SOUTH AFRICA THEATER REVIEWS

Premiered in 1982, the staying power of Athol Fugard's 'MASTER HAROLD'... AND THE BOYS proves itself in its multiple revivals over the years, and Eric Abraham and The Fugard Theatre's latest 2020 production is one for the history books....

Boasting popular local names as well as fresh new faces, Pieter Toerien's new production of THE PRODUCERS does not disappoint as an homage to the hilarious stage and screen classic....

There's nothing quite like the sound of voices harmonising perfectly through both joy and sadness. EGOLI THE MUSICAL promised a story a?oefilled with fully harmonic singing that is cultural, rhythmic, African, and heart-rendinga?? and they delivered on many fronts....

The 1960s really is a magical era a?" the fashion, the music, the revolution in the air. FOR KINKS AND COUNTRY aims to take you right back there through the incredible music of The Beatle, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and, of course, The Kinks....

In between the song, dance and slapstick, AUNTY MERLE IT'S A GIRL! is undoubtedly another smash hit for Cape Town audiences not to miss out on....

Louis Viljoen's script is intense and in your face a?" and I like it. The characters are real, complex and decidedly messed up, and in some ways, pretty relatable. We all have dark thoughts and the desire to tell people exactly what is on our minds. This play just pushes things to the extreme....

Producer, artistic director and choreographer Tony Mercer describes PETER PAN ON ICE as being purely for the fun - and that's exactly what it is. From the beloved storyline to delightful staging, the Imperial Ice Stars have made a memorable fairytale even more magical in their 2 hour iced extravagan...

Cape Town City Ballet ends this year with their enchanting staging of A CHRISTMAS CAROL - THE STORY OF SCROOGE. CEO Debbie Turner describes this production as a 'visual feast' and there is no doubt that this production's creative team and cast have done wonders in bringing a beloved holiday tale to ...

If a sold-out weekday Artscape Opera House is anything to go by, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is undoubtedly a smash hit for all types of theatregoers. Richard O'Brien's beloved cult classic has been running internationally since 1973, and Pieter Toerien and Howard Panter's local presentation of it will ha...

The Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy (LAMTA) ended 2019 on a festively Lloyd Webber note with its first musical theatre production, ENCORE!. Supported by well-known names in local theatre and touring productions, ENCORE! showed off the triple threat stylings of their 20-plus students by ta...

Milnerton Players opened its end-of-year musical revue this past weekend with Stephen Sondheim's PUTTING IT TOGETHER. A small but varied cast of performers against sleek staging presents a selection of numbers from 13 of the award-winning composer's musicals....

The themes of LATE BLOOMER are fairly typical for Rabinowitz' style of comedy. He talks about what he knows a?" things that are happening in his life now. At 43, he is now hitting topics like mid-life crises, receding hairlines and whether or not they should pack up their lives and move to Lithuania...

What an absolute treat to see an amazing South African performer standing centre stage and showing us all of her incredible talent, all the while knowing how much she is also loved and respected as a performer around the world. South African born Belinda Davids has an extraordinary set of pipes on h...

Transporting you to the 1950s with close-knit harmonies and pitch perfect renditions, FOREVER PLAID is a gentle jukebox musical perfect for some doo-wop nostalgia. Consisting of four members and giving off The Four Seasons feelings in some respects, this production has a loose storyline and is more ...

I am not surprised by all the glowing reviews and the three Fleur du Cap nominations VASLAV has received. Godfrey Johnson throws himself whole-heartedly into his performance and is quite mesmerising....

It's a very real and relatable story about a superficially liberal white couple negotiating post-apartheid challenges. They're also negotiating the tricky time of life when their nest is about to become empty as their two teenaged daughters head off to university and the real world....

From the welcome hugs and kisses at the door to the delicious food and the laugh-out-loud entertainment, this place is an absolute treat. Their latest offering in their annual adult pantomime series, THE THREE BLIND MICE, is so much fun....

A story of drugs and gangsterism and the lives and relationships affected by it, David Kramer's DANGER IN THE DARK travels between moments of elation, sincerity, shock and anguish in this intricate re-imagining. If a sold-out midweek standing ovation isn't enough to convince you to see the last perf...

SATORI opened Cape Town City Ballet's Spring Season this past weekend at Artscape Opera House. The limited run presents a trilogy of works presented by the CTCB that includes two that are newly staged as well as an original commissioned work from an international choreographer. True to its meaning o...

Returning from its award-winning premier at the National Arts Festival earlier this year, YOUR PERFECT LIFE graces Cape Town audiences with its true-to-life tale of 30-something women reuniting at their high school reunion. With one a family to show off and the other a career, YOUR PERFECT LIFE conf...

On Monday 7 October, audiences were treated to the opening of the Fugard's Bioscope World Arts Cinema Season for 2020. This project is now in its ninth year of running, and is really just a wonderful idea. It's not that South Africa isn't full of incredible talent and that the shows we put on here a...

Trying to persevere under a law designed to oppress, Athol Fugard's STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT explores the affect on individuals and relationships when personal and emotional freedom is out of your control. The success of this production is evidenced by its five Kanna Award...

As part of their world tour, drag artists Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo opened A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS at Theatre on the Bay on Wednesday night. True to its description, the pair of these international and award-winning performers jam-pack their musical showcase with 'hilarious hijinks and shady ...

STOMP opened at the Artscape Opera House this week to uproarious applause as performers took to the stage in what was nothing short of a mesmerizing production. Described as 'a unique combination of percussion, dance and physical comedy', STOMP is an energetic and electrifying event that even the st...

It's billed as a unique confrontation where Pieter-Dirk Uys and Evita Bezuidenhout finally come face to face. However, it's so much more than that. This show feels like a love letter to the nation's favourite tannie....