Category: Theatre

THE ROYAL COUNTESS ZINGARA WITH ALL HER GLAMOUR AND GLORIOUS SPECTACLE, IS BACK

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Jonny and Manual in full flight (picture by Spencer du Plessis).

SHOW: La Dolce Royal

DIRECTORS: Valentina and Craig Leo

CAST: A constantly moving spectacle is created with acts that keep changing with a show that is in its second month. To give you an idea:

Timekeeper- Andile Magxaki (SA/Joburg); Weeping Woman – Jenny le Roux (SA/Cape Town); Duo hoop – Jonny Grundy (UK)  Manuel Artino (Sicily); Contortionist – Lunga Buthelezi; (SA/Joburg) Feather balance act – Tatyana Babiy – (Russia); Rope act – Jenny le Roux; Axel Perez – rola bola (Mexico/Las Vegas); Bath act – Jonny & Manuel Havana; Aerial Cradle – Vicki Perez and Juan Pablo (Argentina)

CHOREOGRAPHY: Sam Kotze

VENUE: A glamorously dressed tent

Spectacular singer Megan Spencer(left) and the extravagant colourful Downtown Jonny (picture by Spencer du Plessis).

Get ready to party because that is what happens once you enter the amazing tent of the Royal Countess Zingara.

It doesn’t feel as if much has changed, even though it has been more than a decade since what feels like a travelling group of artists, has been to Gauteng – 2014, if my search is correct. And further reading shows that they first pitched their stylish tent in Cape Town in 2001.

That was why I was quite keen on a return visit. I had been a few times during their earlier seasons and, taking the passing years into account and the way the entertainment scene has evolved, I wanted to know how much they have had to adapt.

It was one of our coldest winter nights and we were wrapped up, but typically this organization doesn’t leave much to chance. The only time the cold got to you was during a trip to the restrooms or back to your car.

Everything inside the tent seemed perfect, and it didn’t feel as if they had changed much of the interiors or the concept. I recalled my initial excitement to what seemed like arty stained-glass windows and the clever composition of the food, with just enough variety and options to please even picky diners.

It is a long night, but they pace themselves, their performers and their guests. There’s never a dull moment. If you arrive early, there’s the fun of getting your face painted for a night of splendour – and no matter how dour your choice of couture, your face will light up the room.

You can also have your fortune read before the time, just in case you want to know about the millions in your future before you empty your pocket on the night.

But once seated inside with 380 guests scattered around the room, there’s more than enough to keep you intrigued. The serving staff, who are there to see that the night runs smoothly for each diner, are all dressed up as if having stepped back in time to ease your journey into this magical space.

The astounding contortionist Lunga Buthelezi

Breathtaking contortionist Lunga Buthelezi 

Think Berlin and the film version of Cabaret. Or perhaps our very own version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream staged with so much success at Maynardville a few years back that it even made a turn at The Market Theatre a few months later.

Some of the characters could also have escaped from the filmset of M*A*S*H or, if you want to go more recent, Harry Potter. And their attitude is as engaging as their attire.

The balance is perfect. While a four-course meal (Executive Chef: Emile Goliath) might sound extravagant, the portions are just right to keep you from wanting more and an exotic cocktail (alcoholic or not) is not excessive and lasts through the evening with a few glasses of water in between. (That is, when you drive rather than Uber).

But to get to the heart of the Zingara magic. It is the performers  – who, on the night, included Jonny Grundy and Manuel Artino, fantastic acrobats who have created a novel approach perfect for this particular venue; contortionist Lunga Buthelezi (from Joburg), who is probably the artist that impressed me most, because of the novelty and the artistry; the classy crooning throughout by The Clorettes, in solo and combination (from left to right, above) Edith Plaatjies, Andrea Anthony, Naz Leeman and Brandon Jonathan and Downtown Johnny (pictured credit Spencer du Plessis), whose name says it all. There are more and, during the run, certain acts are also changed but the style and spectacle is always there.

At the end of the night, I was ready to go home and yet again impressed by the creativity and the charm of this particular venture. It’s great to see something that has lasted through all kinds of fads and phases which has never lost any of its soul and lets you go into the night following an evening of revelry, the pace and passion determined by you.

They provide a venue that embraces, entertainment that holds you throughout, and a menu that works fantastically well while you set the tone.

I think it works especially well if you gather a group of like-minded friends to spend an enchanted African evening.

