Third World Express, a brand-new musical adapted from an epic poem of the same name, is set to premiere at the Joburg Theatre in what is expected to be a captivating theatrical display that rediscovers South Africa from the dawn of democracy to the present and beyond. Originally penned by anti-apartheid stalwart Wally Serote, the musical is co-produced and directed by arts administrator Shadrack Bokaba and internationally acclaimed choreographer Gregory Maqoma, with music composed by Mark Cheyne.
The show will debut on the revered Mandela stage between Sunday, 18 September and Sunday, 25 September 2022 as part of the theatre’s 60th-anniversary celebration.
Cheyne composed jazz-infused music for the show, which includes songs by South African legends such as Hugh Masekela, Letta Mbulu, and Mariam Makeba. The music weaves through the choreography and reconstructs truths, creating a magnified view of a time we’ve come to know and the dream of tomorrow.
The production features some of South Africa’s best musical talent, including Joel Zuma; actor, singer, voice artist and dancer Lebo Toko; actor, singer, voice artist and presenter Ziyanda Yako, Thokozani “Zano” Nzima; multi-talented dancer, vocal coach, voice-over artist and actor King B; as well as actress and singer Ayanda Sibisi. The cast will be accompanied by the Vuyani Dance Theatre ensemble and members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of South Africa.
The orchestra will be led by pianist Bokani Dyer, who is also the music director for the show, and will feature some well-known names in music, including Sydney Mavundla on trumpet, Sisonke Xonti on saxophone and clarinet, Lucas Senyatso on bass guitar, and Billy Monama on guitar.
Andrew Timm, the production designer, plans to turn the revered Mandela stage into a magical theatre that complements the production’s tale. The stage is set to transport the audience to the journey of exiles returning to Johannesburg from New York’s Grand Central Station. Timm says the exciting thing about Third World Express is that it is a new musical, making the production design a blank canvas.
“The set is specially designed graphics mapped to eight LED screens on the stage, providing the backdrop to Third World Express, including an LED proscenium arch and three motorised screens that move in various directions, allowing us to change the layout of the stage to suit the various locations we are creating graphically as backdrops to the action,” he explains. Serote’s Third World Express narrates the ambition and hopes South Africans had ahead of the dawn of democracy.
“It is the early 1990s, and word is out that South Africa is heading towards a new dawn. All those trapped in the corridors of the world in exile, are rushing home to catch the Third World Express,” entices a publicist. The musical is being adapted to the stage by Bokaba, who has been on an expedition to turn the literary work into a theatrical performance since 2016. He first pitched the idea to Serote, its author, from whom he received an endorsement.
“We need inspiration and discourse that will move us forward as Africans here at home and in the Diaspora. We need to develop the ability to innovate and regenerate the energy of our continent with a cultural renaissance that will be informed by our music,” Serote told Bokaba. Since then, the Third World Express has become a theatrical project, and Bokaba the visionary behind it.
Tickets for the Third World Express range in price from R200 to R380 and are available from the Joburg Theatre, www.joburgtheatre.com.
Written by Dakalo Ramudidibi
12/09/2022