BroadwayWorld.com South Africa Stories

50 SHADES OF BAMBI Comes to The Fugard Theatre in August

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:12:37 PST

Pieter-Dirk Uys stars as Bambi Kellermann in a new cabaret entitled 50 Shades of Bambi, at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, from 6 to 24 August 2013.

Bambi Kellermann is Evita Bezuidenhout`s younger sister. She is the chalk to Tannie`s cheese. Stripper, sex worker and grande horizontal who graduated from the University of Sex Cum Laude. A Fleur du Cap Winner (2010) for Best Performance in a Cabaret, Bambi is back at the Fugard Theatre in August in the world premiere of her new fabulous onslaught against the prudish, the improper and the pathetic. The book ``50 Shades of Grey`` was focused on one specific colour of behaviour. Bambi`s cabaret includes a rainbow selection of other choices. It is also her journey from teenage confusions, through youthful experimentation, into middle-aged compromise to her twilight-year common sense about life, love, laughter and lies. It`s not just about sex,it`s about enjoying what comes naturally. And if it`s not natural, be careful.

With Musical Director Godfrey Johnson at the piano, Bambi takes a raunchy ride to the other side of daily life: relationships, trust, happiness, hope, love and fidelity. Sex is the full-frontal focus, with words, music, toys and tinsel. Recommended to anyone who believes in freedom of expression and the right to choose what is best for them when the lights are low-all presented with the wisdom of experience, humour of recall and songs that remind and remain.

With Women's Day on 9 August, this show is appropriately timed, with a strong focus on the Fairer Sex, and sees Bambi on a new exciting road - her long walk in high-heels to the freedom of expression - in bed, in conversation and in song.

50 Shades of Bambi is at the Fugard Theatre for a limited season from 6 to 24 August 2013, with performances Wednesdays and Thursdays at8pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm and 9pm. Tickets cost R150 through Computicket or 0861915000 or via the Fugard box office on 0214614554. Special discounts are available for the Friends of the Fugard.

SACRIFICE to Play New Africa Theatre in Cape Town, May-June 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:42:20 PST

Award-winning South African playwright and director Charles J. Fourie's latest play SACRIFICE featuring famed local stage and film actor Peter Butler will be staged at the New Africa Theatre from 29 May to 8 June.

The production with supporting actors Leonard Moss, Carin Bester, Christia Visser and Charles Van den Heever is also directed by Fourie with original music by Wim Kock.

The play tells the story of an enstranged political activist who returns to South Africa from his life in America to compile a report on a young Afrikaner boy who killed five black people during a shooting frenzy in a township. As Errol Hendricks, played by award-winning actor Peter Butler, explores the motives behind the killings through a series of interviews with the boy and his mother, a tragedy is revealed that impacts on violence as a form of sacrifice.

Fourie says; 'the idea behind the play is to reflect on past and present political tensions as causes to these derisive acts that plague our country. The audience in the process is also asked to choose between vengeance or forgiveness, which is a difficult one because what would you do if your daughter or sister was raped and you're standing with the gun or rifle in your hand?'

The production will run nightly at 20h00 with matinee performances on Saturdays at 15h00. For more information and bookings contact Nadeera on 021 696 2392 or 0844831993. New Africa Theatre is located just off Klipfontein Road past Red Cross Hospital. Meals and a full bar will also be available on performance nights.

Charles J. Fourie is widely acclaimed as a daring playwright and director who has been the recipient of several awards for his work. These include two Amstel Playwright of the year awards, the South African Arts Council best new play award, the AA Life Vita best play and best production award, the KKNK/Nagtegaal award for best new Afrikaans play, and the Maskew Miller Literary award for best play in English. His works have been staged at the Market Theatre, Baxter Theatre, Theatre on the Bay, Artscape, Windybrow Theatre, State Theatre and various arts festivals around the country. In recent times his works have found their way onto the international stage in London at The Old Vic Theatre, the John Caird Director's Festival, the Soho Theatre, The Warehouse Theatre, the Finborough Theatre and the Burton Taylor Studio in Oxford.

BWW Reviews: Engrossing THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS from Cape Town's Play Club

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:13:38 PST

Play Club is a relatively new initiative in Cape Town, describing itself as a book club for theatre lovers with the aim of building a sense of community in the local arts scene. With this reading of Mike Daisey's THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS, it seems that the team of theatre-makers behind Play Club is well on their way to achieving that goal. Having grown from a group of 13 some months ago, this reading included a group of more than 40 actors, writers, directors, filmmakers, politicians, critics and theatregoers, an eclectic mix that really works for Play Club's interactive forum, which offers so much more than a straightforward table reading of a play.

Obviously the table reading of THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS was the heart of the event. Prior to the reading, panel moderator Drew Rienstra contextualised the play and led an icebreaker in which everyone in the room was asked to answer a simple question: "What piece of technology can't you live without?" (Answers included iPhones, laptops, USB ports, cars, glasses and even 'my bed'.) This was a neat way to key everyone into not only the issues directly broached in Daisey's piece, but also into the wider problems of a consumerist culture and how each of us plays a role in its perpetuation.

Daisey's original text, as is his wont, is written as a monologue, through which he explores various aspects of the Steve Jobs phenomenon. These include what he sees as Jobs's duality ('visionary asshole'), the rise and fall and rise of Apple and the inhumane working conditions that bring, in this case, various phone manufacturers' products to the public. This version of the piece is subtitled "Release 2.0", a reaction to criticisms of a radio broadcast of sections of THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS after which Daisey was accused of exaggerating and fabricating various details of his story. The new version removes five minutes of material that was considered to be problematic, with Daisey commenting, 'If I expect them to build an ethical iPhone, then I needed to build an ethical monologue.'

