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Dear Winnie,

Jr.cE.sA.r, KVS & NNT
Sat 30.11.2019 - Wed 26.07.2023
30.11.2019
-
26.07.2023

During the battle against apartheid, ANC resistance fighter Maurice Mthombeni wrote a letter to his confidante, Winnie Madikizela, better known as Winnie Mandela. The letter was however intercepted by the apartheid regime and published in the national newspaper of South Africa, in order to sow division within the ANC. Maurice Mthombeni fled to Europe and continued the battle from afar.

His son, director and KVS face Junior Mthombeni, long had the idea of creating a performance around Winnie Mandela. Now, within the current European climate of disunity that pits people against one another, he found the time ripe to use Winnie Mandela as a source of inspiration on stage. The performance doesn’t only relate to this particular woman who, despite humiliation, abuse and exile, continued her resistance against the apartheid regime with untiring vigour – it also wants to emphasise what we today can learn from her characteristic fighting spirit.

This time we look not through white but coloured lenses. KVS faces Mthombeni, Fikry El Azzouzi and Cesar Janssens, together the trio Jr.c.E.sA.r, set out in search for answers together with eight actresses, singers and performers from the African diaspora. When do you rebel? When do you sacrifice your personality to the greater narrative? Together they turn the white, male, Eurocentric canon on its head. They denounce the lack of representation and criticise the official version of the story.

Winnie is not a blameless woman. She is a black woman who lived in a world of white supremist men. Despite her setbacks and mistakes, she never gave up. And that’s why she is an example for so many people, both black and white. Until today, she lends people the power to fight for more equality. This performance does not want to be a history lesson – it wants to share the power.

After their lauded performances Rumble in da Jungle and Malcolm X, Winnie Mandela is an evident next source of inspiration to Jr.cE.sA.r and KVS. They want Dear Winnie, to sow seeds of hope and inspiration among the audience. Let this inspiring story transport you, thanks to a lively performance full of music.

Part of

'Dear Winnie is a remarkably compelling ritual, with its zest for life and its powerful fighting spirit creating major fireworks on stage. Nine black women present a fiery ode to their idol, Winnie Madikizela Mandela. Time, language and style flow and intermingle freely to form one feminist, anti-racist statement - and a magnificent theatre spectacle to boot.'

Jury report Theatre festival 2020

Podcast KVS en route: Dear Winnie,

The first instalment of KVS en route gets you acquainted with Dear Winnie. Director Junior Mthombeni stops by to hand you some helpful insights. He guides you through four key scenes, each of which pr…
Podcast

The lexicon of Dear Winnie

In the performance Dear Winnie a number of specific concepts and names are mentionned that we list here and provide explanations for. 

This is what the audience thought of Dear Winnie

An evening that will reverberate for a long time, that much was clear from your reactions. Because we cherish your opinions, and because a sound is only real once it is heard, we have collected your r…

Dear Winnie portrayed

In this short documentary, young filmmakers Jaan Stevens and Aisha Adepoju aim their camera at three actresses from Dear Winnie. Alesandra Seutin, Tutu Puoane and Andie Dushime reflect on the past and…
”Dear Winnie is brilliant - and often pretty uncomfortable.”
De Volkskrant
”Powerful performance”
NRC
”An explosion of energy blasts the theatre.”
Scenes.nu
"Enfin, we weten niet precies wat er allemaal gebeurd is, maar in onze ogen was het niet echt iemand om trots op te zijn. Tot we dus die voorstelling zagen."
Radio 1 (Interne Keuken)
"Dat in Dear Winnie negen vrouwen van kleur op het podium staan, is uniek."
BRUZZ
"Bovenal is Dear Winnie een niet-aflatende stroom van energieke dans en beweging, van muziek en superieure (samen)zang door geweldige performers."
BRUZZ
"Dear Winnie is een statement, een eruptie van betrokkenheid, engagement, 100 procent energie en geldingsdrang in een indrukwekkende collagevoorstelling die binnenkomt."
Het Friesch Dagblad
« Fort de son chœur, tant chanté que théâtral – de la tragédie aux rives du music hall – et infiniment sororal, Dear Winnie l’est tout autant des personnalités qui l’habitent au présent. Jamais enjolivées, âpres même au contraire, leur diversité, leur grâce soufflent d’un vent puissant, bouleversant, régénérant. »
La Libre Belgique
****
« Un spectacle foisonnant, vibrant d’une universalité sans concession. »
La Libre Belgique
****
'This is not a Shakespeare adaptation in which the actors have studied their lines by heart: this is an exorcism, a personal reckoning with prejudice and discrimination.'
De Morgen
****
'In a joint effort, this very talented ensemble pays hommage to both Mama Winnie and their African origins through text, song, dance and rap. All of this in Zulu, English, Flemish and Dutch.'
De Standaard
****
'The result is fearlessly imaginative theatre that is large-scale in vision and experimental in form, filled with exciting risks, challenging esotericism and some thrilling effects.'
The Guardian
"Het muzikale eerbetoon aan Winnie Mandela is één brok rauwe energie, een snoeiharde wake-upcall en een ontroerende hommage aan een iconische verzetsheldin, gedragen door negen fantastische actrices uit de Afrikaanse diaspora."
De Standaard Weekblad

