“DIRT”- CAPE TIMES REVIEW
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“DIRT” – CAPE ARGUS REVIEW
add a commentTHEATRICAL ALCHEMY IS A RARE FIND
ZANE HENRY IN THE CAPE ARGUS – AUGUST 31, 2010
DIRT
DIRECTOR: JENINE COLLOCOTT
PERFORMER: JAMES CAIRNS
VENUE: KALK BAY THEATRE
UNTIL: SEPTEMBER 11
RATING: *****
Guys are strange. Okes will spend hours ripping off one another, engaging in intense homoerotic banter and drunkenly headbutting each other, then nod, burp and grunt, thereby expressing unlimited levels of sympathy and support.
Dirt tells a small story about men, friendship and love that deviates from cliché. It’s not a simple bromance like those that have become popular at the movies recently and has more depth than a gag-fest. There’s recrimination, guilt, resentment and all the other good stuff that go into deep friendships.
It tells the story of best friends Grant, Sam and Wayne, who have to take a road trip from Joburg to Cape Town. Jerry, their other friend and the glue that was holding the group together, has died and they need to get down to the funeral.
Grant is an upstanding family man dealing with a newborn baby and a wife suffering from postnatal depression. Sam is an egotistical, promiscuous, generally reprehensible soap opera star. Wayne is a socially stunted, sweet-natured guy who has been looking after Jerry’s dog, Tom, for a while.
The three of them – and Tom – pile into Sam’s Land Rover and set off on a trip that will lead to bizarre encounters and test the parameters of their friendship.
Dirt provided a moment that crystallised the transcendental potential of theatre. It’s that moment when a play turns into alchemy: performance, story, sentiment and technique combine to form a new element in your head and heart, thereby changing the way you see the world from then on. It’s that moment that pushed me from the theatre into the night convinced that it was a perfect piece.
Like in Sitting Man, his other one-man show that recently finished its run at Kalk Bay Theatre, Cairns performs every role in the play, including audience favourite Tom the dog.
Each character is a different person inhabited completely by Cairns. Your eyes are magnetically drawn to his excellent performance.
Nick Warren’s script is filled with thrilling lines, ringing ironies, poignant profundities and hilarious gags. The bare set allows Cairns’s performance to take centre stage. A ladder set up in the corner gets stacked with little props that clearly and cleverly denote chapters in the story.
Dirt is not made of ideologically fashionable stuff. It doesn’t deal with racism or Aids and is not very political. But it is real and tells an accessible story in an engaging way.
It may not change your life, but it changed mine.
“THE SITTING MAN”- CAPE TIMES REVIEW
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JAMES CAIRNS DOUBLE BILL – “THE SITTING MAN” & “DIRT”
4commentsOne-man-show dynamo James Cairns is back at KBT after too long a gap. Renowned for his tour-de-force one man shows featuring multiple characters, Cairns presents a double bill at the Kalk Bay Theatre in August and September 2010.
From Wednesday 4 to Saturday 21 August, he will perform his acclaimed solo show “The Sitting Man” and from Wednesday 25 August to 11 September he presents his new comedy, “Dirt”, hot from its premiere at the National Arts Festival.
“This is the first opportunity Cape Town audiences have to see this master of the stage in “Dirt” as well as in “The Sitting Man”,” says Simon Cooper, owner of the Kalk Bay Theatre. “It’s a coup for us to have secured James to perform both shows during August and September, although each one will run for only twelve performances, so tickets will be limited.
“Cairns’ breathtaking style of theatre sees him effortlessly jump between numerous characters, deftly using props to switch settings and move the story along. His acute observations of people ensures he artfully captures each one of his interesting, and often shady, characters, and he can take the audience from laughter to tears in a few swift moves, while keeping them on the edge of their seats as the story unfolds,” says Cooper. “As the website Artsblog said, ‘Cairns is so good at what he does it’s almost ridiculous’.”
“The Sitting Man”, which Cairns also wrote and directed, has been playing to rave reviews and full houses around the country. The play follows the journey of a mysterious package that needs to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town. During the course of its wild, cross-country trip, Cairns creates a range of fascinating South African characters from different walks of life, including dodgy gangsters and innocent bystanders. “The Sitting Man” has been hailed as ‘Extremely powerful’ (Cue), ‘Flawlessly played out… a must for people watchers. ‘ (Cape Argus) and ‘… Intense and mesmerising performance…… biting humour’. (Cue).
