Time for 'Snot en Trane' in Musical Adaptation of DIE VAN AARDES VAN GROOTOOR at Theatre On The Bay

DIE VAN AARDES VAN GROOTOOR, a brand new musical with book and lyrics by Pieter-Dirk Uys and music by Godfrey Johnson, will premiere at Theatre on the Bay this festive season. With its roots in sketch comedy and, later, a play, this new musical comedy bills itself as 'the legendary boeredrama', a universal story of family, murder, lust, corruption and intrigue.

DIE VAN AARDES VAN GROOTOOR was first introduced to South African audiences by Pieter-Dirk Uys and Trix Pienaar in 1975. A sketch in the anti-censorship revue, STRIKE UP THE BANNED, at the old Space Theatre in Cape Town, it was a spoof of the seemingly never-ending Springbok Radio soap operas that aired at the time. In the sketch, the 'snot-en-trane drama' as it was billed was presented by Kux Toiletseep and dramatically introduced by a sweeping musical theme, which was to become famous in its own right and is still associated with the even more famous (and real) radio serial, DIE DU PLOOYS VAN SOETMELKSRIVIER.

Two years later, Dawie Malan, Chris Galloway and Bill Curry formed the nucleus of an experimental theatre group called Fringe and DIE VAN AARDES VAN GROOTOOR, now extended into a play, was performed at The Baxter Theatre. A year later it opened at the Market Theatre, directed by Malan, where it ran for 18 months. Most Afrikaans actors in Johannesburg took part in that season at one stage or another, including Magda Beukes, Antoinette Kellerman, Chris Galloway, Bill Curry, Marthinus Basson, Nomsa Nene, Eon de Vos, Elize Cawood, Lizz Meiring, Casper de Vries and Pieter-Dirk Uys himself, who stood in for the leading lady one night when she was felled by 'flu. The Van Aardes have most recently appeared at Evita Se Perron in Darling, directed by Frits van Ryneveld.

Now in 2015, the sprawling "seepie" has been transformed into a glorious musical for a new generation of South Africans to share the angst and drang, the "snot en trane and the laughter and tears with Aia, Siena and Quazilezi (all played by Tankiso Mamabolo), Dolla van Aarde (Natasha Van Der Merwe), Mimi van Aarde and Brenda Botha (both played by Caely-Jo Levy), John Firestone Junior and Tertius (both played by Schalk Bezuidenhout), Ouma and Elana van Aarde (both played by Clarissa Roodt), and Fanie van Aarde and Evert can Graan (both played by Dean Roberts). Shalima Mkongi will also appear in the production.

Uys, who will also direct the show, says that the show is presented 84% in Afrikaans.

The first act is 50/50 with an English character and there are a few English expletives in the rest, but it has to be Afrikaans because that's the whole point: it's an Afrikaans family! I promise though that everyone will understand the language because it's theatre and that often makes the unknown known.

DIE VAN AARDES VAN GROOTOOR: THE MUSICAL runs from 11 December - 9 January, with tickets costing R100 - R275. Bookings are through Computicket.

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