This year Robert Haxton has been given the opportunity to direct and write the Student Production for Rhodes University titled RUBBER that will feature at the 2010 National Arts Festival taking place from 20 June to 4 July in Grahamstown.
Rubber presents a sinister style of theatre incorporating orchestral sound-score and a surreal touch to the intimate characters.
A “murder” of people flock together and ravish an emotional and physical landscape in this pert tale of brutality, seduction and chance. An isolated family in the middle of the Karoo manufactures carcinogenic fumes that intoxicate livestock, relationships and themselves.
Something alien exists among them and the exposing of secrets, thought to be dead, unfold in a shocking revelation of what people will do to protect their children and keep the darkest parts of their histories in the past. They’re funny, they’re vicious and they will eat practically anything to get their way.
After completing his BA in Drama and English in 2007, director Robert Haxton went on to obtain his Honours in Drama (2008) specialising in Directing, Choreography, Physical Theatre and Writing at Rhodes University.
Throughout his time in Grahamstown he has worked, performed and directed for the National Arts Festival (NAF). The year 2006 saw him perform in Alan Parker’s Attic Stories for the First Physical Student Company.
At the National Schools Festival 2007, Robert did the musical direction and performed with the Ubom! Eastern Cape Theatre Company for a revival of Triplets of Tantyi. In 2008, he performed in Wesley Dientje’s Hamlet Machine.
Robert performed at the 2009 NAF in Zoe Reeve’s Outside & beside Herself as well as directing and performing in Martin Sherman’s classic comic thriller Cracks.
Last year Robert went on to study for a Masters degree in Directing, also at Rhodes, where he successfully made headlines and drew huge audience numbers to his notable production of Martin Sherman’s BENT.
SETTLERS MONUMENT
FRIDAY 2 JULY 10:00
SATURDAY 3 JULY 14:00
SUNDAY 4 JULY 14:00
DURATION: 1 hour 10 minutes
LANGUAGE: English, Afrikaans with parts Xhosa
STYLE: Workshop production
AGE RESTRICTION: PG