“Dirt, described by Cue as ‘a riot of a play’, encompasses a similar road trip theme, but this time in the form of three friends and a dog named Tom who need to get to a funeral. From the soap star actor Sam, with an ego the size of Everest, to the exhausted new father Grant, who’s terrified of his post-natal wife, and to Wayne, a man whose life has fallen through the cracks but who hasn’t realised it yet, Cairns inhabits his comical characters with hilarious effect and takes the audience on a journey of fights and friendship.
Written by Nick Warren, “Dirt is directed by Jenine Collocott, who also worked with Cairns’ on the touching love story, High Diving.
A writer and popular television and stage actor, Cairns’ many credits include his one man show, Rat; Hamlet, High Diving and Brother Number with Rob van Vuuren. On television he has played, among others, Pienie Mayer, the bungling news journalist in The Most Amazing Show and the role of resident hit man Gordon Crumb on etv’s Rhythm City.
* “The Sitting Man” will be performed at the Kalk Bay Theatre on Wednesdays – Saturdays from 4 to 21 August at 8h30pm. Ages 13 years and up.
*“Dirt” will be performed on Wednesdays – Saturdays from 25 August to 11 September at 8h30pm. Ages 13 years and up.
Tickets for show only cost R100. Doors open at 6pm and theatre-goers can enjoy a meal before the show. To book and for further information, contact 073 220 5430 or visit
Praise for Dirt and Sitting Man
“Dirt”
‘A riot of a play… Wonderfully crafted story’. (Aslam Seedat, Cue)
A tour de force. …… Its funny, it’s clever….. Kill to get a ticket. (Megan’s Head)
‘Master of the craft’. (Artsblog)
‘A masterful one-man comedy from the multi-talented James Cairns… A must see show.’ (Cue)
“If there was a World Cup of performing artists, James Cairns would be Wayne Rooney. His ability to dribble a narrative through the vagaries of ten characters, and then shoot the story into closure without you second-guessing the play equals, in fact probably surpasses, the fancy footwork and game-making abilities of his northern football counterpart……It’s a pleasure to see Cairns on stage.” (Artsblog)
“The Sitting Man”
‘Cairns is so good at what he does it’s almost ridiculous.’ (Artsblog)
‘Flawlessly played out… a must for people watchers..’ (Argus)
Extremely powerful’ ‘ (Cue)
‘Intense skill and a faultless performance. Every quirk and mannerism is fresh and original.’ (Cue)
‘… Intense and mesmerising performance. A shocking storyline is neatly contrasted with biting humour.’ (Cue)
DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
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JUNE 26, 2010 from 18h00 : ENERCHI EMPORIUM & KALK BAY THEATRE present
DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
TICKETS – R100 per person and for that you get -
* a one-hour show featuring SA Ballroom Champions, Enerchi Emporium Hip Hop, Modern Jazz, Latin-American and Contemporary Dancers and cabaret performances; and
* a free glass of wine or champagne; a free snack platter, free dance lessons and lucky prize draws.
TICKETS ARE LIMITED SO BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. CONTACT the Kalk Bay Theatre booking line on 073 220 5430 or Enerchi Emporium on 021 712 3692 or www.enerchiemporium.co.za or enerchi.emporium@gmail.comMAGNA CARTA – SOUTH AFRICA 2010
add a commentMAGNA CARTA TOUR : BACK ON AFRICAN SOIL
AT KBT ON SEPTEMBER 29 & 30 + OCTOBER 01 & 02
A show you dare not miss! If you are old enough to remember their tours to South Africa in the early and mid seventies and have not yet seen one of their South African tour shows, you have no excuse for missing this one……and if you are too young to remember them you have no excuse not to educate your ears to a brand of music that you will listen to one day in your wheelchair in the old-age home.
