Author: debeernecessities

I'm an arts journalists who loves writing about anything that captures my heart, moves my soul and creatively surprises and overwhelms me.

WORDS OF WONDERMENT FOR THE QUEEN OF PANTO

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BY DIANE DE BEER

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

DIRECTOR/SCRIPTWRITER: Janice Honeyman

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Timothy le Roux

SOUND DESIGNER: Akhona Bozo

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Sandy Dyer

LIGHTING DESIGNER: Johan Ferreira

COSTUME DESIGNER: Mariska Meyer

CHOREOGRAPHER: Khaya Ndlovu

PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Andrew Timm

SET DESIGNER AND BUILDER: Enos Ramoroko

MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Dale Ray

THE CAST AND THE BAND: Too many to list

VENUE: Joburg Theatre

DATES: Until December 22

Dear Janice,

Driving back from this year’s pantomime (the children of the kids who first used to accompany me are now my annual companions) I thought it was time that I should write a more personal letter of thanks and admiration rather than the usual review.

Not being at a newspaper any longer and posting on my personal blog, I have the right, I think. Also, between the two of us, you have probably/arguably written and  produced more pantomimes than anyone else, definitely in this country and probably out there in the big world too; and I have probably watched and reviewed more than many can claim.

The genre as such isn’t my favourite and you have many other theatrical accomplishments in case anyone should think this is the only thing you do. But because of you, I make a distinction between a panto and a Janice panto, and as I mentioned in the review of Aspoestertjie (currently running in Pretoria), you have raised the bar for anyone who wants to participate in this field.

There isn’t any chance that I would have managed year by year if not for your genius and innovation. Being who you are, I know you would have been bored to death as anyone would have been, if you didn’t set a particular challenge for yourself. And perhaps that was what saved us both.

I was sitting in a packed Joburg Theatre on a Sunday with a show starting at noon and the aircon struggling with the current heat. Watching the audience, there were many kids but many couples or friends without youngsters too. It’s an institution and one you established and nurtured and grew to what it is. Small wonder they don’t want to let you go!

The text, which is always current and probably the thing most cherished by the adults, is as always on the mark with bullies a strong theme. That’s no surprise, but I love the way you wangle to be political without offending anyone.

You always have your finger on the  pulse and have managed to work your way with casts which now fully represent the country without too much fanfare, you just did it. And this mirror of our society at a season that has such mass appeal is probably one of your strongest achievements. Few would have managed in such an easy fashion while showing the best of the country without bashing anyone on the head.

I know this is unfair, but allow me the indulgence. Cast and musicians were fantastic, but there were five that deserve special mention: Bongi Archi (aboveas the Good Fairy (Mama’ama’bali); Virtuous Kandemiri as Beauty-Belle; Judy Ditchfield having an absolute ball as Hectate-Hex, the wicked witch; and Lesedi Rich as Doodlesakkie The Donkey; and lest we forget, Chrissie-Anna Mampoer as the guest newsreader.

Through the decades you have been gifted technological advances, but the wonderment of that is to see how you have applied that in such a wonderful way. This time it’s the way you blend the players from their digital images to the live performers.

Also the sets, the in jokes which some might miss but it doesn’t matter. It keeps viewers on their toes. The six-year-old was curious about some of the adult laughter and that’s also a good thing. There’s a lesson there every once in a while.

I truly loved your Hitchcock moment this time. You managed to display almost all your different skills as well as showing that you’ve still got it – and will always keep forging ahead.

You are an example of a true artist. Someone who could probably have stopped through the years, but you simply cannot resist. For that I’m grateful. Your casting of the young and the old, the experienced and the newbies, each one of them bringing something unique to the stage and the story, also contributes to the success.

Even your choice of Timothy le Roux as assistant director and company manager looks ahead, as you made sure you don’t go without leaving some institutional memory and knowledge behind. If anyone was there to watch and learn it was this artist who started in the arts as a ballet dancer and followed that by crafting and creating his own way on the production side in this very tough profession.

To everyone’s delight, it’s the usual spectacular pantomime, but the reason we could say that time and again from one decade to the next, is you, Janice Honeyman.

And for me to say this about pantomime is all your doing.

Thanks for the magic and the memories!

I don’t have to preach to the converted and for those of you who need to introduce youngsters to the enchantment of live theatre, this is it.

FROM A FAN

PRETORIA HAS ITS OWN FANCY PANTOMIME THIS YEAR AND IT GETS A CELEBRATORY THUMBS UP

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Review by DIANE DE BEER

Aspoestertjie and the ensemble.

ASPOESTERTJIE DIE PANTOMIME presented by OAK ENTERTAINMENT

DIRECTOR: Ferdinand Gernandt

MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Jaco Smit

CHOREOGRAPHY Tarryn Botha

CAST: Afrikaans singer Leah (Aspoestertjie);  Marno van der Merwe (Prins Jan-Percy); Carmen Pretorius (stiefma Mevrou Violetta Esterhuizen); Grant Towers en Schoeman Smit (stiefsusters Marabella en Amaranta); Elsje Lourens (Feetjie peetma) as well as Donae Brazer, Duandre Vorster, Jemma Gradwell, Jonathan Raath, Lindi Niemand, Monique Barnard, Rainy van Zyl, Tristin Indigo, Tseamo Mapukata and Zante Marais to complete the ensemble

TICKETS: http://www.afriforumteater.co.za/event-details?event=aspoestertjie-die-pantomime or at the box office at the Afriforum Theatre, Menlo Park

VENUE: Afriforum Theatre

DATES: Until December 13

PICTURES: Supplied by OAK Entertainment

The scheming step-mom and a forlorn Cindy.

For the first time in decades Pretoria has a pantomime to be proud of.

Gauteng has grown accustomed to the Janice Honeyman spectaculars at the Joburg Theatre and that is also happening, which meant that my expectations were put on hold when I went to the first preview of this production.

I was also prepared to give them some slack because of the early attendance but it’s a short run and I wanted to get the word out there – especially if, as in this case, it is good.

It’s much better than that. It all starts with the script, which is original and funny  – and  has some real edge to keep the adults happy while the youngsters get the drift of this thoroughly modern Cinderella tale with many twists and turns.

Add to that a cast that have been rehearsed to within an inch of their lives and there was very little to complain of.