*The season runs Tuesdays to Sundays at the Melrose Arch Pavilion. Arrive early – gates open at 5pm – to explore the grounds, browse the Bijoux Boutique, get a tarot reading or have your face painted. The curtain rises on La Dolce Royal at 7:30pm and tickets costing from R1 360 per person include a welcome drink, a four-course dinner and the show. Booking is also open for end-of-year functions and special occasions. To book a VIP experience, email Vanessa@zingara.co.za

IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A GOOD HOUSE YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE FOUNDATIONS, SAYS AMY JEPHTA

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REVIEW BY DIANE DE BEER
PICTURES BY THANDILE ZWELIBANZI

A GOOD HOUSE

CAST: Homeowners Nhlakanipho Manqele and Lesoko Seabe (Bonolo), and their neighbours Jose Domingo and Mary-Ann Barlow, and  Christine van Hees and Conrad Kemp

I was listening to two American podcasters speaking about movies and television recently, talking about the lack of current events featured in any of their fictional TV series or films.

They pointed to Nixon and the Kennedys, for example, who have had so much filmed about their lives – in reality and fictionalized – but said nothing similar was being done about the Trump dynasty.

Fresh from witnessing Amy Jephta’s A Good House, currently playing at Joburg’s Market Theatre, it is all about current South Africa and accompanied by a strong local audience, all ages colours and genders, whose participation was as much fun as the play.

Lesoko Seabe and Nhlakanipho Manqele

I know we’re still a young democracy in global terms, but we’re moving on with some maturity as we head for our fourth decade. We certainly have stories to tell, time to reflect, discussions to be had and people who are still willing to talk to one another.

Are we one big happy family? Of course not. We would be idiots to think that is going to happen with alacrity, but we are busy moving away from those early rainbow phases simply to breathe more easily because we are all still alive and kicking.

In the international stakes though, we’re reaching for the top and it certainly isn’t out of our reach. And if anything, even with a group of cantankerous neighbours trying to make their way in Amy Jephta’s A Good House, it was easy to recognize what was developing on stage.

How good it is to smile at the things we get up to, the way we look at each other and the assurance with which we sometimes say something when we assume we know, but don’t have a clue.

From left: Jose Domingo, Mary-Ann Barlow, Lesoko Seabe and Nhlakanipho Manqele.

Three couples have chosen to live in one of the many gated communities which are such a part of our landscape. Apart from sizing each other up from every angle, what they have in common is their worry, in varying degrees, about a shack which has suddenly appeared on the periphery of their much valued and carefully selected suburb of Stillwater.

Jephta was already rewarded for the play when she was nominated for the prestigious international Susan Smith Blackburn Prize that honours women and writing for the stage. It was described as full of wit, humour, insight and exhilarating tension.

For her, it is a provocative exploration of the meaning of place, the contradictions of belonging and the definitions of community. Conversations are as fast and furious as change, according to the people in the room. It’s sizzling with all that predictable foot-in-the-mouth chatter crashing before its landed as husband and wife stare each other down, while carefully trying to navigate this sacred space which they can’t afford – financially or mentally – and have to try to make work.

Jephta latches on to the shifting terrain our country is still experiencing and has fun at everyone’s expense. No one escapes her sharp gaze, as she has picked her characters with care: men not used to even having to think about biting their tongue; women who know it all; those who feel entitled and those who don’t even know what that means; and others too scared to move.

Colour still looms large in our country and unfamiliar relationships still on shaky ground as people have to play specific games to make their world work. It’s specific algorithms, they say, or, in this instance, agendas. The difference is that they are historical and the patterns hardly noticed by those playing, so ingrained have they become.

Christine von Hees and Conrad Kemp.

Yet the fact that we are dealing, on whatever level, is already large in a world that turns its back on its horrific past as if the generations that follow feel it is their right to ignore or even wipe out the scars of those affected communities whose very existence depended on the goodwill of their enemies.

It is the kind of theatre that’s engaging and healing as writers refuse to let go of the ills of the past that have not yet been dealt with. It’s  not just a litany of fingers being pointed at the obvious perpetrators; it’s dealing with a legacy that still has an impact on a country that has survived so much that some say it is enough.

And yet, if you listen carefully, usually those arguing are not the people who have suffered, and thoeirs are the voices that should be listened to.

Jephta is an experienced voice who speaks her mind; her plays grapple with who we are and she bravely has an embracing and nuanced outlook which doesn’t simply take the easy way out. She lines us all up to pull together, no matter where we come from, but hopefully to build rather than break down our future. And all the while, she has us laughing at ourselves.

Congratulations to The Market as well as a production with a stunning writer/director and cast who stand their ground in a space so intimate, you cannot turn away.

THE ENORMITY OF STAGING A NEW WORK LIKE THE BACCHAE – AN AFRICAN CHORAL BALLET

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By DIANE DE BEER

PICTURES: LAUGE SORENSEN

This is a year of anniversaries, with theatres and institutions celebrating milestones. One of these is Joburg Ballet whose 25thAnniversary Season promises a monumental year of dance with a range of exciting productions that will showcase the company’s rich history, artistic vision and institutional growth, according to their CEO, Elroy Fillis-Bell at the launch of their milestone Silver Jubilee year. 