Magna Carta returns to South African shores for the 4th year in succession
Often described as Britain’s answer to Simon and Garfunkel in the early years, Magna Carta was founded by North Yorkshireman Chris Simpson in 1969. They have toured 78 countries, recorded 30 albums and sold over 8,000,000 albums world-wide. It was the albums Seasons’ and the magnificent classic ‘Lord of the Ages’, (regarded by many in South Africa as up there with ‘Dark side of the Moon’ and ‘Sergeant Pepper’) and the evergreen single ‘Airport Song’ that put them on the world map.
Another absolute classic, reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair, is their evergreen “ The Bridge at Knaresborough Town”…..but as Chris points out with a wry grin….Paul Simon did not write Scarborough Fair. Chris penned almost all of the Magna Carta songs you will hear.
On tour they have crossed the borders of more than 78 countries (and that excludes Chris crossing shark-infested False Bay in a hobie-cat), played to diplomats and nomads. From London’s Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to the Montreux Festival and Lisbon Opera House and the Canterbury Festival in Ontario, Canada, to the ancient souk in Damascus, Syria, their timeless music has woven its magic across every kind of audience and nationality, culminating in a sell-out concert at the famous Royal Theatre Carre in Amsterdam to celebrate 40 years on the road. Last year’s SA concerts were completely sold out!
For this year’s tour Chris Simpson is joined on stage by Nick Hall.
Nick Hall is best known as one-half of the well-loved acoustic duo ‘The Hall Brothers’. With this band he has toured the UK and played in Ireland and Holland and released several acclaimed albums through indie label Confidential Records.
Nick’s association with Magna Carta began many years ago when The Hall Brothers supported the band in a theatre in the UK. A friendship was instantly struck and The Hall Brothers (and Nick solo) have supported Magna Carta many times over the years. Nick has also worked with several ex-Magna musicians over the years. When Chris Simpson was asked to do a solo set for a UK festival a few years ago, Nick was the first person Chris asked to provide guitars and vocals. This worked so well that the new duo also played a local arts centre to rave reviews. It felt natural, then, for Nick to join the band!
On this South African tour Chris Simpson and Nick Hall will take the audience on a musical journey beyond compare. To see Magna Carta live is never to forget them as they will emblazon themselves in your memory as one of the finest sounds ever to cross your ears. Their music will never age and you will never forget the privilege of having seen MAGNA CARTA LIVE !THEATRESPORTS
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TheatreSports™ is hilarious improvised comedy, it’s the high-octane, non-stop, laugh-a-minute show where you, the audience, decide on the show you’re going to see! It’s pure improvised theatre, performed by two teams of absurdly talented actors. Each show is a once-off adventure of spontaneously invented scenes, stories and music, based entirely on your suggestions.
This is how it works: The MC fields suggestions from you, the audience. The actors have to stick to a few ground rules, and voilà: live improv! The audience scores the results – sometimes wacky, sometimes weird, but always outrageously funny. Always wanted to see a musical set on the moon? A comedy of manners set in a Cape Town taxi rank? Or perhaps you simply like the idea of having ridiculously talented actors grappling with the problem of portraying a lovelorn chicken while you mark them for their efforts?
Theatresports™ is Cape Town’s longest-running show. We’ve been playing in Cape Town for 16 years and in 2009 won two of the prestigious Fleur du Cap awards, including the People’s Choice Award. Join us for an evening of creative and spontaneous improvised entertainment, with something for everyone. Something for the kids, a definite yes for a first date, and a must-see for any visit to the Mother City. Hilarity guaranteed.TheatreSports™ plays weekly at Kalk Bay Theatre every Tuesday night, 8.30 pm; tickets R50 / R40 adults / students
To book call 072 939 3351, or for more information visit www.theatresports.co.zatheatresports june
add a commentIn June, we will be presenting special week-long run of shows, offering something for everyone whether you’re a football fan or not:
TheatreSports™: the Other Beautiful Game…
Kalk Bay Theatre 15th to the 19th June, 8.30 pm; tickets R50
To book call 072 939 3351, or for more information visit www.theatresports.co.zaLONDON ROAD BASIC
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“LONDON ROAD”
THIS WEEK WED TO SAT
Wednesday – Saturday at 20h30 from Thursday 11 March to 10 April 2010 : Ticket price R100.