The prince and the two ugly sisters.
Let’s all go to the masked ball!

It’s also good to see that they’re prepared to take some chances, like the vibrant, young Elsje Lourens cast as the fairy godmother, Tina Tydreis. She’s the one who has to set the tone and pace of the production and has no problems doing just that. There’s bounce in every move and she immediately engages the audience in her particular telling of this over-the-top tale.

Pantomimes rely heavily on a handful of actors who have to keep everything together. The romantic leads, in this instance Leah and Marno as Cinderella and her prince, have to keep the little hearts racing. I had a youngster right next to me who was terrified she would not witness the final embrace.

With Lourens, the two deliciously decorative ugly sisters (Towers and Smit) and probably the celebrity of the show, Carmen Pretorius as the achingly precious stepmother, they especially  knew how to keep the show on its toes and the laughter rolling while playing their parts to the hilt and singing their songs magnificently.

It truly was a treat and I was thrilled that Pretoria finally stood up to challenge their neighbouring city with some panto excellence. I know Ms Honeyman will welcome the competition and she will delight in witnessing the results of the standard she has set other professionals in this particular field.

Pantomime isn’t as easy as it looks. Everyone is having a merry old time but if your cast doesn’t have the energy and elegance to pull it off, the audience won’t engage.

This one did. From the youngsters to a row of elderly women, everyone was shaking with laughter and delight throughout and for me, someone who has seen far too many pantos in her life, the fiesty and fresh approach, and the sheer excellence of the presentation, was a highlight.

It wasn’t that I was expecting to experience doom and gloom, but the standard was unexpected and something that blew me away.

Tseamo Mapukata (as Buttons, centre) has a magnificent voice and the rest of the cast are not too shabby either.

If you have children in the family, gather them and get tickets to join this talented gang in some lovely end-of-year entertainment. There’s not a weak link in sight and I would go especially to hear Tseamo Mapukata  who played Buttons sing.

What an exquisite voice. But none of the cast was too shabby.

Let’s hope we hear more from OAK Entertainment in the future, they certainly know how to put on a show!

KKNK’S BI-ANNUAL TEXT MARKET A THEATRE EXPERIENCE THAT SPARKLES WITH INNOVATION

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DIANE DE BEER

Tinarie van Wyk Loots talking about her script Hamlet/Speenvark.
Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht

DIANE DE BEER

This is the 9th time I’ve written about the Klein Karoo Kunstefees/NATi/Baxter Teksmark (text market), the reason being it is such a smart creative endeavour.The brainchild of Hugo Theart, the CEO and artistic director, Hugo Theart of the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK), it is one of my favourite events of the year It’s existence was born out of need because original local scripts had become a problem. What they were hoping to do was to create new theatre texts which would provide local content for the festivals as well as encouragement for both budding and seasoned writers. And that is exactly what happened.

This past festival was the 9th, 156 text ideas in many of our official languages have been presented and in total, 43 of these texts have been developed into full scale productions, some of which can also boast well-deserved prizes.

What I find so intriguing is the zeitgeist that shifts year by year. Very specific strong themes usually emerge and it is fascinating to observe the topics tackled and which struggles or celebrations the creatives have focused on in a particular year.

One of the extraordinary gifts that this particular platform supplies is the chance for artists to experiment, to test ideas, to play and simply to reach for the stars which is something that quite a few playwrights attempted with brilliant results.

Acknowledged as one of our best actors, Tinarie van Wyk Loots presented a play titled Hamlet/Speenvark. Even the title suggests that this is going to be something unusual. Blessed with her acting skills, she could present her own play/monologue, which I found challenging yet immensely exciting.

She describes it as an attempt at a solo production, or struggling poem, modelled on, and with apology to Shakespeare’s Hamlet (and she cites Jonker, De Villiers, Malherbe, Totius, Opperman and Yeats). That’s quite a list.

She writes that it is “a tentative but violent investigation into the emotional landscape of being South African – the search for identity and a relationship with guilt and victim mentality.”

She further explains that her choice was driven by her “ancestors rooted in Africa and Europe, the disillusion of humanity, and emotional suicide depicted through the extrapolation of various characters in the original script, who all speak from the same mouth.”

The reading was magnificent and I could feel that this was going to develop into something quite extraordinary. Van Wyk Loots is someone who has given her heart and soul to the stage. Few actors can still afford to do that. But she has the skill and talent to keep adding to her repertoire and her engagement with theatre.

Not only can she write, she can then take the text, already her own, and do with it whatever she wishes. Personally I can’t wait. This is the kind of production that keeps theatre alive.

Dianne du Toit Albertze in conversation about Meire en Pinkie.
Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht

Never one to shy away from tackling holy cows, Dianne du Toit Albertze’s writing grabs you by the throat. On first reading of the text, I needed to know who had written with such abandon and such a brave heart. When I discovered who it was, I knew it couldn’t be anyone else and I was surprised I didn’t pick up the harsh yet haunting style of this writer.

Meire en Pinkie depict orphanage runaways and ladies of the night and day. Okiep jintoes with nagging drug addictions who scramble for survival daily, searching for a cure, writes Du Toit Albertze, but fail to know how to get it. But they continue running towards ways to escape the vicious cycle of poverty and abuse.

But she points out, life has a way of outsmarting you. The sins of their mothers catch up with them when they are accused of selling the means to vicious addiction, Meire’s child. It’s something they endured themselves as children. And now they feel abandoned

Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht
A scene from Meire en Pinkie.

It’s gritty, hard-hitting and without compromise. Some would argue for something with less hard edges but this is exactly what theatre can achieve: to tell real-life stories in a language that becomes a character, confronts you and makes you listen without turning away. This is when theatre becomes therapy for those writing and performing as well as those watching.

These are just two of the standout texts, part of this year’s text market at the Baxter but there were many more that had potential for further development and some already  stage-ready.

Playwright Gavin Werner (Meeting Murphy, centre) with two actors playing the parts on either side.
Foto: Nardus Engelbrecht

The theme of bullying captured by Gavin Werner in Meeting Murphy will touch everyone who would have experienced it in some form. Another one that popped up in quite a few texts was memory and the way individuals remember the same event in different ways. How we view the world is often coloured by past experiences and this can lead to discomfort in some instances.