With this in mind and in partnership with Arts & Culture at the University of Johannesburg, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA), is currently staging “a world-first Choral Ballet that reimagines Euripides’ iconic tragedy through a uniquely South African lens – The Bacchae: An African Choral Ballet”.

Kitty Phetla centrestage with the Joburg Ballet and the UJ Choir in the background.

And for this spectacular event, they have put together an extraordinary creative team which will excite art lovers across the country. There’s director Jay Pather with his second work on stage this month (see previous review of Constellations at Sandton’s Theatre on the Square), award-winning choreographer Mthuthuzeli November, and most impressively, composer Neo Muyanga, who conceptualised, wrote and composed this first African choral birthday celebration. On stage the Joburg Ballet came together with the UJ Choir and guest artist Kitty Phetla with a production team of note in the wings.

Muyanga started dreaming about the project a number of years ago when he first read a translation of Euripides’s text. “Later,” he writes in the programme, “I was able to locate versions of the story authored by the legendary Wole Soyinka as well as poet Anne Carson, and at each reading I found the story resonated deeply with expressions of worry I hear shared over the media as well as in my own personal interactions regarding what feels like an impending societal crisis, both locally and globally.”

The illustrious dancer Thando Mgobihozi, Joburg Ballet dancers and the UJ Choir in the background.

He describes The Bacchae as “a harrowing tale of what the ancient Greeks called Sparagmos – a festival of violence and mayhem involving the tearing of one another from limb to limb of spilling blood in order to work through periods of upheaval.” He explains that the ancient Greeks devised the genre of tragedy as a way of helping a troubled society navigate towards a catharsis – reaching a point of resetting the city and returning to the ‘right behaviour’.

He started the project by firstly writing a libretto that elaborates on the themes of magic, power, violence and seduction which feature powerfully in the original work to illustrate how these topics could be found in our own contemporary context: the spectre of a political force running roughshod over a systematically disempowered populace, but which is ultimately halted by a saviour figure derisively called ‘a foreigner’ by detractors.

He composed a musical score that hopefully speaks to the pre-eminence of ritual and trance, making deliberate use of brass, percussion and choral, which he argues are meant to reflect our own practices of ritualised worship in the African Christian tradition.

November, the choreographer, realised that for him, it was meant to be a sort of epic ballet. “It’s huge in scope but deeply human,” he emphasises.

“As an artist, I come from many different backgrounds, from traditional African dance, kwaito, pantsula, ballet, contemporary dance and have gone to a performing arts school. A lot of that then informed what felt important at what point.

“I believe this work is about community, and time and time again South Africans have been a strong community that comes together, to fight, to celebrate.”

Bringing it all together, director Pather views The Bacchae as an unbearably tragic story and sums it up as follows: “The slighted and banished God of wine, ecstasy and fertility, Dionysus” (in this instance cast as a woman, the statuesque Kitty Phetla) “returns to Thebes and exacts revenge on the autocratic ruler Pentheus. Swept up in the magical energy of Dionysus (also known as Bacchus), the citizens (who become Bacchae, hence the title) experience ecstasy and freedom as never before. But like all excess, this also has its toll and leads to clashes and violence.”

He notes that the work is variously seen as an ancient tale that demonstrates that disrespect for the Gods will have consequences. And it is also read as a metaphor for, and a warning that, oppressive patriarchal regimes cannot last forever, that they maintain that volcano beneath them at their peril and will explode.

We can all certainly agree that we are living in a world that is dominated by these kinds of excesses, with rulers who are more worried about themselves and their immediate family and friends than about their fellow countrymen.

It’s a glorious proposition to explore and one worthy of the spectacular production in the Joburg Theatre. It’s a chance to see our artists when they come together for a grand collaborative effort on a grand scale.

Personally, however, I felt it lacked that African spirit of originality which I was expecting. Theatre is my area of expertise, but I have always loved especially local music and dance. For me the production was magnificently staged and yet, being the first African choral and ballet of its kind, I was charmed by the performance but left wanting for something more explosively original and African, something that would blow my mind.

Even so, I would urge everyone to go. The fact that something like this was attempted on such a gigantic scale is magnificent. That it didn’t succeed for everyone is what happens in the arts when something new is attempted.

If you’re not constantly shifting boundaries, what’s the point? If anything, this production speaks volumes about the healthy state of the arts.

