Drama, Improv and Music Take the Stage at Masque Theatre this May

Drama, improv and music will all form a part of the programme at the Masque Theatre this May. The Masque Theatre is an active community theatre that prides itself on bringing together audiences from the southern suburbs of Cape Town.

From 11 - 13 May, Athol Fugard's classic play, HELLO AND GOODBYE, will be presented at the Masque by The Playhouse. The play, which was first performed in 1965, explores the relationship of two down-and-out siblings from Port Elizabeth who have not seen each other in several years. Hester has been seeking her fortune in the big city, while Johnnie has spent his life looking after his father, who had his leg blown off in a dynamite explosion. Unaware that their father has recently died, Hester returns to their family home in Valley Road for the first time in many years. Directed by Yanou Pienaar, the play has been adapted to exclude references to a specific era to focus on the relationship between the siblings and to explore the universal issue of the human condition. Pienaar, a Drama and English teacher at Parel Vallei High School, has brought in a colleague from the Music department at that school, Award-winning organist Winand Grundling, to compose music for the production, which will be performed on a simple and stripped down set. Darryl Spijkers and Annelie van Zyl will play Johnnie and Hester. The show runs at 20:00 nightly, with a matinee at 15:00. Tickets cost R80 each.

On Mother's Day, which falls on 14 May this year, the Masque Theatre will host a special tea and soiree at 15:00. The afternoon event, which will serve as a fundraiser for the maintenance of the theatre, promises to be a fabulous way for children to celebrate their mothers. The main performer of the day will be a Masque favourite, Aubrey Hindle, who will be accompanied on piano by Hettie Clayton, a well-known Fish Hoek name. Hindle will delight the audience with a range of Frank Sinatra hits and selected musical theatre numbers. The Masque's theatre manager, Nicola Date, will serve as host for the day and will also perform a couple of numbers as a guest artist. Tickets cost R120 per person and include tea and tasty treats.

In the following week, Improguise, Cape Town's oldest and most loved improv group, will present POP-UP IMPROV on 17 and 18 May at 19:00. ImproGuise is most well-known for their Theatresports shows and aims to create unmissable theatre that is made-up on the spot. Audiences on the two respective nights will be treated to two completely different shows completely made up "Improvised Magic". Tickets cost R80 for this event, with a R70 concession price for students.

Finally, on 20 May at 19:30, Wesley Wolhuter will return to the Masque by popular demand with a solo piano recital. He will present a programme of beautiful, nostalgic Rachmaninov, poetic Scriabin, enchanting Ravel and other delightful gems while celebrating his South African roots his own "Red Soil and the Cosmos" and a rendition of a Miriam Makeba tune or two. Tickets cost R80.

Bookings for all of these events can be made online at the Masque Theatre website, by emailing the Masque Theatre or by calling 021 788 1898. Patrons are urged to book early to avoid disappointment. Follow the Masque Theatre on Facebook and Twitter.