The Salt Lesson by the insightful Sibuyiselo Dywill also tackles memory but here it has to do with different generations, cultures and languages and most importantly for the playwright, from the same bloodline. In any context this is a huge ask but with the South African apartheid past, when the elderly family member (white) suffers from dementia and regards the youngster (black) as an intruder rather than a son, things can get really messy.

Playwright Sibuyiselo (with the mic) surrounded by the three actors in his play The Salt Lesson.
Picture: Nardus Engelbrecht

It’s such a clever idea which explores different issues in genius and thoughtful fashion forcing audiences to look at their own world views from a different vantage point.

Scenes from The Salt Lesson. Pictures: Nardus Engelbrecht

With plays written in home languages including Afrikaans, English and Xhosa, the premise is embracing and expansive with the graft expanding year by year. Once we can figure out how to present theatre in different languages so that everyone can understand – easily – Teksmark will truly break down barriers and shift theatre in this country into a unique stratosphere.

And if you want to check out what is happening at the second Gauteng Teksmark to be held at UJ, where different playwrights and others involved in the theatre industry discuss their ideas as play readings, enquire with J.C. Aucamp at 0763335945 or jc@kunste.org.za.

The KKNK 2024 Gauteng Teksmark will be held on 24 and 25 October at Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, Kingsway Campus, University of Johannesburg.

THREE ARTISTS WORKING IN DIFFERENT MEDIUMS COME TOGETHER FOR AN EXHIBITION AS THEIR ART TELLS STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE

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Verskuif/Shift  is an exhibition presented by three women artists dealing with the theme of the seen and the unseen, a journey of transformation, and the process/es in between. DIANE DE BEER spoke to the artistic trio about their diverse art and how they came together to show their art:

Three artists in cahoots: Magdel van Rooyen (left), Thania Louw (centre) Martli Jansen van Rensburg (right)

Thania Louw, Magdel van Rooyen and Martli Jansen van Rensburg all work in different media and it while their art has many commonalities, that’s not what brought them together.

It was the children! They all go to the same school and that’s how the three moms met. Go figure.

However, when you sit around the table with these three artists, what they have in common is the way they approach their art. In their own individual way, they’re telling stories. That’s what all artists do.

While their techniques differ, the common theme is transformation and change. It may be change in the physical body or the internal landscape, or an individual, unique way, each one explores the ideas of intangible internal shifts and how they experience these changes.

These might of course result in relational shifts which might not be immediately noticed or visible, but eventually a sense of movement will result in the awareness of change.

Martli is a glass artist but when you look at her work, you  might not immediately be aware that the whole piece is made of glass. For her it’s about scratching around in herself which eventually is given substance in her work. “I’m usually trying to figure out something in myself,” she says. Her work manifests her spiritual journey. “It really is all about my beliefs.”

Memorial of Remembrance by Martli Jansen Van Rensburg
Hidden by Martli Jansen Van Rensburg

It might appear as if nothing is happening in her world and as if her ideas are stagnant at some stages, but she sees it as a time of growth while the seeds are dormant until they’re ready to burst forth. Works have titles like Memorial of Remembrance and Rocks of Forgiveness which point the way to her thought processes.

“Our work has to signal possibility, to shift minds,” she says.

Magdel, the painter in the group, is obsessed with construction. Her genre is landscapes and she continually seem to round back to the liminal. She describes her work as moving in-between building up and breaking down.

“Once I have an idea, I chase it down,” she says. While she is a strong believer in hope, she also knows that hope is messy. “Everything is always something of a construction site,” she says. And when you see her work, it all starts making sense.

It almost seems as if she views the world as anything that goes up, must also come down. And in essence that’s true and what she captures in her work.  It could almost describe the process of construction followed by collapse.

Bound(less) III by Magdel van Rooyen,
(un)Bound I by Magdel van Rooyen

She plays with words when forming her ideas and discusses the dexterity of concepts like un(bound) which in a sense she believes sets you free and leaves you bound(less) – also the title of her two pictured works. It could also mean that you’re going, or even that you’re intending to go.

Tension is what allows her to play on canvas. We live in tension, it’s inevitable and drives the work. “In fact, we probably thrive on that tension,” says Magdel.

Thania, the photographer in the group is busy investigating emotions, thoughts, behaviour and interaction with her camera as she explores the connections between the conscious and unconscious exhibited in the body. While these are all invisible, she’s interested in how they are experienced from within and communicated to others. Is there a connection?

Questions are part of her investigation, but her story will probably be read differently by those who look at her works of art from a different perspective.

Clockwise: In Bloom; The Vertruvian Woman; and Fragmented by Thania Louw.

It’s how others see you, whether you are influenced by their perspective and whether your body also adopts some of the emotions cast your way?

What does the perfect woman look like? How does she see herself? How does she cope with the storms erupting on the inside?

“What does the world expect from me,” she asks? “Do we fight it or can we find inner peace.”

She  has also discovered that beauty can be found in imperfection. “All these things happen in cyclical fashion,” she says as she keeps her camera pointed in a way that might capture the story she hopes to tell.

For these three women, life is a progression and that’s why, even when they tackle dark subjects, they hope their work is always filled with light. No one wants a study of pain in their face all the time, they concur.

The quest is to explore those emotions and then to show your stories to the world in the way the pictures you make demand. This is how they hope their work will prompt viewers to look and discover their own stories.

Verkuif/Shift will be opened by Prof Jenni Lauwrens on August 27 at 6pm at the University of Pretoria @ Link Gallery. Email @ https://louw.co.uk/verskuifshift.html

RSVP for opening by this Sunday. The exhibition is open until Friday, September 6. Entrance Lynnwood Rd, UP main gate. The gallery is open for viewing Tuesday – Friday from 9 – 3 pm. Safe parking available on premises in front of the building.