REMEMBERING THE PAST TO HONOUR THE PRESENT

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Review by Diane de Beer

RISE ’76: THE STORY OF JUNE 16TH

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni

CAST:  Deon Lotz (police commander), Sbuja Dywili (policeman) and Ben Albertyn (policeman), the three men at the back

With bottom row from left to right: Mfuneli Ntumbuka (teacher), Alex Sono (male pupil) Zilungile Mbombo (standing, female pupil), and Botlhale Mahlangu (headmaster)

With all of them playing many other smaller characters in the play

VENUE: Mannie Manim Theatre at Joburg’s Market

DATES: Until June 28

Can it be 50 years ago that our nation was confronted with one of its most devastating yet life-changing catastrophes?

In a country as diverse and divided (not only by law) as we were, everyone would have experienced that cataclysmic day differently and arguably, many older folk will think they remember it all too well.

And yet, because of the intimate setting, the small ensemble and the personal gaze of the historical retelling, it unfolds in waves of emotional information that often overwhelm you completely. For the audience, there’s no holding back, no place to hide. Whether you ‘witnessed’ the events or only heard about them many years or decades later, the full impact will catch you unawares.

That is what makes this such a masterpiece. So much has happened since the day the schoolchildren decided to take matters into their own hands. The focus has been dimmed and June 16 is a date remembered, but one that needs to be put out there in blazing colour and minute detail – not just the headlines.

Pupils Zilungile Mbombo (above) and Alex Sono (pupil), Sbuja Dywili (policeman) and Deon Lotz (police commander)

Because it had such an explosive impact and awakened the inevitable revolution, which was destined to follow, it is something that needs to be part of each generation’s psyche – and this certainly achieves that in a most courageous and daring fashion.

Whatever your political persuasion, you will be affected by this remarkable play and the choices made. Itis the full package that makes this work so magnificently, starting with the thoughtful and thought-provoking text.

This is then further cemented by the creative casting, with each member of the cast the perfect fit. And it shows in many different ways because most of them play many different characters, each one capturing the heart of the character they adopt. Ntumbuka’s teacher seems aghast at what she is expected to teach, for example. Imagine, she almost shrieks, that she is expected to teach maths in Afrikaans, a language completely foreign to her. And yet, when she appears as a mother, she’s calmness herself.

And the rest of the cast follow suit, slipping easily into whoever they’re expected to become next. The two youngster Zilungile Mbombo and Alex Sono, deserve special mention because they weren’t even born in ’76 and yet they capture the defiance and courage of that time with the energy required.

As you relive these traumatic times now almost a half-century ago, you cannot help but feel pride at the progress this country, which held such horror for such a large number of its citizens has already achieved. Much bigger countries (in fact, large chunks of the world) are suffering rough times and struggling with the animosity between citizens.

Nothing comes easily, but the work done these past 30 years is obviously paying dividends. With the  introspection that Rise ’76 brings, it reminds us where we come from and how much we have to cherish 50 years down the road on a continent and in a country that not many gave much of a chance to succeed.

Our outrageous systems of the past, with fortunately the most unattainable expectations of disempowerment of most of the nation, should never be forgotten even though we achieved miracles against all odds.

Those of us who lived through it should never lose the sense of wonder as we witness the cohesion that is starting to rear its head all over the show.

Many laughed at the notion of a Rainbow Nation in the early days. And while nothing is ever perfect, from my point of view, if you have a mixed populace turning up to something called the Pretoria Boeremark in the capital city every Saturday, we are doing something right.

And while comparisons are odious, as a nation we have to smile if 50 years on with many countries battling stability, we seem to be going from strength to strength.

FROM THE CHARL DU PLESSIS TRIO – WITH LOVE

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DIANE DE BEER

Soloist/accompanist/lecturer Charl du Plessis is all about music. He is constantly travelling all over the world, but everything is about the performance – or occasionally catching one of his cherished artists either in the classical or jazz genres.

His annual classical festival at the Fairtree Atterbury Theatre has become legendary in a very short time because of its innovative programming as well as the acclaimed artists participating.

Where he finds the time for everything he packs into his life, we all wonder, but not for too long, because all of those who share his musical bent, benefit from his crazy schedules which are always varied and adventurous. Similarly, this year, it will be difficult to choose from excellent programming, but it doesn’t happen more than once a year, so be generous and treat yourself.

Here is a rundown of the perfectly planned programming with a fantastic performance celebrating the Fairtree Atterbury Theatre:

Atterbury Klassiek 2026 21-24 May (Presented by Atterbury Trust Fairtree Atterburyteater)

VOX CHAMBER CHOIR: GLASS MUSIC

The Vox Chamber Choir, founded in 2017 by Franco Prinsloo, is a Pretoria-based ensemble of 40 highly skilled singers dedicated to performing and recording Prinsloo’s compositions.

