Review: THE WAITING GAME Is on at The Masque Theatre

THE WAITING GAME, a new show set to music and dance, is currently showing at the Masque Theatre, after its debut at the Wave Theatre in Cape Town.

The production, which has a large cast (18 people), tells a new story while using songs from existing musicals (and changing the lyrics where necessary). Set in 2021, the WAITING GAME explores the lives of various characters and their driving forces in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First, what works: Caitlin Barnard as Skye Sinclaire, an ambitious young actress, is excellent. Her singing voice is powerful and she impresses when she is onstage. I also really liked Stephanie Bergsteeldt, who plays Victoria Sinclaire. She is a breath of fresh air and brings a fun, sassy energy to the stage. The use of colour is interesting in that each character dresses in monochrome: for example, Skye dresses in emerald green while her best friend Micah, endearingly played by Emily Suttle, is clad in blue outfits. This provides a striking visual effect.

While this show is incredibly ambitious, it needs work. With so many characters, and with multiple narratives occurring at the same time, it is difficult to follow, and I was confused for a lot of the time. At close to three hours in length, THE WAITING GAME needs some cutting and revising so that it is simplified and more streamlined. I understand the desire to tell an epic story with varied characters but, for me, the show lacked focus, and I struggled to follow the multiple plots.

The show has potential and if the plot is tightened and some storylines are removed, it could be a very different production. Ultimately, I felt as though this were the first draft of THE WAITING GAME and hopefully, in time, it can be whittled into its new form – as is required for many original shows. It is no easy feat to write and direct a new show of this scale and with revision, it can work.

THE WAITING GAME runs until 2 September at the Masque Theatre. Tickets are R150 and are available via Quicket.

Photo credit: Martin Kluge