Critically acclaimed novelist, poet and playwright Zakes Mda’s first novel “Ways of Dying” is set to be staged at The Baxter for a limited season in November.
“Ways of Dying”, will showcase at the Baxter Theatre Centre and UCT’s Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies (CTDPS), at the Baxter Flipside for six performances only, from Tuesday, November 10 to Saturday, November 14 November.
Adapted and directed by Lara Foot, who directed the work 20 years ago at The Market Theatre, the cast is made up of 14 fourth-year students from the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies (CTDPS).
The formidable creative team comprises Mdu Kweyama (direction and choreography), Bongile Mantsai (direction and music) with set design by Patrick Curtis, lighting design by Mannie Manim and costume design by Leigh Bishop.
Commenting on the show, Sara Matchet, head of CTDPS said: “The CTDPS is thrilled to be collaborating with The Baxter on our final fourth-year production.
She added: “2020 has proved to be exceptionally challenging in terms of teaching in the Performing and Creative Arts departments at UCT.
“The loss of face-to-face contact teaching due to the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted our programmes enormously.”
The story follows Toloki an eccentric and dignified professional mourner, who meets his childhood friend Noria, at her son’s funeral.
They fall in love and move in together, each one teaching the other how to heal and live.
“Ways of Dying” is the 1995 novel by renowned author Mda who has won a several major South African and international literary awards for his work.
The book received the M-Net Book Prize, and it was shortlisted for the Central News Agency (CNA) Award and a Noma Award.
Some of his other works include The Heart of Redness, Our Lady of Benoni and The Zulus of New York.
Tickets are available from R50 at Webtickets and Pick n Pay stores