The largest uncut diamond on earth shined in the crown worn by King Charles at his coronation in 2023. But behind this magnificent stone, lies a less brilliant history. For instance, the Cullinan was born and excavated in South Africa in 1905. Yet it was cut in Amsterdam and traded under pressure to the English royal family. Many South Africans want the Cullinan back. Actress Buhle Ngaba dreams of succeeding.
In the theatre performance Bling! Ngaba depicts the Cullinan’s journey home to South Africa. With a personification of the diamond, flickering images from the future and monologues from a court, she takes you from the early 19th century to today’s South Africa. She follows the sharp edges of history with a naïve view of today. In doing so, the charismatic actress uses reality but also fake news. She takes the audience into an alternative history and future. In the process, she seeks the answer to the question: by returning this diamond, can the UK heal all the scars of the past?
Prior to this performance, there will be a contextual programme. A combination ticket for both the performance and programme is available.
Over Afrovibes Festival
Afrovibes Festival brengt voorstellingen met dans, theater en muziek van actuele Afrikaanse dans- en theatermakers. Het zijn makers die vanuit een Afrikaans perspectief artistiek vorm geven aan actuele vragen en thema’s die ook bij ons leven en daar een eigenzinnige visie op hebben. Over wie we zijn, wat we willen zijn en hoe we met elkaar zijn verbonden. Afrovibes onderscheidt zich als een festival dat makers uit Afrika en de Afrikaanse diaspora in Nederland samenbrengt.
Credits
South-Africa / 2024 / 60 min
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