Madonna of Excelsior
“Madonna of Excelsior” is a music/theater production. Based on the novel of Zakes Mda, about historical sexscandal in 1971 and 1997 that took place in the village of Excelsior close by Bloemfontein.
The adaptation is done by Kobus Moolman after an idea by Jerry Pooe. Roel Twijnstra is directing and responsible for the setdesign. Jerry Pooe is composing the music/songs and co-directing. Vocal Coach : Jaco Bezuidenhout. Light designer Jeremy Ortell. Setpainter: Huub Laurens. Setbuilder: Brandon Hewetson. In the cast : Dieketseng Mmisi, Diana Maseko,Tshidi Thinyane, Madge Ntamo, Stefani Brink, Philisiwe Sithole, Mpho Lovinga, Nic Beukes and Marli van der Bijl. Besides the actors there will be a choir of 5 Madonna’s on stage.
The show was produced by PACOFS theater in Bloemfontein (South-Africa). It touerd after opening in 2012 to Johannesburg (Windybrow). In 2013 Madonna was selected for the main programme of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. It also toured to Pretoria state theatre in june 2012.
Future life: In April 2014 the Madonna’s will preform on HAIFA (Zimbabwe) from 29th of April till the 3d. of May. “Madonna of Excelsior” is part of the African Novel adaptation programme from Jerry Pooe and Roel Twijnstra. In may 2013 Windybrow theatre co-produced “The Farmished road” from Ben Orki, adaptation by Liesbeth Colthof and Rieks Zwarte. There are other novels waiting to get a life on stage. “Mine Boy” by Peter Abrahams ( September 2014), “Sleepwalkingland” (Mia Couto), ” The wizard of the crow” from Ngugi wa Thiong’o and “Chaka” from Thomas Mofolo.
