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Pôkô Events is a new and upcoming production company specialising in original and exciting theatre for South African and International audiences.
Pôkô Events...and Productions was formed in 2010 by Chris van Rensburg, Christelle van Graan and Cindy Swanepoel. All three of us are trained and experienced actors with a passion for telling stories and reviving forgotten ways of telling tales. We aim to present audiences with enchanting theater experiences synonymous with our own unique style. Shadow theater and shadow puppetry is an art form that appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds; enchanting audiences with its magical elements of surprise and a feeling of old-school cinemas of yesteryear. Our puppets are all unique in design, hand crafted and life-like in character and quality, working their charm on audiences all over.
Our first pilot production, “Yanagi”, tells the tale of the Blue Willow Pattern through the magic of shadow puppetry. With its Shakespearean overtones of doomed love and tragedy, it is a timeless tale of star-crossed lovers. Set in ancient China, it follows the tale of the beautiful and captivating Knoon-se and the palace gardener, Xiang... Using hand crafted shadow puppets and sets, it is a unique form of storytelling that promises to enchant any audience, no matter what their age! We are proud to announce that we have been invited to perform “Yanagi” at this year's Fleur du Cap Theater Awards ceremony! “Yanagi” has been performed alongside a variety of acclaimed musicians with a “live soundtrack” including Riku Lätti, Les Javan, Laurinda Hofmeyer, Rian Malan, to name a few, adding a unique dimension to our performances. We aim in future to create more collaborative efforts with different kinds of South African artists so watch this space!
Pôkô Events...and Productions was formed in 2010 by Chris van Rensburg, Christelle van Graan and Cindy Swanepoel. All three of us are trained and experienced actors with a passion for telling stories and reviving forgotten ways of telling tales. We aim to present audiences with enchanting theater experiences synonymous with our own unique style. Shadow theater and shadow puppetry is an art form that appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds; enchanting audiences with its magical elements of surprise and a feeling of old-school cinemas of yesteryear. Our puppets are all unique in design, hand crafted and life-like in character and quality, working their charm on audiences all over.
Our first pilot production, “Yanagi”, tells the tale of the Blue Willow Pattern through the magic of shadow puppetry. With its Shakespearean overtones of doomed love and tragedy, it is a timeless tale of star-crossed lovers. Set in ancient China, it follows the tale of the beautiful and captivating Knoon-se and the palace gardener, Xiang... Using hand crafted shadow puppets and sets, it is a unique form of storytelling that promises to enchant any audience, no matter what their age! We are proud to announce that we have been invited to perform “Yanagi” at this year's Fleur du Cap Theater Awards ceremony! “Yanagi” has been performed alongside a variety of acclaimed musicians with a “live soundtrack” including Riku Lätti, Les Javan, Laurinda Hofmeyer, Rian Malan, to name a few, adding a unique dimension to our performances. We aim in future to create more collaborative efforts with different kinds of South African artists so watch this space!
Latest News
 | BOUND by Carla Harris and Pôkô Productions at Grahamstown Arts Festival 2012
This production will be premiering at The Grahamstown National Arts Festival.
5 July 16:00; 6 July 22:00; 7 July 12:00 and 16:00; 8 July 10:00. An original work of shadow theatre mixing drama and shadow puppetry exploring life in all its complexities, where three people discover whether they can outrun the shadow of their past. An emotionally compelling and honest journey to find themselves, the truth and to break the ties that bind. ‘Bound’ tells the story of three characters searching for their own identity within the human condition and striving to fight against their conditioning. Society creates who we are but in uncharted territory, that needs to change and sometimes everything we believed about ourselves can be destroyed in a single moment. The performance makes use of shadow puppetry as well as actors to create a production which is visually appealing and innovative whilst taking the audience on a journey of self-discovery, both of themselves and the characters. Cast includes: Buntu Tembani, Cindy Swanepoel, Christelle van Graan and Johan Engelbrecht. Tickets: R45 Students: R35 Friends: R38 Block bookings: R35 First performance non-ticketed and Final performance half price. Age Restriction: 16+ LP Tickets can be bought through Computicket. |
