Reading
I’ve been doing a lot of reading and research lately. It seems that the work I’m doing for the next couple of months needs tons of reading. And you know how it is; one thing leads to the next. So I’m having an ‘internet is amazing’ month. It really is. Everything is out there, from speaking Shakespeare to conversations in the future to great cold tomato soup recipes. And of course, I have become a bit of a facebook addict. I am totally caught up in the application that lets us write 3 word at a time stories. I know that none of this is new. No revelation here; just a moment of gratitude and excitement that learning can be this beautiful and easy. Viva ToingToing too.
Freaky
Last night’s show was just plain freaky. Not the show itself, but the stuff that happened. We were completely sold out and full and squeezed in to The Kalk Bay Theatre, which was so fabulous. I emceed the show. While I was explaining “the fluffy thing of redemption” to the audience (for those of you who don’t know, it’s a lappie that the emcee throws onto stage to save a scene if it is going on too long) and I was saying, “when I throw the fluffy thing onto stage, you’ll all stand up and sing, “Stop, (in the name of fluff)”, but at the exact moment that I said “Stop!” there was a total power failure! (Eskom!) Everyone hauled out their phones, we lit candles and somehow managed to get enough candles and torches onto stage to continue. It was quite amazing actually. So, then I was explaining to the audience how the warm-up game “It’s Your Party” works and there is this noise from the piano. Now, imagine the whole little stage covered in candlelight when all of a sudden this cat walks across the piano keys! Yes, a cat, who I have never seen at the theatre before, gets in on the act. Then! I am explaining to the audience how it would normally work (when there is no power failure) with the lights going down the audience shouting “Five, four, three, two, one and then the lights coming up again so that the scene can start, and as I said “up” the lights came back on. It was like total magic power. The audience was aghast. So was I. It was freaky.
The show was fantastic and we were loved by all. Yay.
Coeria Steak Restaurant
When we were in that small town last week we stayed at the Coeria Steak Restaurant and Lodge. We arrived quite late on the Monday night and had dinner in the outside lapa. Just to give you an idea; the lamb shanks that three of our party ordered were the size of small children. The eaters looked like they were feasting with Obelix and Asterix. This pescetarian struggled. Anyway, I digress.
In my room (which was charming and modern and pretty and TINY) I found this amazing photocopy on the little table. It was a welcome and info letter. I brought it home to copy some of it.
“Also make sure all the electrical equipment are working. If any problems you can let one of the managers know immediately for us not charging you for something you did not break.”
Then, “We have gas geysers and to make sure you have hot water you must open both the shower and basin’s hot water tap for the flame to light. As soon as the hot water are running through you can close the one tap.”
And lastly, for comfort for overseas travellers, “We have international plugs available. If you need one you can book one to your room.”
Love it.
another mystery of missing members
We had a great show last night. We were on top form and even changed the format of what we normally do, for a more spontaneous and exciting show. And we were great. The games, styles, characters and situations were all totally original and just blew the audience away.
Which brings me to my point. We thought we had 60 bookings last night. Which is really good. Only, about 20 of those didn’t turn up! How weird is that? I don’t understand. What happened to them? Who were they? Why didn’t they come? Well, they sure missed a hellova fun evening I tell you!
thieving ninnies
This is a note to the three women who arrived at the Kalk Bay Theatre last night, ate a delicious meal, complained because there was a big group of children (about 20 divine, well behaved, enthusiastic 12 year olds) attending the show, and got up and left before the show WITHOUT even paying for their meal. Apparently they were cross because no-one told them there was going to be a big group of kids at the show. Have you ever? What did they expect? “I hope you approve of the general age of our public audience madam.”? The irony was that there were many more adults than children in the audience and everybody had a total blast. As always, the kids came up with some truly remarkable suggestions which helped us on our way to being brilliant. You horrible lady-crooks missed a brilliant Understudy called “My Sweet Sugar-Plum Wolverine”, an Indie rock song called “Killer Bunnies”, a Jonathan’s Lisp where all es’s became els and much, much more. I don’t see where you get to decide on the age group of an audience if the show is suitable for all ages. And not paying for your food makes you crooks and thieves. Shame on you. Sies.
a theatre intervention on Racism
Four actors (including me) flew and then drove to a small town just outside Jozi to perform in incredibly interesting theatre intervention yesterday. Top management through to middle management of a big company were having a leadership workshop and they needed to confront their attitudes around racism in a new way, since it was not something that was openly spoken about.
