Camdeboo
Theatre / Amazwi

Camdeboo, by Ayanda Nxumalo, traces vignettes of Sara Baartman’s life and its mirrors and parallels in modern society. The production makes use of poetry, music and movement to teach the younger generation about Baartman's life.

 

Named after the place in the Eastern Cape Sara used to live before she was taken overseas, the play starts when she was still living in South Africa and continues when she was taken overseas for exhibition.

 

Ayanda said she chose to write her debut play about Sara because she realised many women get annoyed when men praise them, calling them by their body parts, especially bums or calling them Sarah when they were their love interests. “Sarah lived in the 19th century but even today, men in Mzansi still use her name to praise women when they are looking for love. Not every woman wants to be praised and pursued all the time, especially when she has many things to do in life. Many of us get annoyed, and that must end,” she said. 

Production Credits

Produced by MagentaPro

Cast

Ayanda Nxumalo

Lindokuhle Mbambo

Hloniphani Mthethwa

 

Technical team

Lighting designer: Nkosingiphile Mancane Dlamini

Stage manager: Fezeka Shandu

About the Artists

Ayanda Nxumalo is a multidisciplinary artist who graduated from Durban University of Technology (DUT). She is an actor, singer, dancer, poet, and writer who's been performing on stage from a young age, starting with church nativity plays. Ayanda has been mentored and coached by esteemed practitioners such as Debbie Lutge, Jerry Pooe, Menzi Mkhwane and many more. 

 

She has facilitated singing and dance, and has performed at numerous festivals including the Jomba Dance Festival, Community Arts Festival, and the National Arts Festival. In 2019, Ayanda authored and published the anthology Drumbeats. Ayanda is the recipient of the Best Singer Award at the Insimu Theatre Festival in 2019. She has acted alongside Menzi Mkhwane in Shakespeare plays and sang for the Vula Vala television soapie backtrack by Mandla. Ayanda worked alongside Koleka Putuma in developing her much-loved stage play, Camdeboo, that was launched at The Baxter Theatre in Cape Town and proceeded to be showcased at The Playhouse Theatre in Durban and even abroad. She was recently on an international music tour with 29:11 International Exchange where she sang lead in multiple songs. She contributed in song composition, script writing, directing and choreographing. 

 

Ayanda is a compelling performer that never fails to entertain and draw the attention of the audience. 

  • Venue: Amazwi
  • Location: Amazwi South African Museuem of Literature
  • Ticket price: ZAR 65.00
  • Programme type: The Fringe
  • Genre: Theatre
  • Duration: 55 minutes
  • Ages: 14+
    • Strong Language

There are no performances for this show.