Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom

Theatre

This year's Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival offers a strong theatre programme with no less than 41 productions on offer, including productions from other festivals. Clover Aardklop offers a platform for new productions of existing Afrikaans plays and translated works of renowned playwrights.

In the unsettling Rooiland, directed by Jaco Bouwer, young playwright Tertius Kapp puts the spotlight on gang structures in South African jails. Bouwer is also the director and creator of Lig - a combination of theatre and performance art in which beliefs surrounding science, philosophy and theatre are juxtaposed.

In Aantrekkingskrag, Deon Opperman's new play, the focus falls on the complexity of relationships and features, amongst others, Franci Swanepoel and André Odendaal. Playwright Chris Vorster wears a comic-satirical hat in Buurtwag, while Jan van Tonder makes his theatre debut with a farce, Die Onbeholpe Djin. Louise van Niekerk's Ouma Wys Angel is a comical and honest look at the challenges facing a grandmother.

Pieter Fourie's drama Mooi Maria returns to the stage with Albert Maritz as director. In the translated Eendsonderend, Marius Weyers and Louis van Niekerk join forces - a comedy-drama with two elderly men contemplating the trials and tribulations of life. Jon Fosse's Doodsvariasies is a drama about a couple grappling with their daughter's suicide.

Albert Pretorius can be seen in the title role in the South African première of Will Eno's tragicomedy Thom Pain, while he also shares the stage with Gideon Lombard in ...Miskien.

From other festivals

Popular productions from other festivals include Sylvaine Strike's The Table; Charles Fourie's Agterplaas; Dis Koue Kos, Skat with Elzabé Zietsman; Nag, Ma and Janneman (both featuring Sandra Prinsloo); Nicola Hanekom's Lot; and the disturbing Wees, directed by Hennie van Greunen. Prescribed works such as Reza de Wet's Mis and Vaselinetjie will not only appeal to tertiary pupils.

Solo shows of popular actors such as Marion Holm, Ben Kruger, Frank Opperman and Neels van Jaarsveld are also on offer.

Tickets are available at Computicket.

Music

The music programme covers a wide variety: light music, classical music and rock concerts. The music on offer gets a boost this year with three different venues with their own distinct programme.

Rock groups and artists will no longer only be part of a one-off concert on the Saturday. This year the Vodacom/MK Bultfantasties will present daily concerts with hours and hours of music featuring groups and artists, including such as Van Coke Kartel, Karin Zoid, Jack Parow, The Parlotones, Locnville, and GoodLuck.

The who's who of the popular Afrikaans music industry can be seen at the Clover Music Arena (Tuesday to Saturday). Included in the line-up are: Steve Hofmeyr, Theuns Jordaan, Gerhard Steyn, Nianell, Kurt Darren, Bok van Blerk, Juanita du Plessis and Robbie Wessels.

The amphitheatre is a venue with a difference and boasts the following shows: Coenie En Evita; Classics & 70's Skud Blad (Zanne Stapelberg and Joseph Clark); singing guitars and comedy sketches in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly; and Legendes Sing Legendes in which well-known artists such as Piet Botha and PJ Powers will sing songs of artists who have inspired them.

Brand new shows

Nataniël, Chris Chameleon, Mathys Roets, Lize Beekman, Myra Maud and Mel Botes bring brand new shows and festival-goers can also look forward to Pedro Kruger, Amanda Strydom, pianist Rocco de Villiers and violinist Annake de Villiers together on one stage, and [Projek: Nuwe Maan] with the interesting combination of Laurinda Hofmeyr, Riku Lätti and Les Javan. And Gly, based on the concept of Glee, is a showcase of exciting young talent.

Pianist Petronel Malan will hold an exclusive solo performance (specially compiled for Aardklop); Ockie Vermeulen and Zorada Temmingh will perform in two separate and diverse organ concerts; the Goldberg Quartet gives life to Beethoven's Opus 18 quartets in three recitals; the Netherlands baroque ensemble Furor Musicus is part of Cantare Et Sonare and a concert performance of The Tempest; Fagottisimo gives the opportunity to experience four bassoonists together; and Magdalene Minnaar (coloratura soprano), Liesl Stolz (flute) and Mario Nell (piano) can be seen in Vuurvoël.

The Gugulethu Tenors will perform for the first time; the Tygerberg Children's Choir demonstrates why they are considered one of the best in the world; and the Puk Choir, under the auspices of Awie van Wyk, will have an early Christmas. The Blondes (pianists Zorada Temmingh and Elna van der Merwe) tackle the music of Grieg and Gershwin.

Tickets are available at Computicket.

Arts

This year offers probing discussions, book launches, food events, literary programmes and productions aimed at the younger ones.

Festival artist Sam Nhlegethwa brings a special exhibition to the festival with his own paintings and collage and printmaking works. He is known both for his work focusing on jazz artists and the jazz culture and as a socio-political commentator. There is a separate exhibition showcasing his extensive private art collection that includes works of, amongst others, William Kentridge, Gerard Sekoto and Marlene Dumas.

Solo exhibitions of Frank van Reenen, Marie Stander, Rina Stutzer and Wendy Malan form part of the programme. Group exhibitions include the finalists of the Absa L'Atelier; the latest Rendezvous Art Project with participating artists from South Africa, Greece and France; short films exploring different aspects of local cities; former students from the visual art department of the University of Johannesburg examining the dialogue around notions of body and identity; Rooftop III with a variety of artists; schoolchildren using Afrikaans literature to create art works; and the Leonard Cohen Tribute with different artists creating a work inspired by a Cohen song.

On the dance front the La Rosa company performs in the Flamenco Puro, dance theatre telling the sad story of Helen Martins. Mime artist John Jacobs returns to prove that one can say a lot without uttering a word.

For the children

Actors Carel Trichardt and Petru Wessels pay tribute to the writer and poet Uys Krige with Sol y Sombra and Chris van Niekerk reads from PG du Plessis's astounding Fees Van Die Ongenooides. Children can choose between African tales, a new instalment of Boer Manie's farm adventures, a fun (and informative) story about classical instruments and two stories about the lovable Liewe Heksie.

In the Discourse series probing questions are asked about identity, while book lovers can look forward to conversations with a variety of writers.

Also on the menu is Absa's food and wine event Proe Die Beste, Chris Koch combining whiskey with food, Peter Veldsman sharing his culinary knowledge over a plate of Boerekos, as well as the Aardklop Long Table.

Tickets are available at Computicket.