I won’t go into the details of what we did. I just want to mention the effect our performance had. We, as actors, literally felt the change happen. It was tangible and dynamic. We could literally feel the energy of the 70 odd people who were watching us. It was quite extra-ordinary. And it re-affirmed the power of live performance as a communication medium. Obviously there were 5 or 6 people who were ideologically resistant. But, what is interesting is that I think the group will be less tolerant of them in future. For me, it was as if I could physically see the group absorbing and moving on. I hope I am right.
Pongrats Proteas
Well, it must be said, that was a thorough out and out drubbing! Eish! Viva Dale Steyn viva. Two tenfors in two tests. The guy is a bowling machine let loose. Now Kapitan, how about a run or two, just for ntha?
Library, shoosh
I’ve just come back from opening evening of Library, the final production in Artscape’s Season of New Writing. The script is by Juliet Jenkin, whose first play The Boy Who Fell from the Roof premiered at the first season two years ago and has gone on tour all over to much acclaim and a few awards, I’m told.
The play is set in, wait for it, a…library. And it’s about the three people who work there and two of their clients/lenders or whatever they are. It’s a bit of light lust, laughter and literacy with some cute and corny jokes.
Library is directed by Francesco Nassimbeni, who played The Boy in The Boy Who Fell (if I have to type that again I’m doing TBWFFTR), and sadly, that was the first mistake. The script is a bit of cute fluff, with lots of one-liners that frame a sweet but trivial plot. In terms of direction it should be character-driven, tight, technical comedy that happens at breakneck speed, not giving the audience a chance to see the holes. I suppose, in fairness, there isn’t really enough script for that; this version lasted just under an hour. Now, I don’t know Frankie, but I’m guessing that he just doesn’t have the necessary experience to handle that kind of technical comedy. So, give it to someone who does, and they can then do the script more justice. I mean, it is the Season of New Writing!
The cast was ok and everyone had their moments, some more than others, but I’m convinced that the same cast would have risen to the occasion more with a firmer hand. Adrienne Pierce, who was the mom in TBWFFTR, was physically very funny, Jennifer Aldridge and Eben Genis had funny and sweet moments, but the performances didn’t gel and there was very little magic.
There were a few lovely things, like the coloured books on the bookshelves and the The Smiths song at the end, but, to be honest, the opening night soup and vetkoek from the mama from Langa was my highlight.
Jutro
Jutro means tomorrow in Polish. A bit like the Cape Town attitude when it comes to getting around to going to the theatre. Tonight’s 1800 show was full though. Word has got around, even if it is the penultimate night of performance.
I know writing about this piece now is a bit like a M&G review, great but too late, but I did finally get there and it was a really beautiful show.
Jutro is the creation of Keren Tahor and James Cuningham who perform the piece and they are directed by Helen Iskander. The story is an incredibly simple love story between a Jewish cabaret singer and a gentile barman trapped in a bombed out theatre in Nazi occupied Poland.
The set is quaint and very period, the dust is a little too real, the lighting evocative, the music Eastern European heart string pulling and the script simple. It is the acting that makes this show brilliant. This is the best work I have seen Keren do. Her character is beautiful and magical and poignant. We really get to care about her in the short hour we spend with her. James however, steals the show. His portrayal of Januz, the bartender is magnificent. I could not take my eyes off him. His movement, timing, voice, emotion, commitment and presence was riveting. And the two of them certainly made magic together. If you read this today, go see Jutro tomorrow.
TheatreSports Rocks
Last night’s show of TheatreSports was truly fantastic. We had a biggish crowd at The Kalk Bay Theatre and as a team we just rocked. The audience was in stitches from beginning to end and we all had the best time. Highlights included a fantastic Shakespeare set in a brand new nightclub and a ‘three style scene’ called Death of a Mosquito, which followed the story of a gangster snitch called Millie the Mosquito. It was rousing! I hope it inspired members of the audience to stick a nose in next week for our marathon of TheatreSports performances to celebrate our 14th birthday!
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Randomness
