Shake the Sword!

The Tsikinya-Chaka Centre
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

Produced by the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). Shakespeare, transnationalism, multilingualism.

Episodes

  1. David Schalkwyk: from Twaalfde Nag to Twelfth Night

    12 FEB

    David Schalkwyk: from Twaalfde Nag to Twelfth Night

    We kick off Season 3 with eminent South African Shakespearean David Schalkwyk. He talks to Chris Thurman about prison writing, Shakespeare on Robben Island, a new production of Twelfth Night at the Maynardville Open-Air Theatre in Cape Town, Uys Krige's Afrikaans translation of the play (Twaalfde Nag), and why David thinks Shakespeare is best performed without a director. Along the way, inspired by the fool Feste, there is music from Noël Coward and Jacques Brel.

    33 min
  2. Fiona Ramsay: Blonde Poison, Julius Caesar and more

    21/06/2025

    Fiona Ramsay: Blonde Poison, Julius Caesar and more

    In this episode, doyenne of the South African stage Fiona Ramsay sits down with TCC Director Chris Thurman as she prepares to perform in Blonde Poison at the Drama Factory. They talk about the role of Stella in Blonde Poison (for which Ramsay earned a Fleur du Cap award) and then get onto matters Shakespearean ... from Ramsay's recent appearance as Elizabeth / Caesar in Abrahamse Meyer Productions' Julius Caesar to her work with students in Wits University's Theatre and Performance programme.

    35 min

  3. 22/02/2025

    Zulu Shakespeares - Part Two

    Picking up where we left off at the end of Part One, this episode explores recent and ongoing creative practice involving translations of Shakespeare's plays and poems into isiZulu. Listen to extracts of performances by Anelisa Phewa, Michael Mazibuko and other translators and theatre makers. Along the way there is music, politics, history and more! Image: Anelisa Phewa as Sir Thomas More in SPEAK ME A SPEECH (dir. Victor van Aswegen)

    30 min
  4. Zulu Shakespeares - Part One

    24/01/2025

    Zulu Shakespeares - Part One

    We're back ... welcome to Season 2 of Shake the Sword! This new season kicks off with a pair of episodes on Shakespeare translations into isiZulu, the most widely-spoken home language in South Africa. In part one, we find out more about K.E. Masinga's Zulu translations, produced as radio plays in the "Sophiatown era" of the 1950s. Then we turn our attention to Welcome Msomi's uMabatha, the famous "Zulu Macbeth". The episode finishes with recent interpretations of speeches from uMabatha - looking ahead to part 2, which will focus on contemporary translations and performances in isiZulu.

    27 min

  5. 28/02/2022

    Nigerian Shakespeares: Travelling tales

    Part two of our mini-series exploring Shakespeare in/and/from Nigeria. Director of the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre, Chris Thurman, introduces the TCC's partnership with the Drama Factory in Somerset West. Then we learn more about Shakespeare. Nigeria and "travelling tales" thanks to the expertise of Ifeoluwa Aboluwade, Lekan Balogun, Odirin Abonyi and Bernard Ogini. And of course there is more Fela Kuti!

    22 min

  6. 28/02/2022

    Nigerian Shakespeares: Naija, English, Yoruba and more

    Part one of another double-header, this time exploring Shakespeare in/and/from Nigeria. Director of the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre, Chris Thurman, talks to scholars, playwrights and translators who share insights into Nigeria's language landscape and Shakespeare's place within it: Ifeoluwa Aboluwade, Lekan Balogun, Odirin Abonyi and Bernard Ogini. Along the way, listen out for the musical genius of Fela Kuti!

    23 min

  7. 08/10/2021

    Kiswahili Shakespeares - Part Two

    In our first two episodes, we learn about translations of Shakespeare's plays into Kiswahili - a language spoken by more than 100 million people across eastern, central and southern Africa. Part two explores this topic beyond the prominent figure of Julius Nyerere: we discuss the work of his contemporaries and those who came after him, and the relationship between Shakespeare and Kiswahili today. Director of the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre, Chris Thurman, introduces two experts on the subject: Kimani Njogu and Serena Talento. You'll also hear snippets from Kenyan theatre company Bitter Pill and from musical sensation Sho Madjozi!

    28 min

  8. 01/10/2021

    Kiswahili Shakespeares - Part One

    In our first two episodes, we learn about translations of Shakespeare's plays into Kiswahili - a language spoken by more than 100 million people across eastern, central and southern Africa. Part one focuses on the background to the translations undertaken by Julius Nyerere: liberation hero, political philosopher and the first president of independent Tanzania. Director of the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre, Chris Thurman, introduces two experts on the subject: Kimani Njogu and Serena Talento. You'll also hear snippets from Kenyan theatre company Bitter Pill and from musical sensation Sho Madjozi!

    29 min
  • 8 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Produced by the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). Shakespeare, transnationalism, multilingualism.

Information

  • Creator
    The Tsikinya-Chaka Centre
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Tsikinya-Chaka Centre 2021
  • Show Website
    Shake the Sword!