English language / PG 13 [language] / 60 mins
BOOKING 073-220 5430 or visit www.kbt.co.za
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READ “LONDON ROAD” REVIEWS
To see what the critics thought CLICK HERE
” TALES OF TRANSFORMATION”
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GAVIN BONNER presents
“TALES OF TRANSFORMATION”
featuring special guest NATALIE MASON on viola
Fresh from three years of travelling, studying, teaching and performing in Europe, Asia, The Middle East and Australia, Cape Town based Londoner Gavin Bonner with special guest Natalie Mason brings you “TALES OF TRANSFORMATION” – stories that focus on many aspects of change, from the spiritual to the evolutionary to the plain weird !
Gavin has a refreshing take on storytelling – a deep reverence for tradition juxtaposes with iconoclasm and an occasional dose of healthy irreverence. He also has a unique ability to spontaneously tell stories in rhyme while accompanying himself on Asian and African percussion instruments learned during his travels.
“Gavin Bonner is an inspiration. A poet, storyteller, musician and praise singer all in one he lets his wordplay weave and speak spontaneously to whatever is happening in a group of people .” – Ashley Ramsden , international storyteller and founder of The School of storytelling in England.
Originally from Birmingham in England, Natalie Mason’s musical life began in the womb, when her mother describes her kicking during a concert at the climax of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. As a baby she was weaned on strange Sixties music, her cradle rocked by her father’s foot as he practiced guitar. Natalie learnt to sight sing as she learnt to read and at the age of five took up violin and piano. It was around this time she began composing her first opera (alas, an unfinished opus). As a child she was thoroughly involved in the arts and soon got wise, deciding to switch her fiddle for a viola. As a youth she performed live on television and radio in an orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall and recorded for eccentric pop bands as a session musician. As an adult she graduated with a degree in Music and decided to travel to Cape Town to work for the Music Therapy Community Clinic. With this organisation and others she runs music groups for school children in Heideveld, patients at a TB hospital and teaches youth in a Junk Orchestra. She is an improvising musician with the Bonfire Theatre Company, a member of alternative folk groups Jeremiah Brimstone Band and amaBhulu? and a freelance classical performer. She finds that there is always so much to see, do and learn here and loves being a musician in the many worlds Cape Town has to offer.
“Tales of Transformation” continually surprises and delights audiences
around the world and is suitable for AGES 13 UPWARDS. Ticket price R50 p.p. – BOOK ON 073-2205430
I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
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“I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE”
Music by Jimmy Roberts : Lyrics by Joe Dipietro
Starring Shannyn Fourie, Niall Griffin, Roland Perold and Candice van Litsenborgh
Directed by Paul Griffiths
Musical Direction by Roland Perold
Designed by Niall Griffin
WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY
MAY 19 TO JUNE 12, 2010 @ 20H30
English : Ticket Price – R100 p.p.
Groups of 10 or more – R80 p.p.
Bookings – 073-2205430
BIGLEAF PRODUCTIONS in association with Dalro presents the hilarious musical comedy revue
“I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE!“
From the thrill and terror of the first date, to the sacred kiss and wedded bliss. From the reality of kids coming and going, to finding someone to grow old with – I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! will have you tapping your feet along with smash hits like Single Man Drought, He Called Me, Always a Bridesmaid, Marriage Tango and Waiting.
Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit, is presented in this collection of hilarious scenarios depicting the age old ritual of the suburban mating game. You’ve been there – you’ve done it – now watch the musical!
The cast includes Roland Perold, Niall Griffin, Shannyn Fourie and Candice van Litsenborgh who collectively bring to the production a range of performance experiences having played both leading and supporting roles in National and International productions of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, Beauty and the Beast and Cats amongst others.
Directed by Award Winning Director Paul Griffiths with Musical Direction by Roland Perold and Design by Niall Griffin – this production has a limited season at the Kalk Bay Theatre before moving on to a National Tour. Book early to avoid disappointment.
I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE plays at the Kalk Bay Theatre from 19th May – 12th June. The show runs Wednesday – Sunday. Doors at the theatre open at 18:00 at which time patrons can enjoy dinner and drinks at the restaurant upstairs. The show starts at 20:30. Tickets are R 100.00 and can be booked on 073-2205430.
“CÉST LA VIE”
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“C’EST LA VIE”
featuring Michele Maxwell
English and some French / 70 mins
APRIL 28 TO MAY 15, 2010 @ 20h30
Ticket Price ~ R100 p.p.