ARTIST BIOS:
THANIA LOUW She (born in 1984) is a versatile artist and photographer. With a BA Hons in Textile Design from the University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martins, where she graduated with distinction, Louw quickly gained acclaim for her work, earning nominations as one of Britain’s top 100 students and participating in prestigious exhibitions such as the 2010 New Designers exhibition in London and Heimtextil in Germany. In 2010 Louw was selected as a student researcher at Central Saint Martins. This led to an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.  Returning to her native South Africa in 2013, Louw shifted her focus to museology and photography. In 2020, Louw furthered her commitment to the field by completing a BSocSciHons in Heritage, Museum, and Preservation Studies at UP, graduating with distinction. She has been commissioned by prominent private collectors, universities, and museums worldwide to photograph their art collections.  Her work has been featured in numerous publications, scholarly articles, and academic papers. She is currently a board member of the International Council of Museums South Africa (ICOM). MAGDEL VAN ROOYEN Magdel van Rooyen (ne Fourie born in 1983) is a process-oriented artist situated in Pretoria. She completed her BA (Fine Arts) degree at UP in 2006 and then her MA (Fine Arts) in 2012. Since 2007 van Rooyen has been teaching part-time at UP in the Fine Arts division, lecturing in different subjects including, painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. In 2010 she was selected for the Art-St-Urban residency based in Switzerland and in 2013 she formed part of the Art-St-Urban exhibition at the Selected Art fair Basel. She was also selected for the R5 Residency with Nagel University in 2013, the residency culminated in a travelling group exhibition Between the Shadow and the Light. The exhibition travelled to various universities in North America from 2014-2018. Van Rooyen has taken part in various group shows in and around Pretoria including at the Pretoria Art Museum and Arts Association of Pretoria. Her work is part of UP’s Collection. MARTLI JANSEN VAN RENSBURG Jansen van Rensburg (born 1977, Pretoria) is an artist, lecturer, and master glassblower. In 2000 she finished her B. Tech Degree at Tshwane University of Technology, where she majored in glass sculpture. From 2000 -2004 she worked and trained at glass studios in the UK, and Germany and did a glass art residency in Scotland. In 2007 she received a scholarship to study glass design in Sweden. While lecturing part-time at TUT, she runs Smelt Glass Studio, with Mike Hyam. Her work has been exhibited internationally at Scotland North Lands Creative, the Museum of African Design, and many more. Her work is part of the permanent collection in Absa Bank, Wits Origin Centre, SAB breweries, and Absa Capital.

ANDREW BUCKLAND RETURNS IN THE CLASSIC UGLY NOO NOO TO JOBURG’S MARKET THEATRE

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DIANE DE BEER REVIEWS:

THE UGLY NOO NOO

DIRECTOR: Janet Buckland

PERFORMER/WRITER: Andrew Buckland

VENUE: Mannie Manim Theatre at the Market

DATES: Until September 1

Pictures: Ruphin Coudyzer

What a delight to revisit Andrew Buckland’s The Ugly Noo Noo, which was written and performed for the first time in 1988.

That feels like a lifetime ago and it’s not often that we get the chance to revisit these classics of local theatre that travelled the world and won accolades all round.

They cleverly kicked off with The Making Of, presented as part of performance lectures and demonstrations at SO|The Academy for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg with Buckland giving audiences (those who had seen it before and those going for the first time) insight into the development of his signature style. For him, the play was a response to the political and social context of apartheid South Africa in the late 1980s. For the audience, the talk was a chance to get closer to the thinking and strategies of this astonishing South African theatre maker.

Athena Mazarakis, Momenteur for SO | The Academy for the Less Good Idea, explains that The Ugly Noo Noo is a seminal work in the canon of South African theatre.  

“The work is not only a biting piece of allegorical protest theatre but it also established Buckland’s unique style of the highly physical one-hander that blended elements of mime with razor-sharp text.

“It is a style that has since influenced and inspired multiple generations of performers and theatre makers, defining a particular South African brand of physical theatre marked by the combination of physical virtuosity with a strong textual strand and the solo performer who single-handedly takes on an entire cast of characters.”

She reminded audiences that, “not only is this re-staging a reminder of the part that theatre and artists played in the struggle but is also a continued reminder to artists today of the power that their work holds to critique and question the many injustices that surround us.”

For Buckland, his work is all about the imagination of the audience, where the action of the piece is given life. “It’s a delicate line to get the audience curious, like charades on steroids, as you draw them into the play.”

Play, in fact, says Buckland, was where it all began. He was the youngest of seven siblings and started playing on his own for hours, being the hero in his own world.

For this particular piece, 36 years ago, it began after witnessing his wife’s response to what had become known as the Parktown prawn. “I always loved language put together with movement or stillness,”  he says.

Thus began the encounter between a human and an insect. He felt trapped in the world of apartheid at the time. How does a white man deal with what is happening around him on stage? He knew he had to participate in a meaningful way. The Ugly Noo Noo gave him the perfect allegorical way out, offering him a novel way of telling stories while at the same time pointing to the world around him and the horror confronting South Africans.

What he was familiar with was his own angst and fear. Being the artist he is, The Ugly Noo Noo was where it all began. And while we were in the grips of apartheid when it first emerged, this time the world is struggling with a sudden explosion of fascism all over the place, and the timing of the current season could not have been more apt.

Looking back, that has been Buckland’s weapon (deliberately or simply instinctively). His work has managed to capture a particular zeitgeist which in some fashion seems to hold countries  to ransom.

What he discovered with this work was that it was possible to use laughter as a vehicle to invite people to acknowledge and confront their fear.

Watching the performance all these decades later and again hearing the text it is obvious why it was such a success while still retaining all the power of performance and  storytelling as when it was first performed.

When talking about the making of, Buckland referred to his age, but what struck me was that all his many years of training, of honing his craft, have added to the detail and impact of his movement, which might have been diminished with age. Older and wiser, he knows where and how to compensate and embellish.

The text has lost none of its initial cunning and while his antics on stage has the audience in laughter much of the time, the real essence of the text is a still a stomach punch.

It is one of those that has all the elements celebrating the art of performance and storytelling when there’s a true genius at work. Buckland has always been one who worked with delicacy and delight when presenting his art. And his choice and timing of when and what to perform is spot on.

Hopefully he will return to that classic treasure trove of his and bring back all those memorable gems.   

MAKE SURE YOU CAN FEND FOR YOURSELF IN THE KITCHEN IS INA PAARMAN’S MAGICAL MANTRA

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Ina Paarman has been in the business for half a century and has been a competitive author in a genre that offers in abundance so you need to stand out and find your niche. She did all that and with her latest cookbook brings it all together. She shares some of the secrets of her success with DIANE DE BEER:

Success comes with consistency, says Ina Paarman who has established her reputation with just that. “You have to send out the same message all the time,” she says. Together with that you have to give practical culinary information and recipes backed by good, top quality, products.

