This year’s London Book Fair runs from 19-21 April and focuses on South Africa with numerous local writers being featured at book launches, panel discussions and public lectures. I will stage readings of four recent plays in London from 22th-24th April to introduce my work to one of the world’s key theatre markets.
In March, 'Brothers in Blood' – my play about Jewish, Muslim and Christian relations commissioned by the Charles Diamond Foundation and the Market Theatre – won the Naledi Theatre Award for 'Best New South African Play Produced'. My most recent play – 'Iago’s Last Dance,' that deals with the HIV/AIDS pandemic – was also nominated in the recent Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards ‘Best New Script’ category.
My play about Muslim/Jewish/Christian relations commissioned by the Charles Diamond Foundation and produced by the Market Theatre - won the Naledi Award for Best New South African Play Produced on Sunday 7 March at a ceremony hosted in Pretoria's State Theatre. Denis Hutchinson also won an award for his lighting design for the play.
My trilogy inspired by the South African HIV/AIDS pandemic which premiered on the Main Programme of the National Arts Festival in 2009 - has been nominated in the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards Best New Script category. Mbulelo Grootboom has also been nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his various roles in the piece. This awards ceremony will be held on 21 March.
I had the honour of delivering the keynote address at the 13th Time of the Writer Festival hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in Durban on Tuesday 9 March.
Green Man Flashing has been published by Robin Malan's Junkets Press as a stand-alone text and is available via info@mikevangraan.co.za. This has happened in record time, and I am looking forward to Junkets Press publishing Iago's Last Dance in a couple of months' time.
I have been commissioned by Aardklop National Arts Festival to create a new play for this year's Festival. Aardklop commissioned four writers to celebrate their tenth anniversary a few years ago, and my play Die Generaal, was one of them. This new commission - provisionally titled Martin's Dream - will be my new work produced this year.
I am planning to complete my MA in Drama this year which comprises a dissertation with the lengthy title A qualitative and quantitative study of the theme of HIV/AIDS in post-apartheid, mainstream theatre as a premise for determining the primary influences and constraints on, and the motivations for, contemporary theatre-makers in South Africa. 25% of the MA is allocated to the production of a new play, with Iago's Last Dance, my trilogy inspired by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and staged at last year's National Arts Festival, having fulfilled this requirement.
London Book Fair Staged Readings
