Delela the Play

28/06/2022

BEHIND THE SCENES:
'Nicolas Strauss-Smith Interview in five, four, three, two...'

DELELA
•delela (verb): to be disrespectful, cheeky, rude, out of line.
30 June - 2 July.
Graeme College, 2022 National Arts Festival Makhanda
Daniel Barney Newton as Nicolas 'Nic' Strauss-Smith.

27/06/2022

BEHIND THE SCENES:
'Letsatsi Letseka Interview in five, four, three, two...'

DELELA
•delela (verb): to be disrespectful, cheeky, rude, out of line.
30 June - 2 July.
Graeme College, 2022 National Arts Festival Makhanda

Katlego Lebogang Mhlongo as Letsatsi 'Lee' Letseka.

24/06/2022

Premiering on the Curated Main Stage of the 2022 National Arts Festival, Delela lights up the second half of the Festival!
Delela, written, designed and directed by Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni, follows the tumultuous 'diversity and transformation' journey of the Strauss-Smith Foundation, a wealthy private charitable foundation.

Featuring a dynamic young cast made up of Katlego Lebogang, Frances Sholto-Douglas and Daniel Barney Newton, this sharp tongued and seriously silly play puts the chaos of charity work and the vanity of privilege at the forefront and the result? Well, you'll have pop into the National Arts Festival, head to Graeme College between the 30th of June and the 2nd of July!

Book you ticket here: https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/delela/

17/06/2022

MEET THE CHARACTER

Delela is one story is told from the perspective of its three main characters, so we can't promise you an objective telling of the truth...but we can offer you three subjective versions of it! So meet our third perspective:
Meet Alexandra Strauss-Smith, portrayed by Frances Sholto-Douglas. Alex is the perfect daughter and sister. An heiress and an socialite with a sparkling smile...and cunning mind, she's more than what she seems.

Want to hear Alex's side of the story? Then join us at the National Arts Festival Makhanda at Graeme College from the 30th of June to the 2nd July.

The Delela Playtext was first developed with the support of the Baxter Theatre.

Delela's debut is made possible with the support of the National Arts Festival Makhanda.

15/06/2022

MEET THE CHARACTER
Delela is one story is told from the perspective of its three main characters, so we can't promise you an objective telling of the truth...but we can offer you three subjective versions of it! So meet our second perspective:

Meet Letsatsi Letsatsi, portrayed by Katlego Lebogang Mhlongo. Lee is the new diversity hire, er, newly hired Deputy Chairperson of the Strauss-Smith Foundation. Given a variety of tasks at the Foundation, Letsatsi begins to question some of the motives behind the foundation's idea of 'transformation and diversity' and let's just say things become very tense, very fast.

Want to hear Letsatsi's side of the story? Then join us at the National Arts Festival Makhanda at Graeme College from the 30th of June to the 2nd July.

The Delela Playtext was first developed with the support of the Baxter Theatre.

Delela's debut is made possible with the support of the National Arts Festival Makhanda

13/06/2022

MEET THE CHARACTER
Delela is one story is told from the perspective of its three main characters, so we can't promise you an objective telling of the truth...but we can offer you three subjective versions of it! So meet the person behind the first one:

Meet Nicolas 'Nic' Strauss-Smith, portrayed by Daniel Barney Newton. Nic is the newly elected Chairperson of the Strauss-Smith Foundation and Heir to the Strauss-Smith family fortune. Tasked with leading the Foundation's transformation efforts, Nic is very concerned with the state of education and alleviating poverty, so don't misunderstand him, okay?

Want to hear Nic's side of the story? Then join us at the National Arts Festival at Graeme College from the 30th of June to the 2nd July.

The Delela Playtext was first developed with the support of the Baxter Theatre.

Delela's debut is made possible with the support of the National Arts Festival Makhanda

06/06/2022

"In the play, there is a hectic clash of the public, private, political and personal – with unfiltered and unplugged cringe-y dialogue by millennials- operating in the realm of vanity philanthropy."

That is Delela in a nutshell. For a little sneak peek into 'Do-Gooders, Behaving Badly', check out this chat we had with The Cape Robyn.

Privilege, Chaos and Politics make for the perfect recipe for a series of 'yikes inducing' conversations. But those conversations are important so let's dissect them together at the National Arts Festival Makhanda from 30 June - 2 July at Graeme College?

Interview: A cheeky poke at do-gooders, behaving badly, in Delela, the play - Festivals

30/05/2022

Public Relations 101: 'The Conversations Behind Closed Doors' vs. 'What We Say When We’re In Public?'

Delela, a cheeky new play by Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni debuts on the Curated Main at the 2022 National Arts Festival Makhanda from 30 June - 2 July at Graeme College.

Rumour has it that the story is absolute shenanigans.
But that's just a rumour.
Right?

(From Left to Right) Daniel Barney Newton and Frances Sholto-Douglas as twin siblings, Nicolas and Alexandra Strauss-Smith for Delela (2022).
Photo by Thabelo Monyaka.

18/05/2022

Welcome to the Strauss-Smith Foundation.
We are sure that you have heard about what was said.
The views expressed by our (current and former) employees DO NOT reflect the opinions of the organisation.
Despite conflicting reports, we are FULLY committed to a process of diversity and transformation.
Let us explain everything at the 2022 National Arts Festival Makhanda? From 30 June – 2 July? Graeme College.

Oh and before our meeting? Here's some more information on the situation: https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/delela/