Her food philosophy which probably grew through the years was that you have to be able to fend for yourself in the kitchen. “It is an essential life skill and the best way to stay healthy,” she advises.

And with a fast ageing population, this is her mantra, one that has never changed through the years. Instead it has grown stronger.

For those who have watched and heard stories through the years, teaching is her calling. “I love sharing knowledge. Information about skills and technique for example. I believe in removing the fear of food and at the same time the importance of understanding the essence of good nutrition.”

Fresh Pea Soup with Spinach Fish Cakes with Tartar Sauce

In the beginning and in her younger days, she was scared of famous dishes.; “I felt intimidated,” she confesses. But with some experience she learnt that it is best to be your own trendsetter and at the same time to pay attention to your customers. You have to understand and get to know their needs.

In her line of work, she was dealing with real people with families and friends to feed who love good food, food that men and children will enjoy. That’s quite a big ask, but because she was one of these women herself, she knew how to make it work.

In today’s world, less meat is the way to go if you take international trends into account and then you have to understand that everyone is battling with time. When it comes to preparing meals for a family, you are often dealing with people who have many different priorities and time is of the essence.

Branding in today’s world is huge and this is what Paarman understood from the earliest days. “The brand is part of who we are and what we as a family have always been intimately involved with.”

Venison Pie with Phyllo Roses

“Our lives are what we do every day. We do not have a heavy social life, and if we travel it always involves gathering ideas and knowledge. A good business is an extremely demanding taskmaster. But I won’t have it any other way.”

And it shows. Ina Paarman’s name has always been synonymous with quality and in the over-supplied world of cookbooks, you can’t afford not to get it right. There are just too many options and worldwide it has become BIG BUSINESS. Just watch the latest season of Masterchef and see what is happening in the food world. The quality of those young chefs is astounding.

Everyone who manages in a kitchen at some stage might think they have the knowledge for their own cookbook journey. Think carefully, as the specialist explains. “They must realise that success takes time and dedication. Just as you would give total dedication to raising a child, a business, to grow, demands time, attention and continuous re-investment of money.”

We should all know that nothing comes easily. Success has always meant hard work together with the luxury of talent which has been honed.

Talking to her about social media, she is still dubious about the benefits at all times. And that is probably most people’s feeling about this area of our lives which in many cases has become quite monstrous.

Even when we do understand how it has given many of us the ability to do what we do. “Social media is a great way to communicate directly with your customers,” she explains. “But you have to do it in an honest and credible way.” Again that sounds like experience talking. Everyone has had to find their own way.

Through the many decades, staying relevant has probably been her best tool. “Listening, listening and listening and then acting on what you observe,” is her solution.

In conclusion she celebrates the latest cookbook. “It has given us all a lot of pleasure she says. I worked with a talented team and photographer Nicky Hoyle. We took time doing the book (over a year) and worked with the seasons. Our garden was great inspiration and the team are the best in town!

“Beside we enjoyed some delicious meals and had exciting moments of creative stimulation and sharing ideas.”

She recommends the book as all the recipes are thorougly tested and will always work. How can that not work for those of us in our own kitchens? It’s exactly what you want.

She also includes that all the recipes are based on our South African culture with the availaibility of products extremely important. That and our style of eating.Homecooks will feel comfortable with the recipes, she adds. The print is large enough, the ingredients familiar and as a bonus, beautiful photographs. Finally, she says, “I felt the need to share a bit about my background to ‘set the scene’ for each chapter.”

Chicken and Olive Bake with Pitted Dates.

And if you need more encouragement.:

The book’s title, INA PAARMAN: MY FAVOURITE RECIPES, should seal the deal.

Their online shop has closed but the book is available from their factory shop in Diep Rivier, Cape Town or at certain Checkers and Exclusive Books brances.

Here is her favourite recipe in the book:

Ouma’s Karoo Lamb Pie:

This traditional recipe from my mother Nellie Jooste should be preserved for future generations. The aromatic pie always looks impressive and tastes and smells delicious. It can be prepared in advance and frozen with the uncooked pastry cover.

Main Dish:                                                                                 Sauce Condiments:

2 kg lamb on the bone (shoulder or knuckles)        1 t (5ml) ground coriander

Or a mixture of the two cut into 4cm pieces            2 cloves garlic, crushed

Ina Paarman’s Meat Spice                                                2,5ml  Ina Paarman Chilli and Garlic

2 cups (500ml) water                                                           seasoning

2 times 25g Ina Paarman Liquid Beef Stock                 2 t(10 ml) mustard powder

1 onion, chopped                                                                    2 t (10 ml) sugar

2 bay leaves and 5 cloves                                                     4 T (60 ml balsamic vinegar

Sour cream pastry if you have the book, or                    2 T (30ml) cornflour or potato flour

Bought all-butter puff pastry                                               mixed with a little cold water

Egg Wash:                                                                                Half an onion studded with 7 cloves

1 egg, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt

                                                                            Makes 1 to 2 pies.

METHOD

Adjust the oven rack to one slot below the middle position and preheat the oven to 160 degrees C

Season the lamb with Meat Spice. Place the water, the beef stock, onion, bay leaves and cloves into a large heavy-based cast iron pot with a lid. Add the seasoned lamb and cook the meat in the oven until  completely tender and starting to fall off the bone (approx. 2 and a half hours).

Spoon the meat out with a slotted spoon and let it cool a little. Remove the bones, excess fat, gristle and bay leaves, then flake the meat.

Fill up the stock remaining in the saucepan with water – you should have approx. one and a half cups. To that, add all the sauce condiment ingredients. Thicken it with cornflour or potato flour blended into a little water. Add the flaked meat and taste for seasoning.

Dish the meat mixture into a heat-resistant  pie dish of approx. 25 cm. Position the spiked onion half in the centre to prevent the pastry from sagging. Leave to cool down. Ideal to refrigerate overnight.

Cover the pie with pastry. Put an extra pastry strip on the rim of the pie dish, then cover the pie with pastry. Scallop  the edges. Glaze with egg wash ingredients beaten together. Turn the temperature up to 190 deg C. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Cover with foil, shiny side up, for the final 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning of the pastry.WINE CHOICES: A wooded Chardonnay or Shiraz will complement the butteriness of the pastry.                

