moral questions.
One of our parents, Dr Uljana Hess comments “Thank you so very much for this wonderful experience. It was a visual feast and provided fuel for thoughts I have not had the opportunity to consider for a while now.”
“I really enjoyed the charcoal backdrops. I liked how it was erased and drawn over to make a moving image. These drawings were done by William Kentridge, a South African artist I have been researching for my AS coursework. His work both evoked and conveyed strong emotions like grief and sadness, as well as joy and gladness. The charcoal created dramatic shadows which perfectly matched the atmosphere for the storyline of Faustus in Africa.” – Arella America
“I enjoyed the sketches projected onto the back board during the performance, the movement and how the erasing still left bits of charcoal behind and visible. The puppets also look interesting. The puppeteers were able to make the movement look extremely convincing and realistic, though the puppeteers were visible it didn’t take away from the experience of immersion too much.” – Antony Chen
Lynda Leibbrandt, Art Teacher
