Telling stories at P.O.P Art

P.O.P Art theatre teaches audiences the art of telling South African stories.

The small-in-size, big-punch-packing theatre that you’ve just got to love has pioneered new frontiers in South African theatre during the short years that it’s been around.

We’ve seen naked girls reading, a new revolution in local stand-up comedy, noodle box nights where the audiences enjoy some authentic Chinese food while viewing the splendour of authentic Asian karate movies and so much more, and now they’re bringing it home.

Telling stories in South Africa has always been an important means of expression, especially in African culture.

P.O.P Art is taking it back to our roots by offering theatregoers a chance to truly learn about life in the country and hear some great stories told by some great storytellers.

Organisers have said, “This is not your campfire-type of storytelling. It’s more like being at a dinner party with a lot of wine, where the truth really flows. The Storyteller Series aims to create a place for sharing new South African stories. Modelled on shows like the Moth, RISK! and This American Life, the only rule is that the stories have to be 100 percent true.”

The show runs every second Tuesday and was kicked off with Just One More Drink: Stories lost and found, starring the host of the Storyteller Series, Lebogang Mogashoa, as well as Hayleigh Evans and Jono Hall, who shared their unique stories.

In an interview with City Buzz last year, Mogashoa explained where his passion for storytelling was born. “I grew up with my grandmother telling me stories and I loved doing show-and-tells as a kid – I just didn’t know it was something that I could pursue as a career. Now I get to do it in a contemporary way.”

Don’t forget to catch the next performance of the series on 26 April, hosted by Mogashoa, starring Jemma Kahn and Robbie Thorpe.

Details: www.popartcentre.co.za