Bookings – phone 073-2205430
‘’C’EST LA VIE’’ is Michele Maxwell at the piano with a wealth of French songs, Jazz Standards, and her own story-telling, to weave her way through observations of life, and the twists and turns of romantic love, reaching a place of self acceptance, where one can say ‘’That’s life! ’’ She sings in French and in English from the repertoire of Edith Piaf, Nina Simone, Shirley Horn, Jacques Brel ,Charles Trenet, and Dave Brubeck, amongst others; with Blues, Latin and Swing, moving the pace along.
The show has been playing since November last year in many different venues, with great success. In Johannesburg : a three week run at‘ Foxwood House’, for prestigious restaurants like ‘ Le Canard’ and’ Chez Girard’, and most recently at Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate in Wellington.
With her acting skills and vibrant musical energy, Michele brings depth, sensitivity and panache to this evocative cabaret.
MICHELE MAXWELL is a well-known Stage and T.V. actress, and an experienced Musician. At UCT, she studied both Music and Drama, and after graduating in 1973 , became a founder member of THE SPACE, THE BAXTER, and THE MARKET THEATRE Companies.
As an ACTRESS she’s had leading roles in ‘’The Cherry Orchard’’, Major Barbara’’ ‘’Cowboy Mouth’’, ‘’Steel Magnolias’’, ‘’Absurd Person Singular’’ and in the landmark production of ‘’Death Of A Salesman’’ with the late Bill Flynn.
As a THEATRE MUSICIAN she has been MUSICAL DIRECTOR/PIANIST on : ‘’SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM’’, ‘’MARAT SADE’’ & ‘’AFRICAN ODYSSEY’’ among others , and taken lead roles in musicals such as, ‘’GUYS’NDOLLS’’, ‘’MAME’’, ‘’OKLAHOMA’’, ‘’NUNSENSE’’ & ‘’ANNIE’’.
Out of the country for all of the Eighties, and based in London, the co-created South African show, ‘’Boogie Woogie!” played at the Edinburgh Festival in 1981 and transferred to the West End, followed by extensive touring . She was also in ‘’Poppie Nongena’’ at The Riverside Studios and Donmar Warehouse which toured to Australia, Canada and the U.S.A. A vocalist for many Jazz ensembles, she became a regular on the Piano Bar circuit all over the U.K and in 5 Star Hotels in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Holland, Belfast and on the North Sea Cruises. She was invited to be the Solo Act between the Big Bands at the IMATRA JAZZ FEST ( on the borders of Russia and Finland ) sharing the stage with Georgie Fame and Mel Lewis. Whilst overseas, she was also cast in a video with Mike Oldfield ( ‘’Crimes Of Passion’’)
CABARET SHOWS include: ‘’20th CENTURY BLUES’’ with Dave Ledbetter, Dave Ridgway, Kesivan Naaido, ‘’TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE’’ with Thembi Mtshali-Jones,
‘’JACQUES BREL’’ with Graham Clarke, ‘’MUSICAL POSTCARDS’’ with Andrew Ford and Jan Hough and ‘’FEMME FATALE’’ with Ian Von Memerty.
BANDS
‘’Short Attention Span Ensemble’’ with Johnny Fourie, Sean Fourie, Glenn Veale, Barry Van Zyl.
‘’New Jazz Ensemble’’ with John Davis, Graham Currie, Stan Jones, Billy McKinley.
‘’Michele Maxwell Band’’ with Marc Duby, Barry Van Zyl, Kevin Davidson.
T.V MUSIC FEATURES
‘’My Jazz Indaba’’ ‘’Jazzmatazz’’ ‘’Jazz, Jazz, Jazz’’
T.V ACTING ROLES include the popular villainess ‘Abigail Martins’ in SCANDAL! , The loveable ‘Bubbles’ in ISIDINGO; STREAKS and FISHY FESHIONS. She has recently finished filming on the British T.V. Series, ‘’Wild At Heart.’’
CAPE TIMES – 16.03.2010
add a commentSTRONG PERFORMERS DRIVE THE STORY FORWARD
AN INTIMATE LOOK AT TWO WOMEN’S FRIENDSHIP
March 16, 2010 Edition 1
Terri Dunbar-Curran
LONDON ROAD.