CHEF PATRON DANIEL LEUSCH CELEBRATES FOUR DECADES OF LA MADELEINE, ONE OF THE CAPITAL CITY’S BEST LOVED RESTAURANTS

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When you are invited to celebrate the 40th birthday of a Pretoria restaurant which has managed to remain on the top ten list in the city from beginning to end, the excitement is huge. DIANE DE BEER pays homage:

Pictures: Hennie Fisher

Chef patron Daniel Leusch and maitre’d Abu Fofana

I have known chef patron Daniel Leusch for as many decades and been a huge fan but I haven’t had a meal for a few years. I’m expecting nostalgia, reminiscing, and glorious food. What I didn’t expect from the classicist is a makeover, subtle as is the secret of his special craft, yet with a specific modern slant which proves why diners keep coming back.

But before I get to the menu, I returned on a Sunday at 2pm for a chat to catch up on the history as well as future dreams.

I walk into a buzzy restaurant where family and friends have packed the room for a hearty and probably heavenly Sunday lunch as my bubbles and freshly baked La Madeleine bread with cheese attest.

Cappuccino of fresh peas

Chef Daniel has long ago tapped into the Tshwane ethos. He knows we are still a traditional society when family rituals come into play. He has many regular diners who started with the grandparents and the parents and eventually, the kids are now the diners. La Madeleine is part of their dining DNA.

He first arrived in Johannesburg in 1976 as part of an adventure which he didn’t know at the time would shape his life. Johannesburg’s Carlton Hotel’s iconic Three Ships restaurant was his first port of call before he moved to the capital city where he started at the Alliance with Chez Daniel, an obvious beginning for a young chef (’77 to ’80) and was then gifted a sponsorship by the director of Boland bank where he opened his own restaurant.

La Madeleine had its start in Esselen Street, Sunnyside in 1984 where Daniel would be cooking for 16 years. This is where he made national news with his famous champagne-injected crayfish. There was a huge outcry but the foodies around the country took note – and with reason.

And finally, today’s setting for La Madeleine which has been the home for this extraordinary chef since 2000. And now he is celebrating one of Pretoria’s best and its 40th anniversary. It’s the longevity, the sustainability, the years of maintaining standards – and never losing his drive to excite diners as we discovered a few weeks ago at our celebratory dinner.

Carpaccio Japanese style

I hadn’t been for a few years because even though I’m still reporting on food and restaurants, I seldomly dine out. It’s been a privilege for a number of decades to be treated by many city restaurants and to share in their triumphs. Daniel and I come a long way and I had visited every restaurant, from the Alliance days, all these years. He has always been able to marvel at the experience he presented me with from the early days and I should have expected it now.

What I didn’t expect is that he was going to excite us (party of four with myself, chef Hennie Fisher and our partners) with beautiful classically based modern food.

I should have known. His generation of European chefs, Daniel notes, were influenced and inspired by the great Paul Bocuse. I had to smile when the cappuccino of fresh pea arrived. He had refined a masterful green pea soup that I remember from earlier days and I knew we were off on one of Daniel’s food fantasies and we were going to have an extraordinary meal.

This was followed by a carpaccio Japanese style (where his son is in the hotel management business) served with diced daikon. Simply sublime and it transported me back to that island of fine cuisine.

Paying tribute to his roots, next were some exquisite Provencal inspired tartlets with delicate fresh and cooked vegetables, a pastry that’s melt-in-the-mouth, shavings of Parmesan and a hint of basil pesto. Heavenly!

And then he came with a delightful surprise. The mains were a classical paella. And as any chef will do, he went to find fish where he knows it will be fresh as fresh can be, in Cyrildene’s Chinatown. The picture tells the story. He couldn’t have picked something more delicious. How can one not feel utterly spoilt when a fine dining chef presents you with something as wonderful as that Spanish classic.

Classic Daniel Leusch Paella

So in a sense, even though his imagination was on high alert, he did opt for the classical. Only it wasn’t what I had imagined it would be.

Then came what he cleverly called a pre-dessert tartlet, filled with a  paste of tomato jam and a raspberry sauce. A marvellous transition to what was to come.

The dessert was next and he showed off his spectacular skills with four different sweet delights. It simply started a merry-go-round at the table as we moved from one to the next and started all over again.

From a homemade ice cream with a salted caramel sauce between crackling brandy snaps; meringue filled with marmalade of fresh strawberries, coconut cream and raspberries; brandy snaps filled with cream, ricotta, raspberry sauce and ice cream. The combo was spectacular and the way a meal should be concluded, all sweetness and light.

Daniel’s wife Carine who many regulars will remember was the pastry chef in earlier times and his daughter Anne, who followed in his footsteps and now cooks in France in the Paris environs, was also a pastry specialist amongst all their other skills, but he’s no slouch and he has obviously well-trained staff.

Like his maitre’d Abu Fofana from Côte d’Ivoire who recently returned to his former post where he is a huge favourite, he takes his cue from Daniel and is perfectly attuned to diners and their needs.

Daniel of course has not changed a jot from when I first met him probably at his first post at the Alliance. He has kept his accent and his familiar manner of introducing the menu and mingling with the diners throughout the meal. He’s wonderful to watch as he moves between tables chatting away while observing what may be needed.

While I was writing at a table on the side, I could hear his voice as he explained the different dishes which meant I was smiling all the time. There’s a charm, a warmth and generosity of spirit when you dine and a desire to keep everyone happy while dining. That’s worth going back for time and again.

I knew – as always – what to expect from the man himself. What was unexpected was the meal and the surprise element, the menu. I wouldn’t have been let down if I was served what I had come to expect as classic Daniel.

But the way he invigorated the menu on the day, the thoughtfulness of inviting us (myself and chef Hennie Fisher who not only took these pictures but also wrote for many decades raving about all his accomplishments) and then overwhelming us with a spread that simply took our breath away, made this 40th celebration something extraordinary. And when I look back and reflect, should have been expected.

That’s why Daniel Leusch could sustain La Madeleine for 40 years. That’s where his heart lies. He still chooses all the produce himself. He knows that’s where the heartbeat is established.

