Raka

Raka is an Afrikaans dramatic poem by N.P. van Wyk Louw.

The original text

Seen by many as offering a visionary metaphor for the battle between good and evil, or even for civilization in Africa, the epic poem was originally published in Afrikaans in 1941, and has been reprinted more than 40 times since. Critically considered one of the major literary works in Afrikaans.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into English by Antony Dawes (1968), into German by W.A. Kellner (1970), into Kwanyama by Paavo Hasheela (1982), the radio version translated into Zulu, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho and Xhosa by various SABC broadcasters (1980s).

The poem has seen many adaptations over the years, in such diverse forms as visual art, music, dance, prose, theatre, radio and film. Here we only consider the stage, radio and film versions. (For more information on other forms, see for example van Koller and Van Jaarsveld, 2010)

The first known performance appears to be a ballet put on in Amsterdam in the 1950s to the music of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of spring (1913), but in many ways the most notable version was perhaps Frank Staff's seminal ballet (1967), which has been re-choreographed to Staff's original choreography a few times by Veronica Paeper (1999, 2004). It proved to be such a success that it was soon made into a film that was distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox.

Other adaptations include a "radiophonic drama" by Graham Newcater (1967), a radio version by Truida Pohl and various AQfrican-language translators (SABC, 1989), a dansteater ("dance theatre") piece by Anton van Niekerk (KKNK, 1999) with Petru Wessels, Lizanne Hellberg, Abraham Hellberg and Carel Trichardt and even a flower-arrangement and performed version of the epic poem by the Gariepdam Amateur-toneelgeselskap (2005).

Performances

While Raka was written in the dramatic form of a Greek tragedy, it has never actually been performed as written.

However, the text has been seen in a variety of adapted forms in the country. Often simply as a dramatised verse reading or performance by a single narrator or group of narrators, it has also been a particularly popular source of inspiration for physical theatre performers and dancers. In a way each performance actually constitutes a new play text. So some of them are discussed individually below.

Staged performances

1950s: A ballet based on the poem put on in Amsterdam to the music of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (1913).

1967: The first full South African ballet version, created by Frank Staff (choreography) and Graham Newcater (music) performed.

1977: Performed as a dance drama by the Departement Spraakleer en Drama of the Potchefstroom Universiteit vir CHO, with choreography by Brenda Potgieter, with music by . Performers included Gerrit Swanepoel en Dawiedu Toit alternating as "Raka" and [[Johan Steenkamp]] and Willie Frits alternating in the role of "Koki". The choir consisted of dancers, including Janita Neser, Betsie Coetzee, Amatea Meyer, Leenster Pasch, Esmarie Pienaar, Rika de Beer and Diane Brothy.

1967: A "Radiophonic drama" – with speakers instead of dancers, with selections from the ballet music by Graham Newcater.

1988: Raka - die Musical, written and André Letoit (unpublished)

1992: Raka, Niel le Roux (unpublished).

1999: Raka (Dansteater) commissioned by the KKNK festival, performed by Anton van Niekerk.

2004: Ballet tydens die KKNK deur die Kaapstadse Stadsballet opgevoer met Frank Staff as choreograaf.

Other representations

Besides the staged versions discussed below, there have been a number of other representations/interpretations as well, such as:

In art:

1956: "Raka in word and paint" by artist Alexis Preller (1956)

In music:

Raka, an orchestral piece by Peter Klatzow (1966); A six-part orchestra suite by Graham Newcater (1973), "Klaaglied van Koki se moeder" ("Lament for Koki's mother") as an elegy for string orchestra, as a prelude to a tonal realization of Raka by Stefans Grové (1984).

In prose

A thriller called Raka die roman ("Raka: The novel") by Koos Kombuis (Human and Rousseau, 2006).

Other forms

1977: Prins Raka ruk en rol ("Prince Raka rock and rolls") a text for a song by Hennie Aucamp.

Some of the more famous versions

Raka - The Ballet, 1969

In many ways the most notable version was perhaps Frank Staff's seminal ballet (1967), set to a score by Graham Newcater and the harbinger of a truly South African tradition in ballet. Raka proved such a success that it was soon made into a film that was distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox.

Performed many times in various ways by a range of companies thereafter, including the George Arts Festival (2001, with Christo Davids), the Cape Town City Ballet and Artscape (choreographed by Veronica Paeper, KKNK, 2004 and 2010), Paeper recreating Staff's choreography for these occasions.

Raka (Dans Drama) Potchefstroom, 1977

Performed as a dance drama by the Departement Spraakleer en Drama of the Potchefstroom Universiteit vir CHO, with choreography by Brenda Potgieter, with music by John Coulter (first half) and Johan van Rensburg (second half). Performers included Gerrit Swanepoel en Dawie du Toit alternating as "Raka" and Johan Steenkamp and Willie Frits alternating in the role of "Koki". The choir consisted of dancers, including Janita Neser, Betsie Coetzee, Amatea Meyer, Leenster Pasch, Esmarie Pienaar, Rika de Beer and Diane Brothy. Lighting was by Kobus van der Walt and decor by Joe Coetzee. The piece opened on 30 September, and closed on

Radio versions in Afrikaans and in the African languages

The poem has been performed as a reading on radio in its original Afrikaans version, but also in translation in some other African languages.

Originally adapted for radio by Truida Pohl in 1989, then translated into Zulu, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, and Xhosa by native speaker radio announcers. While the translations into indigenous African languages were largely done in prose form, some sections retained the poetry. The broadcasts often added songs for solo voices, female and children's choirs and so on. The music used for these sections was composed by P.J. Simelane.

Raka by Niel le Roux (1992)

A stage adaptation by Niel le Roux. Unpublished.

Raka – Die Musical by André Letoit

Raka – Die Musical ("Raka - The Musical") is a radical adaptation set in the apartheid years, in the era of P. W. Botha, the state of emergency and the struggle, supporting the anti-Apartheid vision of the ANC. Not formally published, though an acting edition was published by DALRO. As far as is known it has not yet been performed. He later published a thriller called Raka die roman ("Raka: The novel") under the name Koos Kombuis (Human and Rousseau, 2006).

Raka (Dansteater), 1999

Called a dansteater ("dance theatre") piece, it was a commissioned work was performed at the KKNK festival by Anton van Niekerk.

Raka (word and sound presentation), 1999

Performed in the Die Teaterhuisie in Pretoria by Carel Trichardt and Petru Wessels, with the addition of sound and musical effects by Abraham Hellberg and Lizanne Hellberg.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Staff

Programme, Raka, Cape Town City Ballet, KKNK, April,

H.P. van Coller and A. van Jaarsveld. 2010. Die spore van Raka: oor herskrywing en kanonisering (Deel 1), Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, Vol. 47 no.1.[1]

H.P. van Coller and A. van Jaarsveld. 2010. Die spore van Raka: oor herskrywing en kanonisering (Deel 2), Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, Vol. 47 no.2.[2]

http://www.worldcat.org/title/raka-die-musical/oclc/870558332

Bertha Spies. 2013. Stefans Grové se Raka as musikale narratief. LitNet[3]

Andrè Howard. 1977. "Raka: voorskou baie belowend". In:Die Wapad, Jaargang XXXII, No. 13: 30 September, 1977:p. 9.

Return to

Return to R

Return to South African Theatre Plays

Return to Main Page