Directed by Lara Bye, with Ntombi Makhutshi and Robyn Scott.
At the Kalk Bay Theatre until April 10.
TERRI DUNBAR-CURRAN reviews.
There’s a nervous familiarity between the women as they stand, bench between them, admiring the view. Stella smiles tentatively, wary of Rosa’s easy chatter. Despite the vast differences between the strong Nigerian woman abandoned by her husband and the elderly Jewish widow, their slow blossoming friendship is all they have.
As Rosa digs in her handbag for the bread she has saved for the seagulls, the trivial conversation turns carefully from the view, to matters of the heart and missing family. Stella, once guarded and angry, turns, face softening, to comfort the elderly woman. The small, yet powerful gesture of a caring hand on a shoulder captures the essence of this story.
Lara Bye’s production of London Road, written by Nicholas Spagnoletti in collaboration with the director and cast, takes an intimate look at the lives of two women thrown together after a brush with crime.
We meet Stella, played by Ntombi Makhutshi, and Rosa, played by Robyn Scott, as they discover that Stella’s humble home has been broken into. A poor woman, paying exorbitant rent, and doing whatever she can to survive, Stella is instantly suspicious of Rosa’s presence in her flat.
Makhutshi plays the character with controlled strength, she strides, glares and leans heavily on the back of a chair, sizing up the inquisitive woman who has wormed her way into her private space. The pain in her eyes is evident as she speaks of her husband, but with a sharp suck of her teeth, she is in control once more. Makhutshi’s performance is stirring, especially as her character comes to realise the importance of the new friendship.
Scott’s Rosa, in comparison, is quick to connect with a stranger. There is a desperate loneliness about the way she invites the Nigerian woman into her home and takes care of her. It is clearly more than just neighbourly curiosity, she craves the company. Scott is engaging as the elderly woman. She shuffles across the stage, gapes in awe and, as she disappears back into memories, she sweeps the audience along with her. From a cup of tea with “bickies” to the tissue tucked up her cardigan sleeve, Scott creates a beautifully detailed portrait of a woman as real as our own grandparents. She captures the vulnerability and wry humour of her character completely. Rosa’s frank observations create just the right amount of levity to balance the pathos of the show.
While there is a rough plot – it serves mainly to highlight the passing of time. It is the characters that really drive the story forward and Scott and Makhutshi, both strong performers, pour so much emotion into Rosa and Stella that it’s difficult not to care what happens to them. They have such presence that the silent moments on stage at times convey far more than any lines could even attempt. This is far more than just a story of opposites – it’s a story of loss, loneliness, strength and survival. It is also the tale of a changing neighbourhood and the shift in attitude of its residents.
Making use of a table and two chairs, Craig Leo’s set is uncluttered and combined with emotive lighting by Faheem Bardien and sound by Braam du Toit, London Road is awash with lingering, powerful images of the two women in relation to one another. It’s those tender vignettes that linger long after the lights have faded.
London Road will show at Kalk Bay Theatre at 8.30pm from Wednesday to Saturday until April 10. Tickets are R100. To book, call 073 220 5430.
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HARRY CURTIS WHAT’S ON BLURB
add a commentSUNDAY MARCH 14 : DEAN MARTIN PART I
HARRY CURTIS IN CONCERT : THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY
One of a series of concerts featuring the music and stories from the life of artists such as Dean Martin, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, David Gates, Bobby Darin, Trini Lopez, Matt Munro, Dusty Springfield, Johnny Mathis and others.
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Doors open @17h30 : Light Meal, Snacks & Drinks available : Show starts @ 19h00
BOOKINGS : 073-2205430 / 083 412 3980 / 021 762 0255 / 021 794 3828
Tickets : R100 per person (Pensioners R75)
LONDON ROAD
6commentsWORLD PREMIERE AT KBT – LONDON ROAD OPENS MARCH 11, 2010
“LONDON ROAD”, a tender, funny and heartbreaking story about two women from diverse backgrounds, will premiere at the Kalk Bay Theatre on 11 March. The script won the Audience Choice award at the PANSA new South African Playwriting competition in 2007 and an award-winning, all-South African, stellar creative team will bring the full production to life.
