New Wessel Pretorius Comedy I LOVE YOU SALLY FIELD at Alexander Bar Upstairs Theatre

By: Oct. 03, 2016
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David Vivers
Photo credit: Maggie Gericke

I LOVE YOU SALLY FIELD, a new comedy written and directed by Wessel Pretorius and starring Kathleen Stephens, David Viviers and Du Toit Albertze, will open at the Alexander Bar, Café and Theatre this October.

I LOVE YOU SALLY FIELD is a bittersweet comedy about three friends in their twenties navigating the 'scene' in Cape Town. Evan doesn't care much about anything. Beverly cares a lot about herself. Stefan just needs someone to care about him. Peppered with considerable mentions of Sally Field, the play follows each of the three friends as they grow up and grow a conscience.

Wessel Pretorius debuts his first full-length English production as writer and director with I LOVE YOU SALLY FIELD, having spent most of his time creating and performing in Afrikaans theatre over the past few years. He uses a cast of up-and-coming actors of considerable skill and talent to poke fun at the pretension, hysteria and self-awareness that comes with trying to be an adult in a contemporary metropolitan society. Three distinct voices get to voice their secret - or perhaps not so secret - desires and neuroses: Evan, the part-time model and graphic designer who is trying to perfect the art of cool apathy; Beverly, the "woke" wannabe poet-artist-whatever who cannot seem to crack the love game; and Stefan, the Afrikaans boy from Ermelo who would like to be a writer but is currently serving burgers in a tank top.

Pretorius currently resides in Cape Town where he continues to invest in local theatre as actor, writer and theater-maker, having obtained his Drama degree from the University of Pretoria and an Honours in Acting at the University of Stellenbosch. He has been seen onstage in Yasmina Reza's ART, Christiaan Olwagen's POLITIK TRILOGIE and N IS VIR NEUROSE, P.G. du Plessis's 'N SEDER VAN IN WATERKLOOF, his self-penned solo show ONT, David Greig's DIE MONSTER IN DIE GANG, Saartjie Botha's BALBESIT, Edward Albee's WIE'S BANG VIR VIRGINIA WOOLF?, Philip Rademeyer's ADAM TWEE and Jean Genet's THE MAIDS. In 2013, Hennie van Greunen translated ONT- as UNDONE for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and, in 2014, it played the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown where it won the a Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award. Other writing credits include WATERPAS, SLAAF, AL JULLE VOLKE, SANDTON CITY GROOTDOOP, DIE DAG IS BROS. In 2016, he debuted KLARA MAAS SE HART IS GEBREEK at KKNK as part of the festival's new Uitkamp-teater initiative.

Kathleen Stephens in UHM

Kathleen Stephens graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance. A director, performer and theatre-maker, is the co-founder of Hungry Minds Productions. She has performed in UHM (which she also designed) and PEOPLE BENEATH OUR FEET, co-directed and adapted Athol Fugard's PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE with Blythe Linger, directed four children theatre productions for arepp:Theatre for Life and served as the assistant director of the Western Cape Department of Sports and Culture's musical production CITY NIRVANA.

David Viviers is a film and theatre actor. In 2014, he graduated with distinction in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town. At the beginning of 2015, he received a Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards nomination for Most Promising Student. Earlier this year, he received a Kanna nomination for Best Upcoming Performer earlier this year and was awarded the Brett Goldin Bursary to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. He has performed in Wynne Bredenkamp's Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning production of SALT as well as alongside the venerable Nicholas Ellenbogen in RAIDERS.

Du Toit Albertze is a second-year drama student at the University of Stellenbosch. He has performed in theatre productions such as BOS, under the direction of Marthinus Basson, and VASELINETJIE with Shirley Ellis. He can currently be heard weekly on RSG in DIE GROOT 5.

I LOVE YOU SALLY FIELD will play the Alexander Upstairs from 10 - 21 October, with shows taking place at 21:00. Tickets cost R80-R90 and can be booked online or at the bar, anytime during its regular opening hours. Telephone bookings can be made on 021 300 1652. Alexander Bar & Café is situated on 76 Strand Street in Cape Town's CBD. Find out more about the venue on Facebook or Twitter.



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