The festival, some 1,120 kilometres from Johannesburg and 400 kilometres from Cape Town, is now embraced by all the towns people as accommodation is booked up with people flocking in to see theatre on a big scale - some are hosted in the 'veld' - and to enjoy the big names on stage and wonderful Little Karoo hospitality. This year's festival was hosted from 3 -11 April.
Besides the main stage, which included a line up of the top Afrikaans names in music, the entire town of Oudtshoorn was transformed for the festival, some 20 venues created from school halls and churches.
Since day one, Pieter-Jan Kapp, better known as Kappie from PJK, has been involved initially as a young technician employed by Production Projects (to date a faithful longstanding suppliers of the festival) and for the past eight years as the technical manager for this annual event.
Kappie says that the festival is adapted to budget and sponsorship every year, and the generous way rental companies have given back, has ensured a high standard. "If it weren't for companies like MGG Productions, Blond Productions, The Sound Corporation, SS Stage Structures and Equipment and Production Projects, we wouldn't have had these pictures," he says, referring to the photos of the stunning looking main stage. "We saw something different this year. It's amazing, everyone keeps on giving, and there are no words to thank them," said Kappie.
The main stage featured 48 x Robin 100 LEDBeam, 12 Robe Robin 600 Beams, 24 x Robin 1200 LED Wash, 12 x Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20, 18 x Clay Paky Alpha Profile 1500, 12 x Philips Showline SL NITRO 510 and four Robe BMFL Lights. Control was via a grandMA2 Full Size, NPU, VPU and grandMA2 on PC for support. Lighting designer and programmer, Hein Stroh from Blond.
The Lighting grid comprised of Prolyte H40, Prolyte 52SV trusses. "We have used Prolyte for three years and it's a great product," commented Christiaan. "Our new motors are silent and reliable."
Video footage was displayed on 140 VuePix 12mm panels. "The client was blown away," he added.
"KKNK is always hard work but it's fun," ended Christiaan. "Everyone jumps in to make it a success."
(Jim Evans)
