William

Kentridge

returns

to

the

Kunstenfestivaldesarts:

'The

world

has

shifted'

The leading South African artist, film-maker, and theatre director William Kentridge has been a welcome guest at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts since its early years. He now returns with the theatre classic he created thirty years ago with the Handspring Puppet Company.

Nearly thirty years ago, shortly after the end of apartheid in South Africa, Faustus in Africa! was presented at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts. We know the saga of Faust, who sells his soul to the devil, from Marlowe and Goethe, but in William Kentridge's legendary production, it is transposed to Africa. In his deal with Mephisto, Faust gains unlimited access to the riches of the African continent – an approach that remains relevant today. The puppetry of the Handspring Puppet Company, the animation featuring Kentridge's charcoal drawings, the music of Warrick Sony and the late James Phillips, and the words of poet Lesego Rampolokeng turn this safari of selfishness and rampant capitalism into a rich and compelling spectacle.