Following Rientra's welcome, the reading was delivered by a cast of seven actors, with Daisey's monologue split up between them. Mike (read by Daniel Barnett) and his experiences in China were isolated as a through line, while parts of the script that dealt more with the dissemination of Apple products and the ideology that seems to go hand in hand with them were split six ways amongst various contemporary archetypes. These included Businesswoman (Chi Mende), Computer Nerd (Andrew Roux), Student (Jessica Sutton), Hipster (Bjorn Steinbach), Twenty-Something (Candice van Litsenborgh) and Mama (Faniswa Yiwa).

There is nothing like a table reading when the actors are good. Listening to THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASTY OF STEVE JOBS was exciting: with any sort of artifice stripped away, the whole affair was intimate and messy and completely wonderful. Some proposals worked, others did not - but in the end, this mattered very little in this context. What mattered was engaging with the text, which all of the actors did in various ways, resulting in many thoroughly entertaining moments throughout the afternoon.

Following a brief intermission, everyone reconvened for a panel-led discussion based on the reading. The actors and audience were asked for their reactions to the play, while the panel - consisting of playwright and critic Megan Furniss, Fleur du Cap's Marina Griebenow, filmmaker Matthew Kalil , ACT Cape Town's Candice Michelle Poole and DA Councillor Rose Rau - delved into some of the issues that had been raised for them during the reading. Some of these included to what extent the piece could be considered a play at all, whether or not the use of multiple voices illuminated or shut down meaning in the piece, whether or not Jobs was an easy target and whether the wider issues were too broad to pin on him alone and whether the piece had the power to instigate a change in behaviour in the audience.

My views? Well, in short:

• Yes, I think the piece is a play. THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS may not take a traditional format, which is why some people responded favourably when the idea of labelling the piece differently was articulated. In the panel discussion, Griebenow cited three works by David Hare as comparable examples (VIA DOLOROSA, BERLIN and WALL) and all of these - whether one calls them readings for the stage, storytelling or by another moniker - can broadly be considered to be plays.

• I agreed with those who felt that splitting the monologue up into different voices would not work for a full scale production of the piece, where I feel that as written THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS would play most effectively as a monologue. That said I felt it was an appropriate choice for the reading in this forum. One of the problems related to splitting up the piece was articulated by Yiwa, who said that as an actress one instinctively starts looking for an emotional arc, an impossible task when, as Furniss articulated, the links are not there in the first place. (Later, I wondered whether looking for an emotional arc in the conventional sense was a primary concern at all given that the characters were split along archetypal lines, much like Death, Goods or Five Wits in EVERYMAN.)

• Yes, Jobs is an easy target, but he is only the metaphor for all (technological) companies that function in an unethical manner to make consumer goods. Daisey refers to the 'shifting metaphor' and I doubt that the point of THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS is for us to think only about the issues within the Apple framework. The field is wide open, but Jobs is an excellent gateway.

• When we were asked for feedback at the end of the play, I said that I thought it was the kind of piece that made me want to want to change my behaviour, but that my smart phone upgrade is due in ten days.... Was it the kind of play that intends to change behaviour? Well, not overnight; I think that Daisey is more realistic than that. The aim of the piece, I think, is to alert us to - as Daisey puts it - 'the web of relationships between (our) things and how they are made'. I might still go for my upgrade at the end of the month, but I will look more carefully at labels and consider buying local products where I can.

Play Club's reading of THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS was an engrossing experience. For just a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, I felt I was able to sit down with a group of mostly strangers, set aside our differences and engage together about theatre in a way that I have not been able to since I left university: as if it really matters and as if it really has an impact on our day-to-day existence. Which, of course, it does. Thanks to Play Club for fostering that link, and may it continue to grow from strength to strength.

THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS was read for one night only Sanders South Africa in The Palms Centre in Cape Town. The next Play Club event takes place on 16 June 2013 and will focus on Ken Ludwig's farce, LEND ME A TENOR. Tickets are available at Quicket.

Photo credit: Instagram/ChaseTheSun

MY VROU SE MAN SE LYK SE TAS Comes to Sand du Plessis Theatre, May 28-June 1

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:59:44 PST

Vrystaters kan in Junie uitsien na 'n splinternuwe klug wanneer Ray Cooney se Funny Money, meesterlik in Afrikaans vertaal deur Peet van Rensburg as My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas en onder die regie van Frans Swart, die Sand du Plessis-teater in Bloemfontein besoek. Die speelvak word aangebied in samewerking met OFM 94 - 97FM en Volksblad. Hierdie is natuurlik een van Cooney se baie suksesvolle klugte op Londen se Westend en word vir die heel eerste keer in Suid-Afrika aangebied. My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas is vanaf 28 Mei tot 1 Junie in die Sand du Plessis-teater in Bloemfontein op die planke, en toer daarna verder. Besprekings kan by Pacofs gedoen word deur (051) 447-7772 te skakel. Groepe van 10 of meer kry oudergewoonte 'n lekker afslag - skakel Lefra Produksies by (011) 815-3000 of stuur 'n e-pos aan admin@lefra.com.

Ons stel ook vertonings by die bogenoemde venues beskikbaar aan organisasies wat dit wil gebruik as fondsinsamelingsprojek. Belangstellendes kan Charl Senekal kontak by die bogenoemde nommer, of 'n e-pos stuur aan marketing@lefra.com. Vir meer inligting, besoek www.lefra.com of www.myvrou.co.za.