“London Road is a simple and intimate reflection on growing old, loneliness, fragmented families and the healing power of a friendship,” says director Lara Bye. “It is a glimpse into the private lives of two very different women living in a block of flats in London Road in Sea Point.”
On the surface, Stella and Rosa Kaplowitz have nothing in common. Stella is a young Nigerian woman living in a damp, converted storage room. Long distant family, dodgy gangsters and a sense of survival makes her very mistrusting of the gestures of strangers. Rosa is an elderly Jewish widow living in a flat on the fifth floor. Her children and grandchildren live in Australia and Israel so she keeps herself occupied by becoming very involved in the business of her neighbourhood. She is determined to fight against age and illness, but her body and memory start to fail her – how can she remember every detail of a long past love affair, but accidently shop lift a tin of Milo from the Pick ‘n Pay?
After an act of violence, these two women find themselves stranded together like the flotsam and jetsam washed up on the beach front. Themes unite them – absent men, scattered families, broken relationships, a dark sense of humour and survival.
“Stella and Rosa are performed with grace and humour by two of Cape Town’s leading young actresses – Robyn Scott and Ntombi Makhutshi,” says Bye. “Robyn Scott recently mesmerised audiences in Elizabeth-Almost By Chance A Woman, which earned her a Fleur Du Cap nomination for Best Actress. She is a renowned and award-winning character actress and has lovingly created Rosa.
“Up-and-coming actress Ntombi Makhutshi was most recently seen in Iago’s Last Dance and Die Storie Van Die Vertaalde Mense. She is breathtaking in her versatility and depth.”
London Road is written by seasoned TheatreSports performer and rising Cape Town writer, Nicholas Spagnoletti. He also writes short stories and satirical sketches and appeared in Robert Silke’s acclaimed movie, The Satyr of Springbok Heights, as well as owning his own software development company in the Cape Town CBD.
As a long-time resident of Sea Point, London Road is born out of his observations and overheard conversations within this unique community.
“Sea Point has long been a new home for many immigrants, minority groups and marginalized people,” says Spagnoletti. “The play echoes the realities of those Sea Point families in a state of migration and emigration- looking at what happens to those who choose to stay behind or arrive from somewhere else. Also informing the play is the backdrop of urban decay and rejuvenation that is contemporary Sea Point.
“I am delighted to see the full production of London Road come to fruition and am blown away by the stellar team that have come on board!” he says.
Director Lara Bye continues her exploration of the theatre of suggestion. With London Road she brings her trademark attention to detail, intelligent sophistication, unique theatre style and staging to the production. Highly choreographed, passionate performances, a mixture of deep tragedy and dark comedy, a yearning for connection, tenderness and passion are themes which run through her work. A reviewer at the recent KKNK wrote ‘everything Lara Bye touches turns to gold’, and her quietly growing following amongst theatre lovers will be thrilled to participate in her latest production.
On the technical side is the high calibre team of renowned theatre designer, puppeteer and performing artist, Craig Leo, designing set, props and costume, Faheem Bardien creating the lighting design, and original sound from the incomparable Braam Du Toit.
*Visit www.londonroad.co.za or join London Road on Facebook: “London Road” – a play by Nicholas Spagnoletti
London Road will be performed at the Kalk Bay Theatre from Wednesday – Saturday at 20h30 from Thursday 11 March to 10 April 2010, with a reduced-price preview on Wednesday 10 March. Theatre-goers can enjoy a light meal before the show. Doors open at 18h00. Ticket prices for the performance only are R100. For the preview on 10 March, pay R100 for one ticket and get two!
Opening week special! Tickets to the performances on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 March are R65 per ticket. To book contact 073-220 5430 or visit www.kbt.co.za
Production information:
Production: London Road, presented by KBT Productions
Written by: Nicholas Spagnoletti
Directed by: Lara Bye
English language / PG 13 [language] / 60 mins
Venue: Kalk Bay Theatre
Dates: 11 March to 10 April 2010
Cast: Robyn Scott and Ntomboxolo Makhutshi
Set, props and costume design by Craig Leo
Lighting Design by Faheem Bardien
Original Sound by Braam Du Toit
