Covid-19 could not kill these radio stars: local actors now use alternative frequencies
We are all faced with challenges in these upside-down Covid times. How we react to these challenges will determine whether we succeed or fail in the months to come – this according to Stuart Palmer of Plett’s prolific Lunchbox Theatre (www.lunchbox.org.za) crew.
“One of the keys to success is innovation. Take the skills set and resources you have and create new ways to apply it to your environment, the current circumstances and the work you do. This is the start of your journey in forging your new normal,” he says.
Many businesses have been obliterated by the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions put in place to prevent its spread. One of the hardest hit of these industries is the performing arts.
“Lunchbox Theatre has only performed two live shows this year, whereas we would normally have staged around 50 performances. So have we sat around moaning? No, not at all.
“We looked at our skills set -creating engaging, entertaining and educational theatre shows -and our resources, which include a team of dedicated and talented artists and a portfolio of 10 educational theatre shows.”
Stuart says they started looking for ways to continue reaching their youthful target audience with the content of Lunchbox Theatre shows these kids have all grown to love on regular visits to local schools.
“This created the idea of converting some of our more popular scripts into radio plays – and soon the process of making it a reality began. With welcome funding from the National Arts Council of South Africa, we realised this dream.”
The show A Dog’s Life’ was converted into English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa radio appropriate scripts and the team spent two weeks rehearsing under strict Covid-19 protocols.
On November 23, they travelled to the Garden Route Media studios in George, where recording booths had been set up in an old cinema to ensure social distancing was practised and everyone remained safe.
“As part of our funding criteria to ‘Pay it Forward’ we invited two iKasi Media graduates to learn about the process of sound engineering and recording a radio play,” says Stuart.
By the time of writing, their recording was in the final stages of the edit and it will be available for public broadcast in the next few weeks – watch this space for more information.
Stuart thanks his wonderful fellow actors Maphiko Ncedani, Amanda Valela and Nkosinathi Xipula, and congratulates Jo-Dene Brown and Duwayne Murphy for being selected as trainees.