A legend is legendary, the title is aptly befittingly bestowed on them for their distinctively excellent work that has been promulgated and has unrelentingly permeated their relevant field. At times their exertions cross over and overlap to remote territories. Their pioneering work is accosted by an unexploited footprint that they have long ear-marked as a trail of uncontaminated authenticity in its purest form. Within that, exploits, take into consideration the years and time frame they spend sieving between the concept of time and its structures.
Whilst being enablers of perfection as opposed to letting time perfect a concept in the end without happenstance they create inevitable change. A change that will live in tandem with time and not flinch at even the slightest twist of fate.
This account unfolded at the South African State Theatre. Through its conduits, it has introduced the first theatre production streaming platform to the world and first of its kind in the continent: SAST TV. This is a brainchild courtesy of Aubrey Sekgabi.
On 30 November 2024, the outlook of theatre production and viewership changed and was propelled into the morph of time. Under the cloudless skies and into an evening filled with sky high stars, irrefutable legends and doyennes converged at the State Theatre Precinct to celebrate a marvel that has refuted dictums: SAST TV goes on a live platform.
This idea stems from altruistic hard work, self-determination and a hanging question of legacy. When o waka Mavovo uDr Sibongiseni Mkhize as a visionary lent his eyes to a blueprint of the idea that has been pitched in multiple forums, seminars, conferences and executive boards intermittently for over thirty years. This saw the unparalleled trailblazing value of Sekgabi’s dream brought to fruition.
The idea of steadfast values coupled with virtues and patience finally yielded outcome. Masiye Mmola was enlisted to become the web developer and the webmaster. It took throngs of meticulous selection of the best content to be screened. Suffice to say the app is a reservoir of talent that will thrust, introduce and re-introduce thespians to an unlimited audience.
In exclusivity, the platform will showcase award winning plays and deliver all theatre genres aired and premiered at the State Theatre. A forecast of streaming productions from sister theatres and other regions is plausible.
To narrate the compelling content and what could be expected, the convergent was taken through a timeline of productions that has shaped the relevance of theatrical times. Award winning snippets of classical, contemporary dance, drama, comedy and satirical material was the staple of the evening. The productions are a notable dialogues from a plethora of epochs, it is also material that has caused roaring shakes at a particular time.
King Kong was first presented to the world on 2 February 1959, even in a modern cast, today, the classical musical by Harry Bloom is as relevant as rain. When the stringent laws forbade and restricted gatherings at a time, the roaring voices did not sink into silence or go muted. Even within the communities of people living with limited abilities, voices grew louder. Let the Blind Sing imprinted an indelible mark that cast aside and away, that the blind cannot lead.
As per usual, theatre production never ceases to stir emotion when they become a reflective mirror of our society while posing resonating questions, when the curtain has long fallen and standing ovations are diminished.
The ugly headed scourge of female based violence posed a poignant question, when a fringe asked us how long will we remain reactive when and while our mothers, sisters, aunts and daughters are brutally killed in the name of love? In truth, without cliché, known and unknown, one dead is far too many deaths suffered at the hands of a lustful lover.
The showcasing of Askari brought back and riled up traumatic experiences, depicting how the atrocious laws of segregation sold out perpetrators as innocent human beings, in the name of dynasty, while dubbing innocent victims as perpetrators, while martyring souls for their convictions and truths. This debacle is still entrenched even today in the arteries of systematic exclusion.
As it went, Marikana flared up the feature citing that we will never forget the senseless killing of our brothers, fathers and uncles that were gruesomely gunned down sans mercy for standing up against a meagre salary and demanded an increase to best staunch the wound of the growing and exorbitant cost of being alive. The question is why did they have to pay with their lives?
Here, the revisiting of the statement once made by a shop owners highlighting shocking increase of panga (machete) sales during the strike had never been at such an alarming rate. In observation one could construe that the raising of the panga was a symbolic plea to the authorities to slice the mineworkers a reasonable stake or steak or hew a better path into the road of economic inclusion. A snippet of the panga panga song was recited and revellers joined in unison.
Shaka Zulu’s story and history can be told from a surplus of perspectives. Here Meshack Mavuso’s directorship steered Bongani Linda’s Shaka Zulu. A Gaping Wound into an award winning production, the adaptation showcased and how and why it is an award winning feature. Along the lines of classical theatre Candiose ‘’Can’’ Themba’s Sophiatown created no room for inertia.
As tributes ran through, South African theatre tributes cannot be completed without acknowledging signatures etched by the fathers of theatre in the form of Gibson Kente, Ken Gambu, Todd Matshikiza, Henry Cele and Jonas Gwangwa. In different intervals compositions and fringes gave sterling salutations to the titans for spurring theatrical and communal acting.
“Angola” produced a tear shedder while Lion King, Ipi Intombi, Amandla and Sarafina saw octave high voices belted out, sparing us nothing short of par excellence harmonies and solos. Khongolose Khommanding Khommissars’ satire proved that even in the face of revolt we are a country that has a laughter fibre in abundance.
As the night sprawled, the unmistakably all-star cast of Silent Voice proved in motion and revealed how one wrong move can botch an entire heist. At the close of the sky curtain, applauses thundered, and the party geared in for the final wait. On the dot at midnight, the streaming of SAST TV went Live. To celebrate the beginning of greatness, Deejay Tobias prepared and got us dancing into and until dawn, initially, until the City Council surged its power and crunched it all away at 4H30, we bade our farewells.
What seems flagrant of why and how long SAST TV took to take off, cannot be attributed to time or chance. The jewel that can be taken out of this happening is belief. We can infer that for every great idea there will forever be one believer that will ascertain that sets it into motion and instigates it until it materialises that that person is the founder. In many instances naysayers will constantly punch holes and shake you down saying it is impractical. It is only when a like-minded people or person looks into the vision that they will be able to grasp it to the back of beyond and believe in it.
To the believer we say stand firm and know that talent is universal and opportunity is not. In congratulatory order we salute maestro Aubrey Sekgabi for affirming that it is possible. We are looking forward to the Jubilee in the meanwhile. I am looking forward to the 50 % discount for subscribing and also looking forward
