Kafka’s Ape is a play that was originally taken up as directing assignment in Performance Studies at the University of Witwatersrand by candidate Phala Ookeditse. Phala wrote and directed the production and it is performed by Tony B Miyambo. Kafka Ape was nominated in the Best Cutting edge category at the Naledi Theatre awards and won the silver ovation award at the National Arts festival. The play was chosen as one of 2 shows to represent South Africa at the Amsterdam fringe Festival.
In 2015 Kafka Ape was nominated in the Best Cutting edge category at the Naledi Theatre awards and won the silver ovation award at the National Arts festival. The play was chosen as one of 2 shows out of 400 to represent South Africa at the Amsterdam Fringe festival from the 29th of August to the 5 of September.
About the Play
Red Peter is caught between a Human and an Ape and lost his essence.The one-hander depends on physicality to express the character and its world. The deliberate physicality is meant to reference the physical self as a point of external identity conflicting with the internal identity. RedPeter speaks from the heart and shares the depth of his ape to human transformation story. Phala’s adaptation of Kafka’s A Report to anAcademy is an in- depth exploration of an identity crisis. Who are we as Post-Apartheid South Africans? what makes us South Africans in the first place?
More about the project
The play has since featured briefly in several mini festivals including Wits O’week, WALE, SA Season, the WITS entry into the National Students Drama Festival 2011 and at the Joburg theatre Space.com as part of the Kiri Pink Knob live arts sessions showcase.
Our milestones
We have already secured funding for our accommodation, show costs and part of our flights. Our goal is to raise R30000 to cover the remaining costs.
Tony Miyambo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand. Tony was awarded a prize for Best Actor in a Dramatic Role at the Setkani Encounters festival in Prague. He recently took up a residency at The Royal Court Theatre, Britain’s leading national company dedicated to new work by innovative writers from the UK and around the world. A prolific actor and writer, Tony works in the theatre, in film and television.
Phala Ookeditse Phala, the adapter and director of the play, is an award wining theatre maker with over ten years of telling relevant and thought provoking stories. He holds a Masters in Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand and is emerging directing voice in South African Theatre.