All star performance “HAYANI” is back to dazzle!

DFL Company Laboratory and Goethe Institut for the über(W)unden – art in troubled times conference and various interventions, are proud to announce the staging of the acclaimed play, ‘Hayani’ at the Market Theatre Laboratory from 30 August to 10 September

The performance

Exploring a true tale of a South African home! Hayani (home in ) –it’s an accomplished play that reflects on the meaning of “home” in . The play delves into the stories of two unique South Africans to reveal a complex, honest and poignant journey towards understanding themselves as South Africans and what it means to be a South African. Atandwa Kani-originally from New Brighton in Port Elizabeth and Nat Ramabulana- from Thoyandou in Limpopo weave personal narratives against the tumultuous transitional years in . The performers are consummate entertainers and gender surfers as they play each other’s parents, siblings and each other; thus turn the performance space into an interactive playground of very personal memory. Together with live music on stage, the audience will be weaved into a magical display of intimate and beautiful story telling.

Dynamic new acting duo Atandwa Kani and Nat Ramabulana created media buzz when they premiered in ‘Hayani’ and ‘ ID pending’ at the National Arts Festival in 2009 to standing ovations.

The director and the actors

Atandwa Kani is a South African actor who made his television debut in the CW & Paramount program Life Is Wild. Kani is the son of John Kani, a renowned South African actor. Kani graduated in 2008 with an honours degree in theatrical performance at the University of Witwatersrand & was awarded the Leon Gluckman Award for Best Research Project. He made his international stage debut in The Tempest (2009), a collaboration between the Baxter Theatre Center and the RSC, where he played Ariel alongside his father (Caliban) and Sir Antony Sher (Prospero).  Atandwa has made his television debut in 2009 in the hit series 'Wild at Heart'.

Nat Ramabulana graduated in 2008 with a degree in Dramatic Art and received the Richard Haines Award. His most recent work in film includes ‘Blood Diamond’ (2008), ‘Jerusalema’ (2008) and ‘Bang Bang Club’ (2009). His theatre work includes ‘The Girl in the Yellow Dress’ directed by Malcolm Purkey (2010) and ‘Master Harold and the Boys’ directed by James Ngcobo (2010) for which he won a Naledi Award. He is currently a member of DFL Company Laboratory and playing a lead role in the South African television series, ‘Wild at Heart’.

Matthew MacFarlane is a composer and musician. He obtained his Bachelor of Music degree at Wits University. He works freelance as a studio and live musician and has appeared in bands on television shows including Afro Cafe, Rivals in Romance and The Tonight Show with Trevor Noah. Matthew also teaches guitar at St Peters Prep School for Boys.

Matthew has worked with Warren Nebe on four productions as composer and performer.  This includes I.D. Pending, also featuring the talents of Attandwa and Nat. This play, along with Hayani were performed at the National arts Festival in 2009.    

Collaborator and director of ‘Hayani’, Warren Nebe is the Director of Drama for Life, Africa. He is a theatre director, senior lecturer, a HPCSA and NADT registered Drama Therapist and a fulbright alumni. His research focuses on identity construction, representation and memory in through an auto-ethnographic theatre-making approach. This research is articulated in his Transformation Project supported by the Wits Transformation Office and Carnegie Corporation. His directing credits include ‘Sophiatown’, Marc Lottering, ‘Crocodile Tears’, ‘Born in the RSA’, ‘Closer’ and ‘Woza Zimbo!’

‘Hayani’ opens on the Market theatre Lab on 30 August-10 September 2011, at 20h00. Tickets for performances can be purchased at computicket.co.za

‘Hayani’ is part of über(W)unden – art in troubled times, a conference and various interventions throughout Johannesburg by the Goethe-Institut from 7 – 11 September

The DFL Company Laboratory and the Goethe-Institut’s presentation of ‘Hayani’ is supported by the Wits Transformation Office, the Carnegie Foundation, the University of the Witwatersrand's SPARC Fund and the Apartheid Archives Project. The DFL Company Laboratory is an innovative practice-based research project aimed at developing young South African talent.

Production Management, Stage Management and Lighting Design provided by Jade Bowers Design and Management.

For more Information, please contact:
Joe Teffo
DFL Company Laboratory Administrator
Cell: 072 690 9907
DFL Office: 011 717 4726
E-mail: teffojnr@webmail.co.za