Difference between revisions of "IMumbo Jumbo"
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| − | ''iMumbo Jumbo (The Days of Miracle and Wonder)'',workshopped dance-drama devised by [[Brett Bailey]] and cast (1997). | + | ''iMumbo Jumbo (The Days of Miracle and Wonder)'',workshopped dance-drama devised by [[Brett Bailey]] and cast (1997). Second in a trilogy of plays ''The Plays of Miracle and Wonder'': ''[[Ipi Zombi?]]'', ''[[iMumbo Jumbo]]'' and ''[[The Prophet]]''. |
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| + | == Subject == | ||
| + | The journey of a rural South African spiritual leader into the Wonderland of 20th Century Britain. ''iMumbo Jumbo'' dramatises the true, intrepid, sacred and quixotic 1996 quest of Chief Nicholas Tilana Gcaleka (sangoma, priest, liquor salesman, guru) to retrieve the head of his ancestor, King Hintsa kaPhalo - Paramount Chief of the amaXhosa nation, killed by a Colonial posse in 1836 - and thereby to restore peace to South Africa. Escorted from Heathrow Airport by Sky TV Chief Gcaleka travels to Scotland where he eventually unearths a skull in Inverness. The arrival of the skull in the amaXhosa homeland stirs up a hornets' nest of tribal politics. ''iMumbo Jumbo'' takes the form of a whacky, musical African pantomime enclosed within a ceremony held by Chief Gcaleka to bring peace to the country. The story is a moving modern hero myth dealing with many topical issues: a traditional African perspective on the causes of violence in South Africa, a demand from the heart of Africa for recompense for the social and cultural destruction caused by colonialism, a look at the tensions between traditional and contemporary values and modes of thinking within our country, a plea for a more spiritual orientation within our national psyche... http://www.thirdworldbunfight.co.za/productions/imumbo-jumbo.html | ||
== Performance history in South Africa == | == Performance history in South Africa == | ||
| + | Premièred on the main programme of the [[Grahamstown Festival]] 1997. Staged at the [[Market Theatre]] in 1997, the Barbican Theatre (London) in 2003, the [[Grahamstown Festival]] 2003 and the [[Baxter Theatre]] in 2003. | ||
==Translations and adaptations== | ==Translations and adaptations== | ||
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Return to [[Main Page]] | Return to [[Main Page]] | ||
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| + | ''iMumbo Jumbo; the days of miracle and wonder'', devised by [[Brett Bailey]] and Cast. A workshopped dance-drama about Chief Gcaleka’s search for the head of Xhosa king Hintsa in a Scottish museum. Incorporated real sangomas and church choirs from Rini. First presented by [[Third World Bunfight]], directed by [[Brett Bailey]] at the [[Grahamstown Festival]] and [[Market Theatre]] *? in 1997. | ||
Revision as of 12:22, 9 March 2014
iMumbo Jumbo (The Days of Miracle and Wonder),workshopped dance-drama devised by Brett Bailey and cast (1997). Second in a trilogy of plays The Plays of Miracle and Wonder: Ipi Zombi?, iMumbo Jumbo and The Prophet.
Contents
Subject
The journey of a rural South African spiritual leader into the Wonderland of 20th Century Britain. iMumbo Jumbo dramatises the true, intrepid, sacred and quixotic 1996 quest of Chief Nicholas Tilana Gcaleka (sangoma, priest, liquor salesman, guru) to retrieve the head of his ancestor, King Hintsa kaPhalo - Paramount Chief of the amaXhosa nation, killed by a Colonial posse in 1836 - and thereby to restore peace to South Africa. Escorted from Heathrow Airport by Sky TV Chief Gcaleka travels to Scotland where he eventually unearths a skull in Inverness. The arrival of the skull in the amaXhosa homeland stirs up a hornets' nest of tribal politics. iMumbo Jumbo takes the form of a whacky, musical African pantomime enclosed within a ceremony held by Chief Gcaleka to bring peace to the country. The story is a moving modern hero myth dealing with many topical issues: a traditional African perspective on the causes of violence in South Africa, a demand from the heart of Africa for recompense for the social and cultural destruction caused by colonialism, a look at the tensions between traditional and contemporary values and modes of thinking within our country, a plea for a more spiritual orientation within our national psyche... http://www.thirdworldbunfight.co.za/productions/imumbo-jumbo.html
Performance history in South Africa
Premièred on the main programme of the Grahamstown Festival 1997. Staged at the Market Theatre in 1997, the Barbican Theatre (London) in 2003, the Grahamstown Festival 2003 and the Baxter Theatre in 2003.
Translations and adaptations
Sources
Grahamstown Festival Programme, 1997
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to ESAT Templates
Return to I in Plays I Original SA Plays
Return to I in Plays III Collections
Return to I in Plays IV: Festivals and Pageants
Return to South_African_Theatre/Plays
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
iMumbo Jumbo; the days of miracle and wonder, devised by Brett Bailey and Cast. A workshopped dance-drama about Chief Gcaleka’s search for the head of Xhosa king Hintsa in a Scottish museum. Incorporated real sangomas and church choirs from Rini. First presented by Third World Bunfight, directed by Brett Bailey at the Grahamstown Festival and Market Theatre *? in 1997.