Chris van Niekerk vertolk die hoofrol, Henry Perkins, 'n tipiese voorstedelike rekenmeester. Behalwe dat dit sy verjaarsdag is, is Henry soos gewoonlik met die middagtrein oppad huistoe, waar hy en sy vrou Jean (Lulu Botha) 'n gesellige verjaarsdagete saam hulle beste vriende, Vic en Betty Johsnon (Chris van Rensburg en Amalia Uys) beplan. Henry ruil per ongeluk sy briewetas met die van 'n ander persoon op die trein om, net om later uit te vind dat die tas 'n klein fortuin bevat! Hy vertel sy niksvermoedende vrou van hul nuutgevonde fortuin, maar sy hanteer dit nie so goed soos Henry gedink het nie! Gou sluit die Johnsons by hulle aan, tesame met 'n polisieman wat agter die deur staan (Paul Lückhoff as Speursersant Davenport), nog 'n polisieman op die uitkyk (Botha Enslin as Speursersant Slater), 'n taxibestuurder genaamd Bill (Duncan Johnson) en die gevreesde misdaadbaas (Phillru van Achterbergh) wat gekom het om sy fortuin terug te eis... Voorsienbaar, gryp die onvoorsiene in en wat volg is 'n dolle vaart van histeriese humor!

Frans Swart is beide vervaardiger en regisseur van My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas. Frans was ook die regisseur van verlede jaar se suksesvolle klug, My Vrou se Man se Vrou, wat gehore regoor die land laat skater het. Die produksie het 'n pragtoekenning ontvang vir die gewildste produksie by verlede jaar se Innibos Laeveldse Nasionale Kunstefees in Nelspruit. Frans is ook die vervaardiger van trefferproduksies soos Groet die Grotman, Groet die Grotvrou, Fiela se Kind en Liewe Heksie, waarvan hy ook die verwerker en regisseur was. Hy het tydens die jaarlikse Naledi-teatertoekennings in 2011 die uitvoerende direkteurstoekenning ontvang vir sy bedrae tot teater in Suid-Afrika. Frans is baie opgewonde oor die nuwe produksie. "Ek is veral opgewonde om hierdie splinternuwe klug aan te pak," vertel hy. "Dit is nog nooit in Suid-Afrika gedoen nie en juis daarom is ons almal baie opgewonde om hierdie vars klug vir Suid-Afrika aan te bied om lekker te kom lag! Ons het van die beste spelers in Suid-Afrika nader gehark om in die nuwe klug te speel," sê Frans. "Almal is akteurs met ongelooflike lekker komiese aanvoeling en ek waarborg 'nlaugh-a-minute."

Ervare akteur Chris van Niekerk se eerste liefde is steeds teater, al sal TV-kykers hom dalk nog onthou as Francois van televisie se 7de Laan, en sal ook binnekort gesien word in Vlug na Egipte. "My fokus is egter die teater. En as ek dit vir die res van my lewe kan doen, sal dit wonderlik wees," vertel Chris. Chris het drama aan die Universiteit van Pretoria studeer en was te sien in Magspel, Die Ryk Weduwee, Dinsdae by Morrie en die onlangse Grieta kry Geleerdheid, waar hy die verhoog gedeel het met Lulu Botha, wat sy vrou in My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas vertolk.

Amalia Uys, baie bekend vir haar gewilde karakter, San-Mari van Graan in 7de Laan, keer terug verhoog toe in My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas as Betty Johnson. Amalia het, na ses jaar op 7de Laan, besluit om die sepie vaarwel te roep om haar weer op teaterwerk te fokus. Amalia het drama studeer aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch waarna sy 'n rol gekry het op die SABC2-komedie Gabriël. Sy wou daarna haar Honneurs in Dramaterapie gaan doen het, maar voor sy daarmee kon begin, het sy die rol van San-Mari op 7de Laan gekry. Tydens haar loopbaan by 7de Laan het sy ook die vryheid gehad om haar in ander genres uit te leef. In die romantiese komedie Klein Karoo, onder die regie van Regardt van den Bergh, speel sy die sluwe Magriet. Haar mees uitdagende rol tot op hede is egter die van Ruth in Harold Pinter se The Homecoming in Afrikaans asHuistoe met Henry Milne in die regisseurstoel. Amalie se primêre passie bly toneelspel en die proses van karakterontleding en -vertolking. Sy is egter vasberade om die struikelblokke en beprekinge in die Suid-Afrikaanse industrie te oorkom deur self werk te skep en ook haar hand te waag aan regie en vervaardiging.

Die talentvolle Botha Enslin was die afgelope paar jaar veral besig met kinderteater, met bykans 20 van die produksies onder die belt. "Kinderteater leer 'n kind om in hierdie tyd van hoë tegnologie weer kind te wees," sê Botha. "Dit laat 'n kind droom en verbreed sy verbeeldingswêreld". Botha was sedert 2010 (en is steeds!) te sien in Lefra Produksies se Liewe Heksie, waarin hy 'n paar rolle vertolk. Hy het ook onlangs sy eie produksiemaatskappy gestig wat poppekasteater vir kleuterskole aanbied. Behalwe sy optredes in kinderproduksie, was Botha onder andere te sien in Houtkruis, Die Musical. Hy het is 'n bekende gesig op televisie met verskeie advertensies agter sy naam, en rolle in die onder andere die sepies Generations en Rhythm City, en natuurlik as die fopdosser Thalula in Erfsondes!

Chris van Rensburg het 'n sterk teater-agtergrond wat te danke is aan sy Eisteddfod-dae op laer- en hoërskool. Dit was vir hom 'n logiese volgende stap om drama aan die Universiteit van Pretoria te gaan studeer, waar hy in 2005 'n toekenning ontvang vir die beste kreatiewe bydrae tot die dramadepartement. Chirs het in verskeie teater-, film- en televisieproduksies verskyn, wat sy vermoeë om 'n verskeidenheid karakters te vertolk bevestig. Hy was te sien in uiteenlopende produksies soos Die Afrikaner 300, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical, Houtkruis: Die Musical en is ook eersdaags op die kassie in die nuwe KykNet-komediereeks, Moeggeploeg.. Chris is ook mede-eienaar van die produksiemaatskappy Pôkô Events and Productions wat hulle daarop toespits om nuwe en opwindende teaterwerke te skep.

