Bold line-up for inaugural Red Mango Festival

The inaugural Red Mango Arts Festival will be held at Durban’s Sastri College from October 8-11. It marks 165 years since the arrival of Indians in South Africa with a carefully curated four-day line-up of multi-cultural theatre, music, comedy and community connection.

The brainchild of actor Rajesh Gopie, who is passionate about sharing unique stories of his home city, he has put together a theatre programme of important works seldom seen in Durban, which focus on intergenerational voices, personal and cultural identity, and bold narratives.

On the bill is Roti Queen, a solo comedy by Shika Budoo and directed by Dhaveshan Govender. This explores marriage as a dance between love, sacrifice, and personal identity. Amrita, once a professional dancer, unravels domestication, dedication and life’s decisions as she makes a fresh batch of roti for her 19th anniversary dinner.

Also featured is Gopie’s Out of Bounds, a South African classic. Using 28 different characters, Gopie, often humorously, tells the story of Lal Lachund, a young Indian man growing up in 1980s South Africa, who lives with his parents and extended family in a cramped house in Inanda.

Another one hander is Why Magic! – a dazzling interactive magic show aimed for children aged 4 to 10 - by multi-award winning magician Sahil Samlal who has worked in Las Vegas and met David Copperfield.  

Wednesday and Thursday is designed with pupils and seniors in mind - featuring age-appropriate theatre, storytelling, and workshops that spark imagination and honour cultural memory. On Friday and Saturday the festival opens its doors to the public with a rich and diverse line-up. To complement the productions, there is an open stage, food stalls and a market.

Among the highlights are Letters of Suresh, a poetic exploration of identity by Pulitzer-nominated American playwright Rajiv Joseph. The four-hander drama is a celebration of the lost art of letter writing: intimate mysteries are revealed through a series of letters between strangers, friends, daughters, and lovers, many with little in common but a hunger for human connection. It is performed by Budoo, Samlal, Shika Maharaj and Ralph Lawson and directed by Gopie

The Boy Friend is a modern take on the timeless musical by the TUT Department of Performing Arts. When the leading lady of a low-budget musical revue sprains her ankle, the assistant stage manager is forced to understudy and perform in her place, becoming a star and finding love in the process. The original Broadway cast featured Julie Andrews.

There are two children’s shows for young audiences to open the festival: The Great Family Adventure by Adi Paxton, and Sthandwa and the Nature Thieves, directed by Lawson and featuring Mpilo Nzimande, Nozipho Chiliza and Nkonzo Zozi. 

The festival ends with a musical concert, featuring Karendra Devroop, Melvin Peters, Alicia Daniels, Kerolin Govender, Ken Chanlal as well as up and coming comedians. It’s MC’d by comedian, Krijay Govender.

Booking and full programme is through Webtickets.