Prinsloo, an internationally acclaimed composer, has played a significant role in shaping South Africa’s contemporary classical music landscape. The choir serves as a professional platform to bring his innovative works to life.

Fairtree Atterbury Theatre Thursday, 21 May 19:30 seatme.co.za (R190, R250) (duration 60 min)

Charl du Plessis Trio & Friends need no introduction. The celebration of two decades on stage reaches its pinnacle in what should be a spectacular concert featuring the trio  alongside a remarkable lineup of guest artists. The programme consists of a curated selection of works drawn from the Trio’s 10 albums, as well as brand-new material performed live for the first time. On offer is both a retrospective and a glimpse into the future, capturing the Trio’s signature blend of classical refinement, jazz energy, and crossover innovation. Joining them on stage are guest artists: percussionist and marimba virtuoso Magda de Vries as well as guitarist and long-time collaborator Juan Oosthuizen and iconic vocalist Nataniël. This is a celebration of musical connection, creativity, and the enduring life force of music itself.

Fairtree Atterbury Theatre Friday, 22 May 19:00 seatme.co.za (R330, R280, R220) (duration 80 min)

Introduction to the Orchestra: A Magical, Interactive Concert Experience for Children at Atterbury Klassiek 2026

Step inside the world of the orchestra in this vibrant and engaging concert-lecture designed for curious minds of all ages. It’s a musical journey through the different sections of the ensemble, uncovering how each family of instruments contributes its own colour, character, and voice. From the shimmering strings to the bold brass, this interactive experience brings the orchestra to life through live demonstrations, familiar musical examples, and moments of audience participation. Discover how composers combine these sounds, explore the building blocks of orchestral music, and gain insight into the creative process behind the music. Conducted by Richard Cock, whose engaging and audience-friendly style has inspired music lovers, this concert promises to be as entertaining as it is enlightening.

Fairtree Atterbury Theatre Saturday, 23 May 11:30 seatme.co.za (R100 children R200 adults) (duration 60 min)

Mozart’s Three Pianos

Three Steinway Grand Pianos will share the stage in an historic Mozart celebration at the Fairtree Atterbury Theatre. The concert will feature the Phoenix Co Orchestra under the baton of maestro Richard Cock. The highlight will be Mozart’s rarely performed Concerto for 3 pianos in F major, K. 242, an exuberant work that showcases the brilliance and interplay of three soloists performing together: distinguished pianists Charl du Plessis, Megan-Geoffrey Prins and Tessa Rhoodie – all faculty members of the University of Pretoria.

The programme also includes Mozart’s sparkling Concerto for 2 pianos in E-flat major, K. 365. Du Plessis will be joined by rising star Hermanus Schmidt, winner of the 2025 Atterbury National Piano Competition and the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition. Originally from Stellenbosch, Schmidt is currently a student of renowned South African pianist Mario Nell.

Fairtree Atterbury Theatre Saturday, 23 May 18:00 Sunday, 24 May 15.00 seatme.co.za (R330, R280, R220) (duration 75 min)

And to top it all, not strictly speaking part of the festival, yet landing with a celebratory blast off:

     
Fairtree Atterbury Theatre’s 15th Birthday Celebration with  Charl du Plessis – My Favourite Things — a personal journey through classical and jazz piano.  18 May | 19:00 | R200       Moving seamlessly between classical piano repertoire and jazz-inflected reinterpretations, Du Plessis creates a musical journey that balances elegance, spontaneity and expressive depth. The programme features works by Brahms, Chopin and Rachmaninoff with imaginative crossover arrangements of Mozart and Beethoven.   Well-loved melodies such as Salut d’amour, Rustle of Spring and Bésame Mucho are reimagined through Du Plessis’ distinctive pianistic lens, where lyricism and rhythmic vitality coexist effortlessly.   Also included are an improvisation on Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz and a sensitive arrangement of the traditional South African song Ntyilo Ntyilo, underscoring Du Plessis’ longstanding engagement with improvisation and musical storytelling.  
BOOK TICKETS

ALBIE SACHS THE MAN, THE FATHER, THE SURVIVOR

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Review by Diane de Beer


Pictures: Philip Kuhn

ALBIE SACHS, FATHERS, SONS, AND SOFT VENGEANCE

Presented by Troupe Theatre Company in association with Daphne Kuhn
Playwright: Gail Louw
Actor: Graham Hopkins
Director: Fiona Ramsay

Venue: Theatre on the Square, Sandton

Dates: Until May 24

If you were witness to the birth of the South African democracy in 1994, Albie Sachs will be familiar to you.

Not only was he part of the drafting of a charter for the new non-racial South Africa, but he also fought for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights and an independent judiciary in the new constitution.

