Spoof takes a dig at the industry

Jennifer de Klerk
11/30/2009 10:36:26

Jennifer de Klerk: Is Spoof Full of Sugar a farce, a musical revue or just showbiz folk having fun?

The production team tell us they don't really know. Frankly I don't know either, and I'm also not at all sure who the show is aimed at.

Briefly, it is a collection of sketches on the South African entertainment industry and celebrity circuit - for the most part new words put to classic showbiz ditties - delivered by four undoubtedly talented performers - Brandon Auret, Dianne Simpson, Pieter Bosch Botha and the utterly refreshing Ntsepa Pitjeng.

They are supported by musical director Dawid Boverhoff on the piano, supplying the entire musical accompaniment required. The show is directed by Malcolm Terrey who does the odd bit of voice-over narration and also, we are told, wrote much of the material.

It shows - has anyone today heard of Anneline Kriel?

With fond memories of the old Jo'burg Follies, we took ourselves to this one with high expectations. This wasn't it, but perhaps time has cast a rosy hue on past experiences.

There is probably something here for everyone. Some sketches left me cold, others were highlights. Ntsepa's expose of plastic surgery, Mammaries, done to the tune of Memories, was tops for me. Others were the clever Rant, a spoof on Rent; Pieter as a convincing Evita Bezuidenhout; Brandon ditto as Barry Ronge and Dianne's Barnyard Blues.

But who is this aimed at? My neighbour would not have understood a word of the clever Barry Ronge sequence. I doubt if she would have related to most of the theatre-based skits that had the opening night audience, largely from the industry, rocking.

However, the team's poison pen also digs into a fair amount of television, from Top Billing to Third Degree and the Glamour Girls of e.tv. Probably the best is The Plea to the SABC to the tune of I Feel Pretty from West Side Story and the spoof on reality shows, Mr Instant Fame.

Wigs and costumes changes abound and there is a fair amount of cross-dressing and an occasional dropped towel; lots of sexual innuendo, but no action. Quite a lot of this show is clichéd - the acronym song was done well, but it's been done to death and the sexy cooking show ... ouch.

There is a vague storyline pulling things together and attempts at relevant humour, mainly on the Joost level, but the team needs to be a bit sharper to be up to date.

One sketch that appealed was the Rocky Horror Picture Show sequence; resurrected yet again with the actors doing the Time Warp with walking sticks. This had some uncomfortable echoes in the show.

There is much here that is clever and witty. There are some good ideas and good singing. There are moments of genuine humour - there are also moments that are so over the top they should not be there at all.

I'll have to leave it to you to decide whether to buy a ticket. If you are in the circle, an avid theatre, television or industry person who will understand the in-jokes, then go for it, have a ball. If not ... well, it's your choice.


Spoof Full of Sugar, directed by Malcolm Terrey, is at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square until 31 December.