Bench

Bench is an interesting interaction between two men contemplating a crime. Initially it has a "Waiting for Godot"feel in that the characters are waiting for someone who never appears. There is a clever twist that leads to a satisfying end.

I enjoyed the banter between the two characters. Brent Palmer and Adrian Collins are brilliant together and play off each other so well. Its is an emotional and clever journey between comedic and serious moments as you get to know the characters. Henry, the con man, is so greasy that he almost becomes endearing. Dwain initially appears as the passive aggressive fool but slowly upwraps the different layers of their lives revealing Henry's character.


I attended the script reading at the Baxter several months ago and this is a tighter version of the script. The play has a lot of swearing that wasn't in the reading which I initially found irritating. However it fit the context of the play and added to the comic moments. The audience was completely absorbed in the play and there were many outbursts of laughter at the clever dialogue. It is a must see and well done to Brent on the script and both Brent and Adrian for a fabulous show.

Living Remote

Bertha Cummings reveals the secret life of the elderly. Masquerading as an angelic frail, helpless little old lady to her family, she is in fact an artful and wily mover, shaker, dispensing advice and “health products”.

Quite telling the show opens with how we live by the remote of the television, gate and sprinkler system and with our relationships, only visiting family occasionally. She points fun at the signs of getting old and then proceeds to inform the audience how to use this to your advantage. Some of the scenes were bizarrely funny like her fitness tips on the gym master and pole dancing. It reminded me of an elderly friend who still thinks that he is an irresistible gigolo – the wonderful delusional aspects of the elderly.

Anthea Thompson is brilliant in capturing the resilience of a survivor who refuses to let life get her down. Having only seen her as Kate in Taming of the Shrew – I was struck by how completely different she was and convincing as this wicked old lady.

This is a great show but not for the fainthearted.

A Raft In A Sea Of Madness

This evening’s show is fast, furious, frenetic frenzy, not for the faint-hearted. As usual the one man show reveals Gaëtan Schmid at his rolling marvellous crazy best. Not only does he personify the world at large, but the individual of everybody’s body language, both personal, private and what we show our friends at foes. It certainly is an eye opener when you recognise bits and pieces of yourself. I did wonder on the night how many people saw themselves and were laughing at themselves or recognised and laughed at people they know.

After touring nationally and internationally for the last three years with the award winning and popular Rumpsteak Gaëtan moves from the food that delights us to the human gestures that unite us. As in The Dog’s Bollocks, Gaëtan in his very own hilarious and informative way will entertain audiences with the fascinating subject : the secret language of the human body. Fascinating… even if you don’t want it to, your body talks and talks and talks and it won’t ever shut up!

Anthropologically, sociologically, biologically, psychologically, neurologically, but not too seriously, Gaëtan will analyse the provenance and the hidden meaning of everyday gestures. Underneath its irrelevant and comical narrative body language, social message is on the ever increasing importance of human interaction and communication. Gaëtan says our entire social system is based on communication. If we can improve the quality of our communication we will improve the quality of our society.

As always, the Gaëtan’s shows are timelessly well seamed, red hot and meticulously primed. At the World premiere he had a very good audience to play his part and to react with the people he was entertaining. He reacts so quickly and puts himself in an audience. He takes you into one situation and you think it is going a certain way and surprise, surprise, it takes you down a completely different road, while you are racing and laughing to his cleverness of approach.

This show is a tour de force which only halts for the drinking of water and laughingly complains about the heat of the lights. We are then back on the race, which is pure fun and observation of one body part and the relation from your eyes, nose, hands and private parts. The poetic reaction to the words of body language shows the actor’s depth of not only these words but action and reaction to the farce. It is always a delight to see a true professional that he is when he has his one man act. Having seen Marcel Marcus over many years both in London and Paris I tried to equate the two acts and found it impossible, as one is silent mime and the other is a portrait as a mime artist talking, shouting and acting out his body language in a hysterical way. This must see show will tickle your fancy in many ways.

His mannerisms and gestures are sheer delight to behold!



Raymond E Meylan

Jeremy Taylor in Concert

Last night I went to see Jeremy Taylor in Concert. My grandfather loved his music so it was very much a part of my childhood and I now have those original records. I proudly know all the words to Ag Pleez Deddy , Shoplift Girl's Lament Ballad of the Northern Suburbs and so many more.

Paul says that I have been in "groupie mode" for the past month since I learned that Jeremy Taylor was coming to Cape Town. So it was with high expectations that I went to the show. I was wondering if he would be as I remembered eventhough he is 74. I was not disappointed. He was fantastic and to my delight a spellbinding story teller. His Seff-Afrikan accent was perfect and it was fascinating listening to him change between that and his English accent.

The show was very interesting in that it was a look back to the South Africa of the 1960s with the funny songs but also some chilling moments of the times. A very telling statement was "It was a hard time for everyone... race was just the smoke screen for those who were seeking the power and control". He gave us a glimpse without judging, leaving that for the audience. I was struck by his compassion for people, the irony of the madness of the times and his love of South Africa.

It is a bit of history that is going to be forgotten. The Afrikaners were also oppressed and hurt during apartheid and things were not as rosy as it is made out. It brought out bitter sweet memories of childhood and growing up in South Africa

His poem "A night to remember" about the capture of Steve Biko was chilling and compelling. Of course the highlight was the final song Ag Pleez Deddy and it was wonderful to see how many of us in the audience knew all the words.

Back to the groupie mode - I couldn't help myself. One of the priveleges of the Kalk Bay Theatre is that the artists come up to the restaurant after the show. I heard Simon Cooper say that he might be reluctant to do so and found the stage manager to see if Jeremy could sign my records if he does not come up. Just in case I went to the stage door after the show where the stage manager assured me that he will be coming up to the restaurant.

Oh what a honour to meet him and talk to him. A real dream and to be able to thank him for the joy that his music has brought over the years. He very kindly signed both records and I even got a photograph with him. I am still thrilled the next day.

My criticism? The show was about 5 hours too short. I wanted him to keep on singing.

Imagining Einstein

I was quite curious to see this production as the press release saud that it had played at the MTN Science Centre. "Interesting," I thought,"linking theatre and science." Not having being interested in science at school much of Einstein's theories such as quantum physics tend to go over my head.

It was a wonderful show looking at the different facets of a complex man. The ever curious scientist wanting to know how things worked and pondering the mysteries of the universe to the confused man "who wasn't very good at marriage". David Muller was briliant in bringing this icon to life and turning him into a real person dealing with the challenges of adulthood and war. I enjoyed the way the different experiments were incorporated into the show. I was not aware of Einstein's philosophy that any theory had to be simple enough for a child to understand. It was fascinating watching the different stages and challenges in his life that lead to the great discoveries which revolutionised science.

The Kalk Bay Theatre was perfect for the production, creating an intimate atmosphere for getting to know this giant of science. Although it was an entertaining evening, it reminded me of the importrant role that theatre can play in education about the world around us and not only on social issues or life skills.

Theatre Sports

Improvisation theatre at its best. Two teams of actors compete against each other and are rated by the audience. There are different games where the actors must act out stories based on topics selected by the audience. Capetonians can see the show twice a week: Mondays at the Intimate Theatre and Tuesdays at Kalk Bay Theatre.

It is a hilarious and spontaneous evening where no two shows are ever the same. It must be the longest running show in Cape Town. Megan Furniss and her team are brilliant.
Angela