‘A Little Prince’ finds a new home in Namibia
The timeless words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry took on a distinctly Namibian hue on Thursday night as the National Theatre of Namibia hosted the premiere of ‘A Little Prince in Namibia,’ a large-scale stage production that fused literature, dance and music into a vivid reimagining of the beloved French novella.
Presented by the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) in collaboration with the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre and the National Theatre, the production was funded by the French Consulate General in Johannesburg. Its scale was as ambitious as its vision: 13 performers, 12 dancers, five musicians and a choir of 40 teenagers filled the stage with colour and movement, transforming Saint-Exupéry’s desert landscape into a living, breathing world.
Directed by Philippe Talavera, the piece follows the story’s familiar arc: a pilot, stranded in the desert, encounters a mysterious teenager whose questions and observations slowly unravel deeper truths about love, loss and the human condition. But here, the sand is unmistakably Namibian, the rhythms shaped by African drums, and the voices lifted in harmonies that rooted the story in local soil.
Special appearances by Meekulu Nadula Nghelo, Lucie Machart and Fhulufelo Ramphaga drew audible delight from the audience, their roles blending seamlessly into the OYO dance troupe’s dynamic ensemble. The youthful choir, forty strong, lent a haunting, layered resonance to the performance, their voices at once ethereal and grounded. Network Media Hub was at the opening night and captured these moments.
All photos Michael Kayunde.
Presented by the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) in collaboration with the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre and the National Theatre, the production was funded by the French Consulate General in Johannesburg. Its scale was as ambitious as its vision: 13 performers, 12 dancers, five musicians and a choir of 40 teenagers filled the stage with colour and movement, transforming Saint-Exupéry’s desert landscape into a living, breathing world.
Directed by Philippe Talavera, the piece follows the story’s familiar arc: a pilot, stranded in the desert, encounters a mysterious teenager whose questions and observations slowly unravel deeper truths about love, loss and the human condition. But here, the sand is unmistakably Namibian, the rhythms shaped by African drums, and the voices lifted in harmonies that rooted the story in local soil.
Special appearances by Meekulu Nadula Nghelo, Lucie Machart and Fhulufelo Ramphaga drew audible delight from the audience, their roles blending seamlessly into the OYO dance troupe’s dynamic ensemble. The youthful choir, forty strong, lent a haunting, layered resonance to the performance, their voices at once ethereal and grounded. Network Media Hub was at the opening night and captured these moments.
All photos Michael Kayunde.
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