Page 66 - Designing Ways 255

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Fiona Ramsay
Photo credit: Janna Shrienz

'Designing a Way Forward'

Theatre & Performance Department
The Threepenny Opera, Act
Wits School of Arts, Witwatersrand University Photo credit: Mariola Biela

itwatersrand University Hons from UCT and completing her MA knowledge of theoretical and practical
celebrates its Centenary Year at Witwatersrand University on her role studies, that aim to develop critical insight
Win 2022 and the Theatre and as a dialogue coach in her thesis: Giving and imaginative intelligence to produce
Performance Department housed in the Voice to Mandela - accent acquisition the innovative theatre practitioners.
Wits School of Arts, headed by recently film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom The Department aims to combine a
appointed Dr Rene Smith, hopes to where she coached actor Idris Elba. She focused, discipline-specific foundation
honour this with a festival of theatre joined the Theatre and Performance in areas of specialisation in their
in September 2022 featuring current Department in 2016 where her teaching degrees, with a flexible, interdisciplinary
students and former alumni, under the focused on Voice in Performance studies programme to enhance student
guidance of the Head of Department and and exploring the validity of the South innovation and experimentation,
Alumnus, Fiona Ramsay. African Voice in Shakespeare. in preparation for a career in the
Fiona Ramsay is a leading actress In the Centenary Year the Department entertainment and theatre industry and
in South Africa has many awards and invites audiences to immerse themselves for further study. Each course includes
accolades for an impressive archive of in the exciting and innovative theatre experiential learning in all areas of the
work and a career embracing a variety work which will be showcased to mark performing and communicative arts by
of disciplines within the industry. Not 100 years of excellence. It is also an working in the Wits Theatre, housing the
only an actress, but director, dialogue opportunity for those interested in theatre Nunnery Theatre, a heritage building, the
and performance coach, Fiona moved studies and potential students to gain Main Theatre and two smaller venues,
into academia after graduating with a BA a taste of the exciting work created by a the Amphitheatre and Downstairs

The Threepenny Opera, Act 1 The Threepenny Opera, Act 2
Photo credit: Mariola Biela Photo credit: Mariola Biela

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