Street theatre for World Cup

As the 2010 FIFA World Cup draws closer, a street theatre performance will be staged, featuring 32 giant puppets, each measuring up to four metres high, masks and objects. It will be performed in public spaces and communities in Gauteng and beyond between 5 June and 11 July 2010.

The project, which will spice up the atmosphere of the World Cup, will entertain the crowds and benefit South African artists and craftsmen. The aim is to create a large show accessible to all and tailor-made on the scale of South African townships and neighbourhoods, thus reaching a wide audience.

Allegory of Romeo and Juliet

The drama is a South African allegory of Romeo and Juliet, which tells the story of two young lovers kept apart by the feud between their two families, culminating in an epic and comic football match, before the two parties are reconciled and the couple happily wed.

The two families will be multi-ethnic, each including various members of the Rainbow Nation and gathering four generations, from the great-grandparents to the great-grandchildren. All of them, men and women, old and young, will play football with the same energy and enthusiasm.

Between 5 June and 11 July, shows will be running in townships and other public spaces; there will be parades in public spaces (stadiums, streets, public viewing areas, fan parks and communities) in Gauteng (including the Pale Ya Rona Carnival) and South Africa around the FIFA World Cup.