Honouring the spirit of those forcibly removed from District Six, and the enduring music of Dr David Kramer and the late Dr Taliep Petersen, From Hanover Street takes to the Artscape Theatre stage next month.
This landmark concert marks 60 years since the forced removals from District Six and runs from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 February.
For the first time ever the original performers of Broetjie in District Six: The Musical, Jody Abrahams, Loukmaan Adams, Alistair Izobell and Emo Adams, reunite, this time as producers.
This year also marks 20 years since the passing of the late Petersen, whose work with Kramer shaped the musical identity of theatre and gave a voice to a community who refused to be forgotten.
On 11 February 1966 saw District Six declared white under apartheid group areas, resulting in more than 60 000 residents having to leave the area, many of them forcibly, in one of the most painful chapters of Cape Town’s history.
Speaking to People’s Post, Izobell said Kramer and Petersen paved the way for him and many others in the entertainment industry.
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“They were such an incredible part of my life. If there is something I am doing, producing or writing David will get involved and say, ‘You can’t embarrass me like this by writing this or that.’ We are his children. And the same with Taliep.”
He said he felt humbled to be part of history.
“Proud is not a word that satisfies the emotion and connection between us, it’s an enormous space of grace. There are very few moments in history where we as a society get to live through a period of things that was part of our footprint in our lives. David has been serving people entertainment for more than 50 years. And Taliep for as long as he was alive.”
Izobell reflected on the legacy, friendship and a shared history.
“The four men, Jody Abrahams, Loukmaan Adams, Emo Adams and I, get to relive a piece of work that started our careers 40 years ago, with men were the most on the African continent at one point.
“We get to commemorate these people who were forcibly removed from their homes. The four of us have kept the music and the stamp of David and Taliep alive for four decades.”
Izobell said now, 60 years on, the pain of the forced removals still lingered.
“It was theft on a grand scale from a race of people who lived there. It’s about commemorating those people who survived it all and more, and saying this will never happen again.”
He said audiences can look forward to a fun-filled show that takes them on a trip down memory lane.
“It is not District Six the Musical, but a celebration of the spirit of people who come from District Six and the music that David and Taliep wrote.”
Kramer said he was proud of the four for continuing to keep his and Petersen’s music alive.
“I am very proud of them. They all grew up in front of my eyes and they have brought a whole lot of young people along. So there is a lot of hope for the talent of Cape Town, and we need to celebrate ourselves and rely on the young talent to do that.”
Tickets are almost sold out and are available via web tickets.
