built entirely in Africa!
Calling Us Home is a story rooted in Africa - our heartland, our homeland
Come and walk the journey of staging this Musical with us…
our story begins…
Right from the very beginning creating and building a grand scale musical opera in Africa was challenging, thrilling, exhausting, terrifying, exhilarating - but always an adventure!
So many said “No! It can’t be done.”
The first thing we encountered when that small, somewhat fragile thought cautiously stepped forth into the world, was a cacophony of, “It cannot be done, you will never succeed, there is no precedent for this, you are aiming for the impossible,” and all the naysayers flocked like vultures huddled on a tree together, spreading their wings of gloom. (A very African image… )
We did it anyway!
It would not be truthful if we said that we didn’t care what they said. We sat together talking about risk and danger and disaster … but then, when there was no more to say on the subject, we did it anyway!
Why? Because this story had to be told!
Here is what Alice Gillham, who wrote the epic music and the libretto said, when she was asked that very same question.
“Africa is open, brave and beautiful and its people have all the talent and heart they need to touch the world” she paused, “we must tell our stories… even if it’s hard to do.”
And thus, against all odds, the musical opera “Calling Us Home” was born…
Look at us on stage!
#TheWomxnOfCallingUsHome
(Female Cast 2017 - Development Run)
Social Media Has Spoken!
“The best musical we have on the continent.”
— @maredithabo on instagram
“omg This is So exciting!!!!!! Yayyy…”
— @DanielleBitton1 on instagram
“South Africa’s greatest homegrown musical ever.”
— @GerhardLampen on instagram
it starts with a song…
On an ancient, beautiful and lovingly cared for grand piano, far up on the slopes of Table Mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town, South African composer Alice Gillham started to write a song… A song about home, about belonging, about connection. A song about the fear of an uncertain future and the courage to step into the unknown. A song called ‘Tomorrow’.
After ‘Tomorrow’ was written; from Alice’s pen flowed the story - Grace’s journey from Africa to America. The people she meets, the man she falls in love with, the immense challenges she encounters - her search for Home.
And from this song came a Character who would raise her lyrical and hauntingly evocative voice to sing it - a warm-hearted, courageous young heroine: ‘Grace’.
A voice that soared across the star-filled African night sky…
A little bit of #HerStory: ‘Tomorrow - Act I, Scene 2’ was originally written with South African Star Lynelle Kenned’s voice in mind - and Lynelle ended up originating the role of Grace! #BehindTheScenes #TrueStory
“A song is a heartbeat, a starting pulse, that can flow from person to person…”
Calling Us Home became a story that would tell of a great love, but also one that would humbly yet firmly touch on some of humanity’s big issues, such as the plight of refugees, the many challenges women face and the need for greater empathy, understanding and care in an uncertain world.
Once the Libretto & Music are done - a story needs a whole village to bring it to life…
from page to stage
So who did we need in our village? In 2017 we found a young, fresh, committed and talented South African director, Magdalene Minnaar, a team of exceptional Local Creatives who were brave enough to accept the challenge.
And an African Cast - bursting with…
…talent, energy and heart!
We worked, danced, sang, built, created and reworked and then staged our development runs in South Africa…
And then Covid struck.. and we had to stop and wait
But then in 2021 Alice met Peter. Peter Flynn, an esteemed American Director, began a cross-continental, virtual conversation with Alice about perspectives…
African perspectives, American perspectives, Human perspectives.
Calling Us Home is a story that needs to be authentically told from many different viewpoints - and suddenly our village had become a global one!
Peter has taken the creative reins and will lead our multinational collaboration out into the world in 2023!
DreamWORK
Discussions, struggles, collaboration, fights, late nights, bad coffee, sore feet, tears, rewrites, briefings, challenges, planning sessions, laughter..
and More rewrites!
Auditions, Rehearsals, reworks…
OUR very FIRST REHEARSALS…
…took place in a church hall in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the middle of a freezing winter! And yes, it can be freezing in Africa!
We didn’t have enough time, we didn’t have enough money, but we were on an adventure!
Our Cast sang their hearts out and danced their way through ice cold fingers, dry throats, late nights and endless reworks.
During our Tech Week things fell from the roof, someone stepped on a violin, our wardrobe went missing and the Composer burst into tears...
But with our hearts beating with excitement, fear and just enough hope:
We Staged for the first time!
And then, after the applause, the Rewrites started again…
Photographs from top left: Auditions (2018), Tech Week (2017), Stage Manager - Carynn Wolff with props, a stagehand moving the Fish Factory fans, 2017 Cast Rehearsals, Magdalene Minnaar hard at work and Luigia Casaleggio (Mary) applying her make-up
“Home is not A PLACE, home is where your heart lives…”
‘LOVE IS NOT choice’ Act 2 Scene 21
Meet the social #issues
so Not just a Love Story then…
#CompassionForRefugees #WomxnEmpowerment #FightingIntolerance #EndingModernSlavery #Diversity #BlackLivesMatter
Yikes! We thought this was entertainment… Heavy? Hell Yes! These are some of the most important conversations of our time and our Calling Us Home Story is part of that conversation. Do we have a position? Yes! And we stand by it:
Take Care of Each Other
Listen with Compassion
Not just numbers - Actual People!
Please experience our Story with Empathy
Do we have the answers? No we don’t… But let’s keep talking.
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