THE Fugard Theatre’s new digital platform The Fugard At Home launched on June 1, presenting a unique opportunity to access a range of theatrical content on The Fugard Theatre’s website.
Following the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the subsequent lockdown, and the current uncertainty about when theatres will be able to safely operate again, The Fugard Theatre has launched The Fugard At Home in response to having to cancel its 2020 season. The Fugard At Home will be accessible from the theatre’s website.
Theatre lovers will be able to stream some of The Fugard Theatre’s acclaimed past productions, visit the Information Hub to find out what is streaming both locally and globally, and even take a 360-degree tour of the theatre foyer (pictured above). Visitors can also learn more about Athol Fugard and his extensive body of work, as well as read up on the history of the building in which The Fugard is located.
“We are hugely excited to launch The Fugard At Home platform, after weeks of hard work by theatre team. We encourage our audiences to explore and engage with the new platform, which has so much on offer. We will be announcing exciting additions to the platform in the weeks to come. The Fugard will return to presenting work on our glorious stage, but in the meantime, we can all play it safe and go digital,” says Greg Karvellas, artistic director of The Fugard Theatre.
“All the content will be offered free and as a public service to keep theatre and the arts alive in the homes and minds of our audiences during the pandemic,” adds Lamees Albertus, general manager and producer of The Fugard Theatre.
A highlight on the platform will be the opening of the Fugard Theatre’s production archive, where visitors can stream recorded live titles of a curated selection of The Fugard’s past productions. Available now are Athol Fugard’s The Road to Mecca (pictured above and below) starring South African legends Sandra Prinsloo and Marius Weyers and the award-winning Emily Child, which ran at the Fugard in 2018. The production received three Fleur du Cap Theatre Award nominations for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Set Design for the late Saul Radomsky.
In addition, the compelling production of Fugard’s “Master Harold”…And The Boys, which was staged in celebration of the Fugard’s 10th birthday, will also be available to stream due to popular demand. Starring Desmond Dube, Kai Luke Brummer, and Siya Mayola, rave reviews described the production as: “a fine tribute to one of South Africa’s finest playwrights” (Sunday Times); “riveting and powerful… a must-see” (Cape Argus) and “one for the history books…Heartbreaking – and yet satisfyingly poignant” (Broadway World).
The Fugard At Home will also feature The Performer Series, which will go in to production soon. This will provide a sterilised environment for multi-medium, single performer, performance pieces, including theatre, dance, music and more, to take place on the Fugard’s main stage, filmed and edited and then broadcast on the The Fugard At Home platform. Once launched, an episode will be released per week.
The Fugard At Home will be an ever-evolving virtual platform and arts portal, including Fugard Theatre merchandise which will be released for sale on the platform soon. For access to offers and exclusive events on The Fugard At Home, sign up as a Friend of The Fugard here.
Athol Fugard is an internationally acclaimed playwright, director, and actor, who has written almost 40 plays over half a century, that have united diverse audiences, spoken out against the injustices of apartheid and underlined the common humanity we share. In 2011 he received the ultimate recognition from the world’s most prestigious theatre community – a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre.
The Fugard Theatre NPC is a not for profit company which works towards the advancement, promotion and preservation of arts and culture in South Africa, in honour of Athol Fugard. Should you wish to donate towards The Fugard Theatre’s work, you can do so by clicking here.
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