Press Release: The Revivalist

The Revivalists is a multi-disciplinary production that takes place in a world under construction. Where you can create your own identity and where people construct their future out of bits and pieces from the past and present. Eight multidisciplinary artists from South Africa, The Netherlands and the UK revisit and rework classical texts and sample from iconic pieces to find common stories and new meanings. “The Revivalists” is directed by Maarten van Hinte and Marjorie Boston from Amsterdam.

In The Revivalists, eight young artists pit their specific contemporary work against the 'classical' theatre repertoire (e.g. Euripides, Ibsen, Shakespeare, Chekhov, Schiller). Their search for the connection between the canon and contemporary theatre, between tradition and the future, forms the substantive basis of the production. The Revivalists is a theatre piece about determining your own identity regardless of other people’s perception or opinions and finding your own heroes. At the same time it is a reflection on what the old classical stage repertoire can signify in a new era, seen from diverse cultural perspectives.

The performance takes place in a space that vaguely resembles a transhipment terminal or a construction site: empty and bare. There are two dilapidated sea containers, were the eight performers introduce themselves to the audience. They don't say who they are, just who they are not. In the end it will become clear that each claims to be a character from the classical theatre repertoire so as to create a (new) personal identity. Each maker relates in his or her own way to that character and to the characters of the other makers. They try to create a coherent mutual relationship. Will they succeed in making something out of this mix, or do they fail, in which case their arena will never be more than a wasteland?

The Revivalists is directed by Maarten Boston and Maarten van Hinte from The Netherlands. The South African makers are Chuma Sopotela, Lidija Marelic and Pusetso Thibedi. The Dutch artists are Senna Gourdou, Mandela Wee Wee and DJ Lovesupreme. The artists from the UK are spoken word artists from Chill Pill.

Press Release provided by Theatre Arts Admin Collective.

The mulit-disciplinary production The Revivalists is an international collaboration between the Theatre Arts Admin Collective from Cape Town and three international cultural partners, the Afrovibes Festival and RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. from Amsterdam, and UK Arts International from Worcester.

For more publicity information please contact:

Katy Streek – 0031 645387035 – afrovibes@xs4all.nl, www.afrovibes.nl