Credits

Tutu Puoane

singer

Alesandra Seutin

dancer / choreographer

Andie Dushime

actress / singer

Jade Wheeler

actress / dramatist

Denise Jannah

singer / actress / composer

Joy Wielkens

actress / singer / dramatist

Ntjam Rosie

singer

Mahina Ngandu

Singer/ actress/ all-around artist

Credits

TEKST / TEXTE / TEXT Fikry El Azzouzi REGIE / MISE EN SCÈNE / DIRECTION Junior Mthombeni MUZIEKINSTALLATIE & MUZIKALE LEIDING / INSTALLATION & DIRECTION MUSICALES / MUSICAL INSTALLATION & DIRECTION Cesar Janssens MET / AVEC / WITH Andie Dushime, Denise Jannah, Tutu Puoane, Ntjam Rosie, Alesandra Seutin, Jade Wheeler, Joy Wielkens, Mahina Ngandu, Cesar Janssens, Christophe Millet, Junior Mthombeni BEWEGING / MOUVEMENT / MOVEMENT Alesandra Seutin STEMADVIES / COACH VOIX / VOCAL COACH Tutu Puoane DECOR- & LICHTONTWERP / CONCEPTION DE DÉCOR & LUMIÈRE / SET & LIGHT DESIGN Stef Stessel KOSTUUMONTWERP / CONCEPTION DE COSTUMES / COSTUME DESIGN Lieve Pynoo GELUIDSONTWERP / CONCEPTION DE SON / SOUND DESIGN Peter Zwart, Patrick Van Neck DRAMATURGIE / DRAMATURGY Robbert Van Heuven, Gerardo Salinas REGIE-ASSISTENT / ASSISTANT MISE EN SCÈNE / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Wim De Vries EXTERNE BLIK / REGARD EXTÉRIEURE / OUTSIDE EYES Ntando Cele PRODUCTIE / PRODUCTION KVS, NNT PRODUCTIELEIDING / DIRECTEURS DE PRODUCTION / PRODUCTION DIRECTORS Miek Scheers, Maarten Otten, Marijn Nagel, Sita Rawie TECHNISCHE PRODUCTIE & TONEELMEESTER / PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE & REGIE DE PLATEAU / TECHNICAL PRODUCTION & STAGE MANAGER Jez Cox, Nele Druyts TECHNIEK / TECHNIQUE Ralf Nonn (licht/lumières/lighting), Peter Zwart, Patrick Van Neck, Jenneke Obdeijn, Laurens Ingels, Laura den Hollander (geluid/son/sound) DECOR- & INSTRUMENTENBOUW / CONSTRUCTION DÉCOR & INSTRUMENTS / CONSTRUCTION SET & INSTRUMENTS Ralf Nonn, Danny Vandeput UITVOERING KOSTUUMS / CONFECTION COSTUMES / COSTUME EXECUTION Kostuumatelier Noord Nederlands Toneel ASSISTENTIE KOSTUUMS & KLEEDSTER / ASSISTANT COSTUMES & HABILLEUSE / COSTUME ASSISTANT & DRESSER Milla Westerhoff, Heidi Ehrhart, Nancy Colman BOVENTITELING / SURTITRAGE / SURTITLING Inge Floré, Marelien Geus, Lola Catsburg VERTALING / TRADUCTION / TRANSLATION Anne Vanderschueren, Vertaalcollectief SPREIDING & TOURMANAGEMENT / DISTRIBUTION & TOUR MANAGEMENT Saskia Liénard COPRODUCTIE / COPRODUCTION Théâtre De Liège, Perpodium MET DE STEUN VAN / AVEC LE SOUTIEN DE / WITH THE SUPPORT OF Tax Shelter van de Belgische Federale Overheid via Cronos Invest