On a more visible front, he was involved with the development of the new Constitutional Court building, and it is widely acknowledged that he was the instigator of the magnificent artistic heritage so marvellously displayed all over Constitution Hill.

As the title suggests, that’s not the story told in Albie Sachs: Father, Sons and Soft Vengeance; many of those facts will be familiar to South Africans.

It is Albie the man, the father, the survivor who tells this personal story of a young boy whose life was shaped and politically driven by parents who were both part of the Communist Party while his father, Solly, was also the leader of South Africa’s Garment Workers Union.

He grew up seeing white and black adults interacting as equals. That’s the background.

But here is a man who was also a father and a freedom fighter, somebody who lost an arm in a car bomb in Mozambique, where the South African secret service was actively trying to obliterate their antagonistic fellow South Africans.

And this is where the play is focused. Albie, instead of being crushed by the apartheid regime, viewed his scarred limb as a symbol of strength. It also pushed him onto a world stage where he became an icon of the liberation.

These musings of a man whose life was determined by the laws of the country of his birth, come to life in especially conversations with his son Oliver and that is how the story unfolds. It’s fascinating stuff which is magnificently explored by Graham Hopkins, who allows Sachs to emerge as a full-blooded human being.

It’s in the clothes, the way he moves and takes on the persona with a subtle touch. Seamlessly, he acquires the accents he uses for particular characters with astounding Hopkins flair. He moves through the 90-minute monologue in the blink of an eye without losing his audience as he tells the story of a man and a country fighting for their life.

It’s not an easy play to stage, but with the experienced Ramsay both as director and as actor, found imaginative ways to approach what could have been clumsy rather than crafty. Solo productions can easily fall into the trap of trying to add movement into a too static production, which then detracts from rather than embraces the text.

And then the play. Telling an Albie Sachs story could have been many different things. He is such a remarkable individual, a South African we were lucky to have during a momentous time in our nation’s future development as a democracy.

There were so many ways to swing with this one, but opting for the personal, the impact on his life of events he had no control over, is where the focus lies. That and the bridging of the gap between father and son, sharing the story in a way that explains how and why he was influenced in a specific way and how he hoped to have an impact on the future he wished for his children.

It also feels as though it is Sachs speaking, as though he has opened his heart and his mind to those who care to listen. It’s an extraordinary life and one that fellow South Africans can celebrate with pride.

He has been actively part of living and shaping the history of this country. It is individuals like him with strong belief systems who have turned this country into a beacon of hope in a world that seems to have lost its way.

Who would have thought?

THE DELIGHTFUL DILEMMA OF DEALING WITH LIFE

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Review by Diane de Beer

Pictures: Ngoma Mphahlele

AFROPOCALYPSE

DIRECTOR: Daniel Buckland

CAST: Market Theatre Laboratory 2nd Year Students

DATES: Until May 23

VENUE: Mannie Manim Theatre at the Joburg Market

It bubbles and bristles with energy, enthusiasm and excitement in this return season of a play which started as a student production in 2024 and returned in 2025 to the National Arts Festival, where it won a Golden Ovation Award, as well as a Naledi for Best Ensemble.

This current season is the forerunner of a showcase at a Swedish Festival, where it is one of four international productions selected from 600 applicants. And rightly so.

I was surprised when leaving the show that it had only been 60 minutes long. It felt much longer, in the best possible sense, and grabs your attention from start to finish. It was packed with adventure and a cast of 14 who never let up as they leapt into this glorious yet often gruesome adventure of the human condition in a world out of kilter.

How would theatre react to a world unhinged, as is presently at play? Through storytelling, of course, and taking this one to a European audience is the perfect choice.

Think of this country’s past and, in the present turmoil, one can only smile. We are sailing along quite nicely, apart from the constant syphoning off of state money, in this instance from the art coffers, which could benefit so many rather than just a few unworthy recipients.

Nevertheless, taking four constant bogeymen in a world that feels overwhelmingly disastrous and desperate: greed, mortality, religion and unconditional love – this outrageous yet wildly entertaining ragtag group use physical theatre and magic realism to uncover and explore what is happening around them and especially out there.

The fact that this comes from a country that not too long ago was viewed as one of the worst in the world, in itself brings hope.

With Buckland’s theatre-making ideal for this tawdry yet dynamic storytelling, it’s a joy to watch with the cast performing magnificently. It’s a compelling piece, told in an original fashion with a story that reaches young and old.

This is what the Market Theatre Laboratory does best. Described as “an incubator for the development of skilled theatre-makers while also producing bold, cutting-edge work”, that is exactly what is represented here.

That is why the way this specific piece has been transformed from its first performances to where it stands now is spectacular and a wonderful testament to what can be achieved in theatre with the right people and plans in place.