Duncan Johnson is al meer as 25 jaar besig met vryskutwerk. Hy't 'n 4-jaar B.Dram graad aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch verwerf, met spesialisasie in Toneel. In sy finale jaar het hy die Fleur du Cap-toekening vir Belowendste Student in die Wes-Kaap ontvang. Daarna is hy met 'n beurs van die Italiaanse Ambassade na die Universiteit van Bologna in Italië vir 'n paar maande. By sy terugkeer na SA het hy in verskeie verhoogproduksies opgetree, maar hy sal veral onthou word as kontinuïteitsaanbieder vir M-Net, aanbieder en nuusleser vir CNW TV en veldaanbieder vir Pasella. As akteur was hy ook te siene in 7de Laan, Egoli en Intersexions, om maar 'n paar te noem. Duncan was ook te sien in My Vrou se Man se Vrou in 2012, waar hy die rol van Speurdersersant Porterhouse vertolk het. Hy het die hoofrolle vertolk in twee televisierolprente wat in die VSA op die Kassie is, waaronder die riller Walk in the Night.

Lulu Botha is 'n boorling van die Vrystaat en het haar dramagraad aan die Unversiteit van die Vrystaat behaal. In 2011 word sy genomineer vir twee Fiësta-Toekennings - beide vir Beste Byspeelster - onderskeidelik vir Spyt deur Ingrid Winterbach onder leiding van Brink Scholtz en Pieter Fourie se Die Proponentjie, met regie deur Paul Eilers. Toe kry Leon Kruger dit in sy kop dat Lulu nie genoeg stres nie en hy skryf vir haar haar vierde eenvrou-vertoning, Paloekas-Dagboek van 'n Single Girl. Tussendeur speel sy saam met Antoinette Louw en Simone Biscombe in Eve Ensler se Die Vagina Monoloë. Dis toe dat Hennie van Greunen gee toe vir haar die rol van Grieta in Willy Russell se Grieta kry Geleerdheid. "Dit is die meeste woorde wat ek nog ooit moes leer," sê Lulu. "Maar as iets lekker is gee mens mos nie om nie." Die produksies het die land vol getoer verlede jaar. Van Greunen het die volgende oor Lulu te sê gehad: "Onder haar grappige exterior kruip 'n vlymskerp intellek weg." As aktrise oortuig Lulu altyd haar gehore. Soveel so, dat tannies soms grappenderwys vra of sy nie veronderstel is om karkarre op te pas nie - verwysend na haar karakter in Carwatch.

Paul Lückhoff is veral bekend vir sy rol as Saul in die verhoogweergawe van Dalene Matthee se Kringe in 'n Bos, en het die rol op die verhoog vir bykans nege jaar vertolk. Hy wou as kind nooit akteur word nie, maar nadat hy aan 'n beroepsbegeleier tydens sy diensplig genoem het dat hy graag wil "stront praat oor die radio", het die hom aangeraai om drama te gaan studeer. Sedertdien was hy in meer verhoogstukke as wat hy kan tel, ook in kinder en jeugteater. Hy was onder andere te sien as Elias in Lefra Produksies se Fiela se Kind in 2007, wat toe as voorgskrewe werk aangebied is. Televisiekykers herken hom steeds as die kultusleier Menasse vanEgoli, en sy rol as Pop in die rolprentweergawe van Triomf is een wat vir hom besonders na aan die hart lê.

Nuweling Phillru van Achterbergh maak die geselskap van My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas voltallig. Hy is tans 'n derdejaar-dramastudent aan die Tshwane Universiteit van Tegnologie. Die verhoog is vir hom egter 'n bekende plek, en het hy in 2002 in die stuk Horings gespeel, wat in daardie jaar by die KKNK op die planke was. Phillru het verlede jaar vier toekennings ontvang tydens die universiteit se Rostrum Roulette-fees ontvang, waaronder die groot toekenning as Akteur van die Jaar nie. Hy herhaal die sege ook en ontvang die TUT Departmenet van Uitvoerende Kunste se toekenning as die algehele beste speler in die department.

Frans sê dat dit nog altyd vir Lefra Produksies belangrik is om met die produksies te toer. "Alhoewel dit uit 'n logistieke oogpunt 'n nagmerrie is om met so 'n groot rolverdeling en stel te toer, gaan ons beslis die pad die land vol vat en dit moontlik maak vir die hele land om die produksie te sien. Mense wil nie meer wroeg nie - daarvoor sorg ons politiek beslis baie goed - ons mense wil lag. En dis juis wat My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas gaan bring."

Bespreek jou kaartjies vir My Vrou se Man se Lyk se Tas nou by Pacofs by (051) 447-7772. Vir groepbesprekings en gasvryheidspakkette, skakel Lefra Produksies by (011) 815-3000 of stuur 'n e-pos na admin@lefra.com.

Photo: Chris van Rensburg en Phillru van Achterbergh

BWW Reviews: Power of SANTA'S STORY Diluted by Sentimentality and Nostalgia

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:48:55 PST

The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town is currently playing host to a return season of SANTA'S STORY, following a run in Johannesburg and preceding two overseas stops in London and Helsinki. Based on the memoir of Santa Pelham, a German-born Jewish woman who was forced to live as a refugee in a Europe spiralling downward into the Second World War, fleeing from Germany to Spain and then to France, before finally making a trip to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to marry a man to whom she had been introduced by letter. Performed by Pelham's daughter, Aviva, an esteemed singer and actress from the world of opera and musical theatre, this piece of storytelling attempts to illuminate Santa's past as a narrative that resonates with the present climate, which is summed up in the programme notes as one characterised by 'racism, xenophobia, lost years and broken dreams'.

