Sweet satire

SHOW: Spoof Full Of Sugar - When it comes to send-up there is no business quite like show business to mine for inspiration, writes Annette Bayne
CAST: Brandon Auret, Ntsepa Pitjeng, Dianne Simpson
DIRECTOR: Malcolm Terrey
VENUE: Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, until December 31

And what with everyone wanting a little bit of celebrity status for themselves or getting themselves caught on compromising video tapes, there is enough for at least a couple of good spoof-filled hours.

With only a glimpse of a storyline, Spoof Full Of Sugar has an all- singing, all-dancing cast cheekily flit from one medium to the next, doling out large doses of sometimes dirty humour at the expense of those whose bank balances rely on being entertaining.

No one is safe, from the instant celebrity (just add reality TV), or the seasoned professional playing a cat or a spoon or transvestite alien in yet another run of that old musical.

The SABC catch the rough end of the shoe and the critics aren’t given a break. From Noeleen Maholwana- Sangqu to Barry Ronge, from the Top Billing hosts to Joost van der Westhuizen, the whole gamut of South Africa celebrities is well and truly spoofed.

Musical director Dawid Boverhoff and director Malcom Terrey have made some of those far too familiar show tunes bend to their will, drawing out funny lines that come dangerously close to causing offence, but are nothing more than a little harmless fun.

The cast work tremendously hard through a large number of costume, character and voice changes.

Of course, some songs are far more memorable than others and I would return just to hear Ntsepa Pitjeng’s ode to cosmetic surgery, The Socialite’s Dilemma, sung to the tune of Memory.

Although the final number We Can Stand The Heat is a great shout out to South Africa and leaves one feeling proud of sticking around, it is a little out of character with the rest of performance.

Still, it makes a good ending to a production that will lighten one’s seasonal spirits.

Due to the adult nature of some of the content in the show it is not recommended for under-16s.