AN EXTRAORDINARILY ORDINARY LIFE Comes to Alexander Upstairs

From famous to homeless to fearless! Jervis is a former MD of EMI's South African Music label, (where he looked after careers as diverse as Brenda Fassie and Steve Hofmeyr), winner of SABC's 1983 National Television Talent Show Follow that Star with his group The Soft Shoes and his self-penned hit Elvis Astaire, writer of the musicals Scribble, which was nomination for 5 Naledi Theatre awards and A Town called Fokol-Lutho (amongst others) and more importantly, a talented dog whisperer! In between all this writing activity, Jervis also wrote off a few cars, resulting in a three week coma in one and a severe head injury in another. These conspired to derail him for almost two decades. Now safely back on track, this show tells his story (thus far). And in it Jervis delivers a truly original performance. Since it's sold out and extended run here in February the show has enjoyed successful outings at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg and The Hilton Arts Festival. He is a superb storyteller, a world class songwriter with a very unusual razor sharp wit. The reviews tell it like it is! So don't miss it

WHY THE SHOW WAS WRITTEN!? Well certainly not because I think my story is so fascinating it needs to go on public display! It happened without there ever having been a specific decision to make it happen. My father once asked me where do I think my songs come from? Well, I just make them up, don't I? I knew it was the wrong answer. Well, I hope not, he responded, that would give them no soul! (and this from a man who was all soul) He then went on to explain that good writers don't make things up, they put them down! From within. On examination, I realized, of course, he was right. The first song I ever wrote in earnest was called Elvis Astaire (the King of Swing) about a kid who dreamed of singing like Elvis Presley and dancing like Fred Astaire. Er, hello...that's me! It went on to launch the career of my boy band The Soft Shoes back in the 80's and reached No 1. on several radio stations (I'm just saying, ne!) My other songs weren't so obvious so I had to dig deeper. I took a random one and wrote a short monologue that seemed to suggest what had happened in my life to incubate that lyric and then went off to perform monologue followed by song for my Dad. He laughed happily! I was a bit put out...I had had no idea up until that moment that either I, or my life, was so amusing! More he said, do another one. This time he cried... happily! And before I knew it, I had a little unplanned show. I still had no desire to put it on the stage, but a few years ago I was working with a wonderful singer called Janine Cupido with whom I'm still hoping to record an album (me writing and producing, she singing) and I thought this show might be a good way to introduce her to the public and so we premiered the show right here at The Alexander Upstairs in 2015 with me doing the monologues and Janine doing the singing. She was amazing! We then did it at The Cape Town Fringe from where we were booked for a private show in a wine farm cellar. At the last moment she fell ill and so I had to do the show by myself. There were sixty people all drinking too much expensive wine and not really paying attention, but then.... during the second song the local farm mutt came wandering in from the cold and wet outside, strolled down the aisle looking disdainfully both left and right, had a good get-rid-of-the-rain shake and then settled down right in front of me with a long now-this-is-the-life sigh. There he remained until the very end. It was just the coolest moment of all cool moments of my entire career. Although Janine is better now, she's raising a child, so it's still only me!

Book securely online with a credit card for any show at Alexander Bar and Theatre by visiting shows.alexanderbar.co.za or reserve your ticket without paying (but miss out on the discount). The direct booking page for this particular show is alexanderbar.co.za/show/anextraordinarilyordinarylife2019.

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