SANTA'S STORY starts off with Aviva as Santa, reminiscing about her birth as she sits down to write her memoirs. This is followed by recollections of Santa's childhood and her relationship with her family, a group whose existence was characterised early on by a pattern of being separated and reunited. As Santa becomes a young woman, she has to make peace with her identity, with doubts that arise in regard to her religious beliefs, with life on a new continent as the wife of a stranger and with the loss of her parents and brother during the Holocaust. The story is punctuated with songs and underscored by music played by an onstage Klezmer band, endowing the tales with a sense of historical and cultural context. Upstage, images of the real Santa and of the places in which she lived are projected onto a screen, along with translations of the song lyrics.

Scripted by Aviva herself, in collaboration with director Janice Honeyman, from a final manuscript of Santa's memoirs that was edited by Gabi Sulcas, who is Aviva's daughter, there is a strong sense of familial catharsis in SANTA'S STORY as it appears on stage. But while the story and the themes upon which it touches are engaging and worthy, the tale loses something in the telling in this translation of SANTA'S STORY into a piece of narrative theatre.

The problem is that the stage production - despite the aforementioned assertions to the contrary - plays as though it is not predominantly about racism, xenophobia, lost years and broken dreams, the very stuff that is at the heart of Pelham's memoirs. SANTA'S STORY, the play, is about storytelling, a concept explicitly introduced in the title of the play and set up in the opening and closing framework of the show in which Aviva re-enacts the writing of Santa's stories. But where is the conflict in the act of the telling of this story? If there was any, it is not apparent in the play, and the true conflicts inherent to a personal history as rich as this one fade into the background as the play skips cursorily from episode to episode in Santa's life, remaining hidden under a veil of nostalgia and sentimentality.

Were the play to tackle head on, say, Santa's struggle with God, the joys and challenges of learning to know your husband only after your wedding celebration or the complexities of survivor guilt, SANTA'S STORY might be the piece of theatre it sets out to be. Moments that are sunk into rather than glossed over are the foundations of the best scenes in the play: one involves a pair of letters by which two women's fates will be decided and the other features an exiled Santa singing a song about her mother, who she misses dearly.

Whatever the problems the play might have, Aviva's performance as Santa is impassioned as she communicates a story that is naturally very close to her heart. Her voice still soars as she navigates her way through both traditional and period songs in German, Spanish, French, Yiddish, Hebrew and English. There is something about her that reminds one very much of a cross between Leslie Caron and Julie Andrews, and it would be wonderful to see her return to the legitimate musical theatre stage in a role like Madame Armfeldt in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC or Heidi Schiller in FOLLIES. The band that accompanies Aviva onstage - Matthew Reid on clarinet, sax and keyboard, Petri Salonen on violin and Nicky Jansen on keyboard, guitar, accordion and flute - play wonderfully, whether in support of Aviva's vocals or beneath her speech. They are an indispensible part of this production.

The physical production of SANTA'S STORY reflects a great deal of thought and care. Dicky Longhurst's design of the stage space offers just the right mix of realistic detail and abstract symbolism to create a sympathetic environment in which this story can be told and Mannie Manim's lighting evokes well the sense of period in which the bulk of the play is set.

Like the adaptation of SANTA'S STORY itself, Honeyman's direction only partially works in this production. While there is a deep investment in the subject matter, the play has curious sameness of rhythm as it shifts repetitively from monologue to song and back again. As such, while some fascinating moments are achieved, the overall experience leaves one feeling somewhat underwhelmed by its "and then... and then... and then..." structure.

The experience of SANTA'S STORY as a theatrical performance is thought-provoking, not only in regard to its subject matter but also as an exercise in theatre-making. While the story clearly deals with meaningful issues and ideas, the production handles them in all too pedestrian a fashion. Perhaps the familial bonds at the heart of this production work as much against the play as for it. Maybe there is no way not to lose objectivity about the story one is telling in the midst of such a profound engagement with one's own history. Possibly, sometime in the future, when fresh minds, hearts and hands come across SANTA'S STORY, the piece of theatre that it could be will emerge. For now, it is a pleasant and life-affirming, but all too frustratingly safe piece of work.

SANTA'S STORY runs until 26 May 2013 at The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town. Performances take place from Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm and on Sunday at 3pm, with no performances on Fridays. Tickets can be booked at Computicket or through the Fugard Theatre box office on 021 461 4554.

Photo credit: Jesse Kate Kramer

BWW Reviews: Evocative MIRAKEL a Tribute to the Legacy of Reza de Wet

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:32:59 PST

The second production in the University of Cape Town Drama Department's Winter Season is Reza de Wet's MIRAKEL, the final play in the playwright's conceptually linked TRITS trilogy. With De Wet's death from leukaemia last year still fresh in the minds of South African theatremakers, the opportunity to see her work on stage is the ultimate tribute to a playwright who was known for her richly imaginative and deeply haunting work. This production serves her legacy well.

MIRAKEL tells the tale of a group of travelling performers, making their way from town to town in Depression-era South Africa. Led by Danté du Pré, the destitute company arrives in a town all but owned by Anna Vermark, a woman spurned by one of the actors, Abel, who has since taken up with Lenie since he deserted his wife years before. Abel warns his co-performers - including Salomé, an actress whose star has long since faded, and all-rounder Antoine - that something is afoot, but is ignored, thus initiating a downward spiral of events that forces them to confront themselves and the realities of their current situation.