And simply stated: “It’s my life!” says Chef Daniel. What an honour to be given a taste of just that!

A FIERCELY FUNNY SOLO ACT AT THEATRE ON THE SQUARE WITH A SKILLED SCRIPT AND DEXTROUS PREFORMANCE BY AARON MCILROY

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DIANE DE BEER

A VEGAN KILLED MY MARRIAGE

Actor: Aaron Mcilroy

Writer/director: Craig Freimond

Show times: Weekdays at 7:30pm and Saturdays at 5pm or 8pm

Dates: Until 14 July


A solo show is a difficult gig for any performer. It’s the actor and the script with no backup if things go wrong. They have to think on their feet.

But when it works, it’s usually a blast. They’re sometimes funny and often sad. But whatever the material, the performance is usually the determining factor.

That’s why I try to give solo artists at least one chance. If they’re good, you’re theirs for life and usually the progression is also special to witness.

When I saw  that Craig Freimond was the director and the scriptwriter, I knew this would be a winner. His reputation is established and I was pretty sure the trip would not be wasted.

It’s always interesting to discover new actors and Aaron Mcilroy’s performance was hugely entertaining.

The title is pretty self-explanatory and in this time of extremes, vegan is a good topic through which to exploit that particular behaviour trait. Anyone who gives up anything with success can be very painful and annoying. Perhaps “sanctimonious” captures the essence more specifically.

And that’s exactly what happens here as  this particular vegan convert decides he has to inspire the world. He has discovered the life and it is his responsibility to pass it on. Get the drift…

Especially braais – that sport of kings in the South African context – are not the place to start preaching a vegan lifestyle. But, of course, new disciples, have hardly learnt the finer nuances of taking things slowly. Trying to persuade someone to let go of their way of life because that’s what you have done is hardly a proven recipe.

And that’s exactly what happens. But without showing the play’s hand completely, rather discover it for yourself.

Mcilroy knows how to work a room, he has an abundance of tricks in his bag to layer his performance, and the script is coloured smartly with the sharpest South African shades, is extremely funny and very recognisable to anyone who has ever been in any relationship.

We all start out with good intentions and then the personalities and needs of the different parties come into play. How different individuals play their moves often determines the outcome.

Freimond and Mcilroy make a good team. It’s a sassy little play, a smart performance and, at 60 minutes long, perfect for a chilly Gauteng evening. Take some friends and have a relaxing time out.

THE STRENGTH OF A WOMAN’S DREAM DRIVES AND SUSTAINS THE KAROSS CREATIVE ENTERPRISE

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Irma van Rooyen’s life is driven by her creative instincts. What started as an idea has changed and enhanced many lives. DIANE DE BEER speaks to a woman who didn’t only have a dream, but turned it into reality called Kaross:

Kaross Cloth being created by Thembi Lebepe.

When Irma van Rooyen and her husband started farming in the Letsitele region (nearest town Tzaneen), their life took an unexpected turn.

It wasn’t part of their dream from the start, but once they decided this was their future, it was all systems go.

Growing up in a creative household, art was always part of Irma’s destiny. That was what she studied, with sculpture and mosaic all part of the programme. At home, her mother gave embroidery classes, all their clothes were made and fabulous food was what the family enjoyed.

Irma van Rooyen, Kaross dreammaker.

Once the Van Rooyen’s had bought their farm, their focus shifted. Irma had three young children to raise, but when you meet her and get to know her, you witness her creative mind always at work.

It didn’t take long for her to realise that there were many women dependent on the farm, but once they had done the work required from them, there were many idle hours that could provide them with a better as well as in this instance, an income enhanced by creative and skilled work. It’s always been Irma’s lifeforce and she hoped to multiply that gift.

They had already transformed an old farmhouse on the property into Irma’s studio where she would paint and create. She understands what creativity does for the soul. Not only would those participating receive better salaries, they would also gain in dignity and pride for what they were creating.

Kaross embroiderers at work: Shella Mathebula, (left) and Thandy Mongwe

Thus Kaross was born to fight not only the idle hours but also to benefit the community. When you read their mission statement on the Kaross website, the Van Rooyen couple’s strong sense of community was part of the farm’s ethos from the start in 1984, both as a family and as a citrus growing enterprise. They believed in working together with their colleagues, employees and community to create a sustainable environment in which everyone can benefit and grow.

workshops; The joy of Hilda Rikhotso’s artistic endeavour

That is clearly visible when you visit the farm and the Kaross workshops. Irma is the artist and once she understood that she could do something for especially the women, embroidery immediately featured. Initially five women were keen to get started. Embroidery is a traditional skill of the Vatsonga and Northern Sotho people and through Kaross, Irma revived the skill by making it commercially viable.

The embroiderers were encouraged to tell their own stories and the hope was that a market for their goods would develop organically. Irma jumped in with drawings at the beginning and she’s still involved on that level. What started out with five women on a blanket embroidering has turned into a thriving business and today Irma’s daughter Janine Pretorius also involved.. And when you see the goods available on the market, they have developed their own style and a quality that speaks for itself.

Kaross embroiderers at work.

For Irma it was always about improving lives and offering the tools to people who wanted a better life. These days, there’s hardly anywhere in the region that you won’t find someone sewing – men while waiting on a tractor or children sitting in their yard at home.

Friends in creativity, Olivia Phephenyane and Irma van Rooyen
Hilda Rikhotso (left) and Janine Pretorius share a Kaross moment.

She is the perfect embodiment of someone who knows that to make a difference, you have to be the difference. What started out as a business that created bread and butter products has become a creative hub with Irma’s daughter Janine in charge of the workshop on the farm which also includes a restaurant and a gallery where their magnificent work is on sale.

Kaross is a name to be reckoned with and they are sold across the country. It makes your heart sing.

They are commissioned to do large projects and Irma is always on the lookout for new ideas. Her role is now focussed on the creative side and she is very involved for example with the colours they use, the designs selected and future possibilities. The marketing side is as valuable with everything that entails.

The success of Kaross has meant the establishment of the non-profit Kaross Foundation in 2017 with the main objective to identify, fund and implement projects that will result in a sustainable improvement in the quality of both Kaross and Group 91 Uitvoer’s employees (those working on the farm and who are part of the citrus business).

They invest their time in especially the education sector and partner with six local high- and primary schools in the region so that they are constantly improving the quality of education offered to the young learners.