None of these 14 players has ever performed internationally and with this one, they are a testament to how theatre can evolve from small beginnings into something special.

Local audiences who see the piece will also be contributing towards the tour, and the cast are given every chance to land on the international stage in the best shape possible. What could be a better advertisement for local theatre, especially in a country like Sweden, which has contributed hugely to The Market and its pursuit of world-class theatre?

But don’t think you will be doing something charitable when going to experience this remarkable play, audiences are the ones that are rewarded.

In essence, the power lies in the originality of the text, the exuberant application and the perfection of the cast.

MARABI HOLDS AND CHERISHES MEMORIES OF OUR PAST – GOOD AND BAD

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REVIEW BY DIANE DE BEER

Pictures: Ngoma Mphahlele

MARABI

DIRECTOR: Arthur Malepo

CAST:

VENUE: Market Theatre

DATES: Tonight (7 pm), tomorrow 3 and 7pm, and Sunday at 3pm. The show has been extended until February 22

The times they are a changin …

And that is why this was such an excellent choice to launch the 50th anniversary of one of our country’s icons, The Market Theatre.

Marabi is the kind of show which celebrates and recalls a past which many would rather forget yet must be a constant reminder of where we come from. When Sebotsane is asked about his character’s name, July, he casually responds that it’s the month he was born.

His interrogator laughs and responds that had he been born later, it could have been August. And we are reminded how even names were loaded during those harsh years.

The balance of this mostly joyous production is perfect. Because it is rooted in the music of the time, there’s a nostalgic element which while telling a harsh story of survival, always leans on the music to hold onto the dreams while fighting the good fight.

That’s what has always been part of this country and its people, especially during the darkest times. Marabi reminds us how life was and where we are today. And that we will always have the music, perhaps the most haunting element of the show.

The cast is a big one with mostly seasoned actors and you need that with this production, which needs the full cast to be accomplished actors, dancers and singers.

Even though we are reflecting on times when most people in the country had no rights, looking back has a certain bravura to it. We’ve made it through. When watching it the first time, that luxury was not available and The Market was one of the few theatres allowed to have mixed audiences … lest we forget.

Director Molepo was part of the original cast and the perfect choice. He gets the mood right, allows a clever text to have impact while softening the blows with a glorious mix of music and movement.

The lighting is also used magnificently, sometimes bathing the stage in shadows so that the singing is the standout performance.

Theatre is such a fantastic barometer of life and what is happening around us. It helps to put the world in perspective, allows the emotions to bubble over in a safe space and, more than anything, reminds us the importance of artists and storytelling.

These are different times, but the world outside our borders is a precarious one. Marabi is a reminder of how much we’ve changed – and also of how much we still have left to do. Yet more importantly, while everyone seems to be moving backwards, we must keep forging ahead. Of course, there are bumps in the road but we have battled many before and won.

This is one for those of us who lived through the past, but also for a new generation who doesn’t quite understand or even believe where we came from. If nothing else, the music should be part of our memories. Even the youngsters in the audience were singing along, which is evidence that we can cherish some key elements of the worst times.

And hats off to the genius piano player who kept us tapping our feet from when we entered the theatre up to the curtain call!

SIMPLY LEAN IN

~ debeernecessities


Review by Diane de Beer

Gerard Bester (left) and Alan Parker

Photographs: John Hogg

SOMETIMES I HAVE TO LEAN IN
Choreographer & Performer: Alan Parker
Director & Performer: Gerard Bester
Dramaturg: Gavin Krastin
Text (“Wallflower”): Gwydion Beynon
VENUE: POPArt Theatre
DATES: Today at 3pm

It’s difficult to let people know in time to catch one of the shows at Joburg’s POPArt, because they have short runs, but that’s also the purpose of their theatre.
It’s for an easy yet discerning theatre crowd who like seeing something unusual and probably not available at a more traditional theatre.
It’s one of the delights of theatre that it offers such diversity. And this particular venue is a great example.
This present production has been around for a while starting as a commissioned work for Dance Umbrella in 2018 before playing at the Live Art Festival in Cape Town and most recently in 2024 for the National Arts Festival in Makanda.
Gerard Bester and Alan Parker created this delightful physical theatre piece playing with ideas that possibly featured in their own lives as ageing performers which begins as soon as you pass through that first theatrical endeavour.
Rather than focusing on age, it’s looking at two performers who have been in the industry for some time and are leaning in to find not only themselves and each other but also a way to be creative – not only on stage but also, hopefully in the world.
There’s a sweetness and a melancholy to their approach which might seemingly come across as quite lowkey, yet delivers a strong emotional punch.
It’s the unusual way they both move, sometimes leaning against a wall or in-between each other or simply trying their best to lean over while being held tightly by the ankles.
It’s about bringing those emotions into the light so that you cannot resist embracing the storytelling as well as the performers.
Perhaps co-director of POPArt, Hayleigh Evans says it best: once she saw it a few years back, she knew she had to present it at POPArt. It’s exactly right for this neighbourhood venue that’s easy to access, casual yet professional in its approach and yet another fabulous way to experience theatre at its most pleasurable.
With Bester and Parker’s experience, their easy approach and their individually original style, it’s yet another way to access life and all the challenges thrown our way.
Simply lean in!