Daniel Richards and Renata Redelinghuys deliver remarkable performances as Danté and Salomé, all the more so given that the roles they are playing are three times their age. Wisely, they do not waste energy trying to play the age of their respective characters, but focus rather on everything else that make them tick. This choice makes both of them completely believable. One doubts neither Danté's experience nor his authority over this small group of players, while Salomé's preciousness over everything but the inner lives of the various parts she has played rings completely true. That aspect of the character supplies a great deal of humour, but that is not the be all and end all of Salomé, nor is Danté's status the sum total of his persona. Both are seduced by their illustrious past, waiting to be liberated from their torturous present.

As Antoine, Gantane Gwane Kusch gives an impassioned portrayal of a man who is tormented by the very situation that offers him salvation. Emma Kotze is all sinister elegance as Anna, veiling her menace with an efficient and unquestioningly pleasant façade. David Viviers plays Abel with a fine-tuned sense of the character's inner conflict, but there are times when the language feels a little uncomfortable in his mouth. Thandiela Goldman captures Lenie's general sense of displacement well, but could work towards greater moment-to-moment specificity in the role.

As a play text, MIRAKEL offers a great deal to savour. Written in in supple and evocative Afrikaans, the play is laced with intriguing touches of the macabre and a wicked sense of self-deprecating humour. De Wet's characters are fascinating and the tragicomic, Chehovian tone evoked in her writing really engages the mind as the narrative twists and turns towards its climax. Only in its conclusion does MIRAKEL flounder, missing out on a moment where everything comes together profoundly to offering a compelling truth about our own existence as social beings.

Sandra Temmingh's direction of the piece is meticulous. Staged on her own set design in a traverse stage layout, she manipulates the characters deftly through the space, guiding the actors to deliver perfectly sized performances in the intimate playing space. Leigh Bishop's costumes and Luke Ellenbogen's lighting support and enrich Temmingh's work. Details like the red light shining through the stained glass window at the top of the second act and Abel's weathered and worn-out shoes really build one's belief and investment in the production.

It has been some time since I saw a piece of Afrikaans theatre and MIRAKEL made me wish there was more of it around - or perhaps just more of it that I was aware of - especially if it is brought to life as beautifully as this De Wet text is by this creative team and ensemble cast. The sense of unity that characterises every aspect of this production is a huge part of what makes it so appealing. Even without a fully convincing dénouement, the play still plants thoughts about what it means to be an artist creating that most intimate of interactions between the actor and the audience. In that endeavour, this production of MIRAKEL delivers the goods.

MIRAKEL played a short season at the Arena Theatre on UCT's Hiddingh Campus in Orange Street, Gardens, closing tonight after a week of performances.

BWW Reviews: UCT Drama's LA RONDE Doesn't Quite Square the Circle

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:55:23 PST

Everyone has particular stories that appeal to them, narrative patterns that shift and change as time goes by but which essentially deal with the same central themes. For me, LA RONDE is one of those stories. Written by Arthur Schnitzler in 1897, the play has been adapted many times since its beginnings as a piece written for the playwright's peers and its eventual first controversial production 23 years later. As a part of their winter season, the Drama Department of the University of Cape Town (UCT) is mounting the 2007 Stephen Unwin and Peter Zombory Moldovan translation of the play, featuring their senior students in a production directed by Jacqui Singer.

LA RONDE tells a tale in a circular structure of several pairs of lovers from a diverse range of class backgrounds in the late nineteenth century. A Prostitute solicits a Soldier, who deflowers a Maid, who seduces her Young Master until eventually things come full circle when a Count wakes up alongside the Prostitute from the first scene. Many things are transferred from encounter to encounter, including agency, status, emotional baggage and snippets of language, allowing Schnitzler to deconstruct the concepts of morality and class as the play progresses.

The cast tackles the multiple challenges of performing this play head on. These include negotiating the clash of styles inherent to the piece, which are perhaps magnified in this modern translation, and exploring a style that works in the intimate playing space of the Playroom. Some are more successful than others and all will most likely improve as they settle into the run and relax into their roles. The more pressing concern, for me, is that the performers often seem to act past one another in a play that essentially deals with connections between people and the consequences thereof. The success of LA RONDE play relies on impeccable listening and responding from each pair of scene partners and there is some work that could be done here in this regard.

Nonetheless, there are some promising performances in LA RONDE. Georgia Lahusen bestows the Prostitute with a winning physicality, and really comes into her own in the final scene of the play opposite Kieran McGregor, who characterizes the Count with some convincing nuances. As the Actress, Sarah Potter grapples with the stylistic concerns of the piece and delivers some delightful work. Thoko Masikini, playing the poet, flirts with a Wildean persona in the role, but needs to make more concrete choices when it comes to the degree of effeteness the character can support. Similarly appealing, Lea Seekoe offers up a titillating Sweet Young Thing, but must work on her over-explosive and at times assimilated consonants in passages where a faster pace of delivery is employed. Jodi Bloem exudes elegance in her first scene as the Young Wife and offers good support to Joshua Wyngaard in her second, who lets the role of the Husband get away from him at times. Natasha Ward manages the development of the Maid from her first scene to her second well, shifting easily from prey to predator opposite Steve Norman as the Solider, who could work for crisper articulation, and Dylan Owen as the Young Master, who sometimes needs to reign in the size of his performance to be more believable in his part.

In directing LA RONDE, Singer picks up on the dance metaphor implied in the title of the play and has crafted each scene with a fine sense of choreography. The range of images she sculpts with the actors' bodies works well in establishing relationships, status and mood. What is missing from the production are stronger choices in creating a unified stylistic vocabulary for the play as a whole.

In designing the set, Singer and McGregor have adopted a minimalist approach, using a few carefully chosen set pieces to represent the ten different settings in which the various lovers' rendezvous take place. There are some beautiful pieces of furniture on stage, along with two white multi-functional boxes that rather detract from the aesthetic of the design as a whole. In three corners of the space are reflective revolving doors that serve as entrances and exits into the space. The strongest point of the design, not only visually but also because of their symbolic resonance, it is a pity they were not a more explicit feature in the composition of the stage picture.

