Red Mango FestivalStaff Reporter|Published 43 minutes agoGet ready for an evening of non-stop laughter with comedy night featuring Jailoshini Naidoo, her fabulous alter ego, Aunty Rumba, and friends for one performance only at the Red Mango Festival at Sastri College on Friday 24 July at 8pm.Following the success of last year’s festival, the Red Mango Arts Festival returns to Sastri College from July 22 – 25. It is a celebration of South Africa’s diverse cultural heritage and offers line-up of theatre productions, music concerts, spoken word, heritage programming, youth development initiatives, industry conversations and collaborative international works. Particular emphasis will be placed on inter-cultural narratives, contemporary South African storytelling and works that engage themes of humanity, identity, social justice and healing.“Red Mango is ultimately about people,” said festival director Rajesh Gopie. “It is about artists being seen, communities reconnecting, young people discovering possibility through creativity, and Durban reclaiming its place as one of the great cultural cities of South Africa.”Aunty Rumba is Naidoo’s hilarious alter ego, with her razor-sharp insights, hilarious observations, no-nonsense approach to problem solving and irascible world view. She brings together sharp wit, hilarious stories and unforgettable characters, celebrating local talent and everyday life with a uniquely South African flavour. The popular television and stage actress is best known for her role as Jennifer Kandasamy in the Kandasamys film series; she has performed with Durban’s KickstArt production company and is a regular collaborator with Gopie.Other festival highlights include:Sydenham Lightie, Global Ballie is written and performed by Kurt Egelhof. It is a witty autobiographical show blending stand-up comedy, cabaret, story telling and sketches that unpack the rich and often humorous intersection between Indian and coloured identities in Durban. (July 22 at 6.30pm, July 23 at 10am and July 25 at 5.30pm)In the poignant Pulitzer nominated drama, Letters of Suresh, playwright Rajiv Joseph reveals intimate mysteries through a series of letters between strangers, friends, daughters, and lovers - many with little in common but a hunger for human connection. It was hailed by the New York Times as “wonderfully daring, imaginative, and compassionate”. (July 23 at 1pm, July 25 at 3pm)The launch of Imraan Coovadia’s latest book, Enemy of the People; Sufis, Mystics and Qawali features an evening of music, poetry and spiritual storytelling in a special star studded concert. Coovadia is a South African novelist, essayist, and academic. He is the director of the creative writing programme at the University of Cape Town. (July 23 at 7.30pm)The Tshwane University of Technology group are back, this time with the fun sun soaked frolic, Mamma Mia! It features the timeless hits of ABBA woven into a story of a young woman's quest to find her birth father. (July 25 at 11am)Cabaret star Tonya Koenderman brings her own brand of humour in her one-woman show Growing Old Disgracefully. It is a hilarious, light-hearted, and irreverent look at the trials and triumphs of getting older, featuring reimagined musical classics and sharp wit. (July 24 at 6.30pm)There is a Women’s Day Showstopper concert (July 24 at 11am) and two plays for young people: Sthandwa and the Nature Thieves (July 25 at 10am) and Magiculous (July 25 at 12.30pm). The Grand Finale Concert is on Sunday July 25 at 3pm.Sastri College, home of the Red Mango Arts Festival, is situated in Greyville alongside the historic Curries Fountain Stadium. It holds deep historical and cultural significance and has been long regarded as a landmark educational institution for communities of colour. It stands as a symbol of Durban’s rich social and political history.Tickets from Webtickets