Pre-NAF Mini Festival at Alexander Bar Upstairs Theatre Launches Tonight, 22 June

Every year around the beginning of July, Cape Town gets just a little quieter, a little more peaceful - and a little more boring. Many put this down to the winter and the upsurge of snuggling and binge watching TV series, but everyone at Alexander Bar knows the real cause: the performers are all heading east, packing up their hats and bulky sets, and congregating in the frosty bowl in the Eastern Cape called Grahamstown for the biggest arts festival in South Africa.

While many fest-fundis will head to the National Arts Festival, those who are not - who are going to miss out on the spectacle of thousands of performers crammed into a town with only three bars - will have the chance to get a taste of it with the Alexander Bar and Café's Upstairs Theatre hosting five shows before they head up to Grahamstown.

LOVE AND PROZAC is Sonia Esgueira's hilarious solo show about dating disasters, directed by John Trengrove. The hour-long show describes itself as "the naughty girls' (mis)guide to dating, bonking and other disasters" and features Esgueira, who describes herself as the Titanic of the dating world, as thirteen sidesplitting characters. The production previously played at Alexander Bar in December to standing ovations and runs on 22 June at 7pm, with 9pm performances scheduled for 24 and 26 June.

WAR DONKEY will see award-winning stand-up comedian, Martin Evans, deliver outrageous new material. Subtitled "The Polony Diaries", WAR DONKEY is Evans's fifth solo show and charts life in South Africa in the 1980s, from the Satanic panic and the threat of border duty through to drive in movies and politically incorrect sweets. 9pm performnaces of this 60-minutes show take place on 22 and 25 June, with a 7pm performance on 26 June.

BODY LANGUAGE 2: THE MATING GAME takes over Alexander Bar for one performance only, on 23 June at 7pm. In a rollicking 50 minutes, Gaëtan Schmid plans to take audiences on an off-the-rails TED talk explaining the origins and meaning behind the human race's flirtatious ways. Directed by Lara Bye, with sound design by James Webb, the show promises to be full of Schmid's trademark high octane physical comedy in a journey spanning 400?000 years of human evolution and desribes itself as "a must see for the sake of the survival of our species".

THE PLOT HOLE, a behind-the-scenes take on breaking into stand-up comedy, features hot new talents Westley Cockrell and Stuart Cairns. In the show, the Cape Town based comedy duo brings to life the trials and tribulations they have faced while pursuing their careers, from keeping a day job to chasing the impossible dream of impressing their parents. These two oddballs promise to have you laughing at their expense in their 55-minute show, which plays at 9pm on 23 and 27 June and 7pm on 25 June.

Finally, AFTER DARK IN THE GROOT MARICO is the Pink Couch's follow-up to director Tara Notcutt's smash hit adaptation of Herman Charles Bosman's short stories, MAFEKING ROAD. This time, Andrew Laubscher is joined by Sive Gubangxa, for an explosive night of physical theatre - and little else - that weaves a world of wonder and magic, as they take you on a journey into the Marico's dark side. AFTER DARK IN THE GROOT MARICO is the 7pm show on 24 and 27 June.

Tickets for all productions playing the Alexander Bar Upstairs Theatre's Pre-NAF Mini Festival can be booked online at the Alexander Bar website or purchased in person at the bar. ASHES runs from 4-20 June at the Alexander Upstairs Theatre. Tickets range from R75 - R100 depending on the show and method of payment. Alexander Bar & Café is situated at 76 Strand Street in the Cape city centre and under 18s must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Followed the Alexander Bar and Café on Facebook and Twitter for more information about events at the Mother City's most intimate and beloved bar and theatre venue.