The scene changes are effected by a trio of servants, a potentially fantastic idea that is executed in too utilitarian a fashion. Given the amount of stage time they take up in between the relatively short scenes as well as the deconstruction of the class system that is intrinsic to the play, there was great potential for the threesome to become a silent chorus that commented on the action through their physicality. Instead, everything possible was done to make them neutral. Paradoxically, their inclusion in this context means that this is the one thing they can never be and this adversely affects the rhythm of the production

What is revealed by this production of LA RONDE are the delights of returning to a source play that has in recent years been overshadowed by some of its offshoots. Aside from a number of film versions, the many stage adaptations of the piece include THE BLUE ROOM, David Hare's modern English reworking of the piece (which was directed by Singer at UCT with the graduating class of 2004); Joe DiPietro's contemporary gay version, FUCKING MEN; and Michael John LaChiusa's decade hopping musicalisation, HELLO AGAIN. Revisiting the one that started it all, it is almost startling how little certain things have changed since Schnitzler first put onto paper his thoughts about the social dynamics of life in the 1890s. While everything does not quite come together in the end, the UCT's LA RONDE is still a rewarding experience, with several moments in which the play springs vividly to life.

LA RONDE runs until 17 May 2013 at The Playroom on UCT's Hiddingh Campus in Orange Street, Gardens, at 19:30 nightly. Tickets can be booked through Webtickets.

Photo credit: Jesse Kate Kramer

SANTA'S STORY Returns to the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, Now thru May 26

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:30:00 PST

Esteemed opera diva Aviva Pelham, recounts her 95 year old mother's fascinating tale of survival through song in SANTA'S STORY which returns to the Fugard Studio Theatre in Cape Town by popular demand from today, 14 to 26 May 2013 for a limited season. The production has also been invited to Helsinki in October.

One-woman show SANTA'S STORY, an on-stage rendition of 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Santa Pelham's touching autobiography, captivated audiences at the Theatre on the Square in Sandton, early in 2013. The production enjoyed a sell-out season at the Fugard Studio Theatre in 2012. While the production, which is an evocative mix of storytelling and live music, is helmed by a particularly adept creative team - including accomplished local director Janice Honeyman, esteemed designers Mannie Manim and Dicky Longhurst, and gifted music arranger Matthew Reid - the solo lead of the show is none other than Santa Pelham's own daughter, multi award-winning, internationally-acclaimed opera singer Aviva Pelham. She is accompanied onstage by a vibrant Klezmer band that shifts through multiple genres, bringing this seasoned mother's intriguing tale to life through one of her most personally cherished mediums: song.

Starting in pre-war Germany where the Jewish Santa Pelham was born, the production recounts this remarkable woman's attempts to navigate life under Nazi oppression. The narrative follows her as she flees from this dictatorial state to Spain, where civil war rages, then on to even poorer conditions in an occupied France, and finally, by ship, to Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, where, under arranged circumstances, she marries a man she has never met - a decision that ultimately, saves her life. It is a tale of trials, tribulations and triumph, one that depicts deeply personal issues within a harrowing broader political context. To evoke a sense of place and culture as the story unravels, the gifted Aviva sings in multiple languages - German, Spanish, French, Yiddish, Hebrew and English - reflective of the different parts of Europe. But the show is far more than merely an account of one (now) elderly woman's distressing journey; rather, with a core focus on upliftment and perseverance, it carries moving universal messages of courage, tenacity and hope, and works to highlight issues - such as prejudice, intolerance, displacement and acceptance - that are likely to resonate with most. In essence, as Aviva emphasises, SANTA'S STORY is an evocative piece that, through poignant music, explores the possibility of pushing through the darkness to ultimately find strength, spirit and light again.

Aviva Pelham was born into an extremely musical family in Zimbabwe, her home was filled with music and every member of the family sang. In addition to Opera, Teaching and Performing qualifications, she obtained a Master's Degree from University of Cape Town. Since making her debut in the role of Norina from DON PASQUALE she performed extensively on local and international stages, television and radio. She has worked with numerous illustrious conductors including Janos Furst, Piero Gamba, Hubert Sudant, Victor Yampolsky and Reinhard Schwarz. Aviva dominated the stage as Violetta in LA TRAVIATA, Rosina in THE BARBER OF SEVILLE and was equally at home as Musetta in LA BOHEME, Susanna in THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Gilda in RIGOLETTO, Marcellina in FIDELIO, Adina in L'ELISIR D'AMORE, Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI and Oscar in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA. In addition, she has starred in the leading roles in operettas including DIE FLEDERMAUS, LA BELLE HELENE, LA PERICHOLE, NIGHT IN VENICE, THE STUDENT PRINCE, THE GREAT WALTZ, THE MERRY WIDOW as well as countless musicals such as MY FAIR LADY, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE KING AND I, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, MAN OF LA MANCHA, KISS ME KATE, INTO THE WOODS and KISMET, notching up over two thousand performances and delighting audiences all over the world. During her illustrious career, Aviva has been recognised with many awards which include several Vita Awards, the Nederburg Opera Prize, the Fred Dalberg Award, The Bell'Arte Award and the Department of Arts and Culture Merit Award for her outstanding contribution to the Arts and the International Rotary Paul Harris Award. Aviva lectures part-time at UCT Opera School and is passionate about diverse outreach projects and mentoring young talent. She was nominated for a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award this year in the category Best Performance by an Actress in Music Theatre for her performance in SANTA'S STORY.