It has become a South African success story that now employs 1 000 embroiders in the Letsitele/Giyani area. But that also implies huge organisation to get the work distributed, to run what has become a huge business on which many people depend and thrive. And many of the family are involved. It shows. Their  best advertising and marketing is the product, the creativity and the quality.

When you meet Irma, you quickly realise that this is a woman with vision. She is also someone who goes about her work softly but her spirit is infectious. And probably now that she is mostly at work on the creative side, she is flourishing.

It is easy to stand back and view what they have done and are doing but what Irma has achieved is astonishing. Not only did she want to help the people around her, she wanted to establish a sustainable business that would make huge impact on the lives of her community – it does and it shows.

She speaks with warmth about the embroiderers who arrive at her studio to show what they have created with finished projects. “They’re so proud,” she says. That is when she realises the difference Kaross has meant in the lives of others.

She is also excited by all the work that has been done, the Mandela and Aids hangings, the artists that have been trained to provide the scenes that are embroidered, the work that was done to tempt tourists with for example scenes of the Big Five. But what probably thrills her independent spirit most is that the ownership of Kaross has always been that of those participating on whatever level.

Kids can go to good schools that have been made available, incomes have been established and grown, and more than anything, creativity is something that benefits everyone.

Many of us have dreams of doing something for others. It’s when like Irma van Rooyen you go ahead, put in the hours, travel the miles and simply go the whole way to make it work and be sustainable – then you make a difference.

Go and have a look at the Kaross website and lose your heart:

https://kaross.co.za/

TWO FOODIES HAVE TIPTOED IN THE GARDEN FOR THEIR ADVENTURE INTO A PLANT-BASED DIET

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Pictures from the book

Cookery books have always been popular but it’s not always easy to find a hook, that something that makes it special. For creatives Isabella Niehaus and Louis Janse van Vuuren it’s as much about the creativity as it is about the food. DIANE DE BEER spoke to this powerhouse duo a while back about There’s a Vegan on my Verandah (Also available as Daar’s ‘n Vegan op my Verandah):

Food is the common thread between these two friends –Isabella Niehaus (Bella to friends) and Louis Janse van Vuuren – and, to make this one special, they decided to go the vegan route.

It has to happen with the way the world is going, and those like myself who love everything plant based will welcome their imaginative ideas. With both of them innovative chefs who are used to cooking for multitudes, coming up with novel ideas and combining that with wonderful words seem to come easily.

The fresh ingredients are from the forest/kitchen garden at Le Rembuché in the French countryside where Louis and his partner Hardy Olivier lived. And with Bella’s legendary long tables at her Duinhuis on the West Coast (she recently moved), and Louis’s fantasy vegan meals presented at Café Vincent and Chateau la Creuzette, it made sense for them to combine their cuisine adventures.

The book which has been rewarded with prizes and praise makes sense because of their passions which are so similar. Both of them are visual creatives and everything they do comes from that perspective. Which in this instance naturally means that the emphasis is as much on the pictures as on the words.

Not that the latter is neglected. Stories are the way they communicate amongst themselves but also on paper, and because this is a self-published book, they could do with it what they wanted with their own wishes, the ones to be obeyed. And you can see that.

With both having lived in what must be some of the most beautiful regions to be found (the French countryside and Cape West Coast) how they present their cuisine and their conversations is impacted by the visual presentation – something that works particularly well in a cookbook. It is who they are and how they operate.

This visual emphasis also drives how and what they do with food. “We don’t like stylised cookbooks,” they agreed at one of the presentations they did on their countrywide tour last year.

Nostalgia and memories are also feelings that dominate the way they worked with what they were going to present. Bella only got cooking late in her life, she explains, and for her, the table is as important as the food she selects for the day.

She loves working with flour and enjoys the whole tactile thing about preparing food. Fortunately we are still a country that cooks and they are hoping that with their particular plant-based ethos, they will inspire a new approach and an easy way to embrace the future where vegetables and fruit will play a far bigger role than meat and fish.

For Louis it is all about the senses and as soon as he smells food, he also visualises how it will look on the plate. “It will finally look exactly like a painting,” says the artist. His food habits had to change to improve his health. “Once I let go of dairy, I simply felt so much better.”

But that also heightened the emphasis he gave to food, because he had to put more thought into it, especially in the early days. He also believes that as he grows older, the importance of each meal is heightened. “I want every meal to be a festive occasion,” he says.

An emblem of fdrance – Lavender
Bread sticks

To compile and write the book, make the recipes and take the pictures, Bella had to travel to France and with her small duct-taped suitcase, she took with her some spekboom leaves (there’s simply not an English equivalent) as well as some other South African delicacies she could squeeze in.

Fresh produce is another of their secret ingredients. If they have to eat bread, it should be freshly baked. And when you think of the French and the abundance of bakeries, it’s part of how they breathe.

But that is also much more common here than before, so there’s no excuse. And even for those of us who are gluten intolerant, it’s easy to make our own version of what represents bread.

Similarly with fresh products. It’s important to go into your garden if you have one, and pick fresh lemons for example.

Simplicity is also underlined in their choice of recipes. “If I’m eating pumpkin,” says Bella, “I want to taste the pumpkin.”

Louis has been a vegan for more than seven years, while Bella with the writing of the book was dipping her toe in the water. But what they aimed to do with the book was to show the importance of produce and how to turn a vegan lifestyle into something spectacular in an everyday kind of way.

They emphasise that this cookbook is as much about the conversations as the cuisine. “We are two creative beings who like to chatter on about our food memories,” says Louis. They were guided by what they had in hand, how to combine smartly and imaginatively, and how to come up with affordable, wholesome and even luxurious meals.

Turmeric Milk and Paste
A room with a tale to tell.
Homemade Kombucha

I have to admit, my love of dairy still keeps me from adopting the vegan lifestyle. But I really cherish the information from those who are already doing it so that I can acquire as many of the wholesome habits as possible.

And because much of my food at home is plant-based, to find some clever combinations from those who know how is something special. It is a beautiful book with many exquisite pictures and the recipes are unusual, evoking many memories from childhood and family meals.

It is also a fantastic book to add spice to your kitchen – and we all long for that. Hurry up, because there are rumours that they are starting with a second one.