To check out upcoming shows and events:

https://popartcentre.co.za

or

CONTACT:
General: +27 83 245 1040
email: popartjhb@gmail.com

ADDRESS:

POPArt is now located at 59 Dorset Road, Parkwood / Greenside East

HONEYMAN AND HER TEAM CAPTURE THE HEART OF PINOCCHIO AND HIS FRIENDS IN AN EXPLOSIVE BURST OF COLOURFUL DELIGHT

~ debeernecessities

BY DIANE DE BEER

Pictures: enroC photo and video

Piunocchio and his Dainty Dollky.

The colourful panto kids.

PINOCCHIO

DIRECTOR: Janice Honeyman

ASS0CIATE DIRECTOR: Timothy le Roux

CHOREOGRAPHER: Khaya Ndlovu

COSTUME DESIGNS: Mariska Meyer

MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Dale Ray

CAST: Katlego Nche (Pinocchio); Gina Shmukler (Bella Bouboulina – the Blue Fairy); Sandi Dlangalala (Jiminy Cricket (Gepetto Spoletto); Lesedi Rich (Lampwick Spaghetti); Brenda Radloff (Madame Ill’Fortunato – The Fox; Camilla Waldman (Madame Pussy Galore – The Fat-Cat); Tiaan Rautenbach (Dame Arletti Spaghetti ); Mark Richardson (Senor Napolio Strombolio – (Puppeteer/Gambvling Lord/Donkey Pirate); Luciano Zuppa (Fiddelomino – Traindriver/Donkeydealer); Noluthando Mathebula (Dainty Dolly – a puppet); Dale Ray (Benny Basie Blue MD);and the ensemble of 15 performers

DATES: Until December 24 

A colourful explosion.

Oh Janice! Why am I not surprised? This your 38th outing … I think? And you’re still pulling it off? There’s simply no end to your genius, is there?

I know you can do many other shows as well and you have the CV to prove that. But Gauteng audiences simply refuse to let you go.

Not only do you pull it off year after year, you also have the perfect team, led by Timothy le Roux, assistant director, who has introduced his own stage charm to the proceedings as well as holding on to all that panto knowledge you have imparted since those very early years.

Doesn’t matter when you go … as we did on a Sunday at noon. You simply pack them in … young and old, it doesn’t matter, they all love it. And I was sitting in the perfect chair to catch the show as well as the audience. They’re having so much fun it’s almost a show on its own.

The colours capture the emotions of the panto.

And there’s a reason for that. You have honed your skills through the years. You never sat back thinking you’ve made it. With each outing you set the bar higher.

You know how to cast, both the veterans and the fresh young things. They’re all rehearsed to an inch of their lives, yet there’s nothing mechanical. They, it seems, are having as much fun as the audience. Even on a day when they will be back in 90 minutes for a second show, it’s all systems go go go.

Let’s start with the costumes! Those colours simply smash it! It’s bright and cheery with a strong Italian flavour of green, red and white running through, but that’s augmented by the brightest brights so that every one on that stage is shining as bright as can be. It’s as happy as well as hip, which immediately sets the tone and the flavour of what’s to come.

A cast of colourful characters.

There’s the cheery Pinocchio (Katlego Nche) and his perky puppet friend (Noluthando Mathebula), Jiminy Cricket (Sandi Dlangalala) with the exquisite voice, the two foxy madames (Brenda Radloff and Camilla Waldman), so deliciously delightful, old hands Mark Richardson and Luciano Zuppa who skate through a cast of characters with ease, as well as another wise and wittty veteran Tiaan Rautenbach who knows how to dazzle as Dame Arletti Spaghetti – and how could you not with a name like that! There’s also Gina Shmukler’s sassy Bella Bouboulina, the Blue Fairy, and a supporting cast who bounce with the exuberant energy that keeps the audience on their toes.

Through the years the magic tricks as well as the sparkle and splendour have doubled in size and grandeur and expanded with advances in technology, but what Janice has done so magnificently is hold onto the spirit of the traditional panto. 

Every year she enhances what could have become tired tropes. She adds all the necessary and unexpected dazzle, but her brilliance lies in her holding tightly onto the heart.