SANTA'S STORY runs Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm and on Sunday at 3pm at the Fugard Theatre in Caledon Street, Cape Town. There are no performances on Fridays. Tickets cost R130 to R150 per person through Computicket or the Fugard Theatre box office on 021 461 4554. Generous discounts are available for the Friends of the Fugard.

Photo Credit: Jesse Kramer

Fourth Cape Town International Ballet Competition Set for February

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:09:58 PST

CEO of the Cape Town International Ballet Competition (CTIBC), Dirk Badenhorst, has announced that the fourth CTIBC takes place from 17 to 23 February 2014 at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town.

Africa's only international ballet competition, the CTIBC was launched in 2008 with subsequent competitions in 2010 and 2012 attracting dancers from South Africa and around the world to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals as well as substantial monetary prizes.

In unveiling details of the 2014 CTIBC, Dirk Badenhorst announced the addition of a third age group for competitors. The new category, Scholar, will be open to dancers aged 12 to 15 years. Other categories are Junior, for dancers aged 16 to 20 years, and Senior, for dancers aged 21 to 28 years.

In line with the earlier Cape Town International Ballet Competitions, a distinguished panel of judges from around the world is being assembled for CTIBC 2014. Judges so far confirmed are Marcia Haydee, former ballerina and artistic director of the famed Stuttgart Ballet, creator of leading roles in ballets by legendary choreographer John Cranko, and now director of the Ballet de Santiago, Chile; Dawn Weller, former ballerina of PACT Ballet, artistic director of PACT Ballet/The State Theatre Ballet from 1983 to 2000, and now director of Australia's Graduate College of Dance; Hae Shik Kim, Founding Dean of the Korean National University of Arts School of Dance, former ballerina and artistic director of the Korean National Ballet, now artistic director of the Seoul International Dance Competition; Xin Lili, former ballerina, now choreographer and artistic director of the Shanghai Ballet and Ramona de Saá, former dancer, now Director of the National Ballet School of Cuba and Associate Professor of Cuba's Higher Institute of Art and Methodology of the National Centre for Schools of Art. The names of the further judges will be announced following Dirk Badenhorst's visit to China in July where he will be a Judge at the Beijing International Ballet Competition.

The closing date for entries for the fourth Cape Town International Ballet Competition is Monday 13 January 2014. For the application form, rules and regulations and other information, visit www.ctibc.com. Queries may also be addressed to Dirk Badenhorst, Chief Executive of the CTIBC, on +27 (0)83 324 0949 or at badenhorst.db@gmail.com. For all media enquiries please contact Allison Foat at DIVA PR on allison@divapr.co.za or 0214627384.

Imbewu Trust Seeks South African Playwrights fro SCrIBE Script Writing Competition; Deadline July 31

Sun, 12 May 2013 17:23:56 PST

The SCrIBE Script Writing Competition is once again calling on all playwrights resident in South Africa and over the age of 21 to make submissions of new plays to the Imbewu Trust by 31 July 2013. The inaugural competition in 2012 was won by Gabriella Pinto.

Sam De Romijn, Director of The Imbewu Trust and Paul Griffiths, founder of the SCrIBE competition and a trustee of The Imbewu Trust have emphasized that Imbewu is looking for new works of outstanding quality, original content and which represent the depth and range of the South African theatre landscape. Scripts must be in English, no longer than 40 pages or 80 minutes, and have no more than five cast members. They must be submitted as a word document via email together with the entry form which can be found on The Imbewu Trust website which includes the Terms and Conditions of Entry.

The closing date for entries is 31st July 2013, and the winner will be announced on 30th August 2013. Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges that will include established theatre makers, directors and producers. The winning script will enjoy a full season in Cape Town from 1st to 12th October at the Theatre Arts Admin Collective in Observatory and the Imbewu Trust will work with the winning writer to produce all aspects of the staging of the production.

The Imbewu Trust is a Non-Profit Organization focused on the development and promotion of contemporary South African theatre and arts. It seeks to create an accessible community of varied voices that can flourish through collaboration, resourcefulness and innovation whose primary objectives are to support and stimulate the Contemporary Theatre industry, as well as showcasing the best of South African theatre on an international platform and create opportunities for new theatre practitioners.

Paul Griffiths' professional career in theatre started as an actor in Musical Theatre Productions including HAIR, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (National Tour), EVITA (National Tour), PETER PAN, CAMELOT, MAME and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. He also completed one season at Maynardville in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. After four years of working around South Africa, Paul moved to London where he spent the next 8 years, returning to South Africa in November 2004. Whilst in London, Paul completed an MA with Distinction in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University - a course which included modules at The GITIS Conservatory in Moscow, RESAD Drama School in Madrid and master classes from The Berliner Ensemble. Following this course of study Paul shifted his career focus from being on stage to directing.

Sam De Romijn originally hails from Kwazulu- Natal, after studying a diploma in Public Relations at Varsity College, and a year of Drama at the University of Natal. Sam Graduated from the Waterfront Theatre School in 2001, with her Licentiate Teachers Diploma. She has performed in, IT'S NOT WHERE YOU START, AS THE KOEKIE CRUMBLES by Fiona Coyne as well as in a number of children's theatre productions. She then went on to do a film writing course, and the TEFL course and taught English to foreign language students. She then found her feet in the theatre world by stage managing productions for associates, and also professionally at the National Arts Festival for a number of years. She then worked for Theatre for Africa for two years as Stage Manager, at the Old Zoo venue, where she worked on the productions, INTO THE LION'S DEN, LIMPOPO and MAMA THENBU'S WEDDING. Sam has continued to stage manage for smaller productions around Cape Town including working with Mynie Grove on the BBB - Shoprite Checkers campaign. Her journey with Mynie Grove included stage managing the backing choirs for Michael Buble, Josh Groban and other South African local bands.

For further details, visit The Imbewu Trust website.