Old Mutual Theatre on the Square

Dame of cabaret recounts a career

2011-04-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

March 29 2011 at 08:20am
By Diane de Beer

PAGE BY PAGE WITH JUDY

PERFORMER: Judy Page

ACCOMPANIST: Clinton Zerf

VENUE: Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Sandton

UNTIL: April 9

RATING: ****

It takes moxie, even a touch of militancy and buckets full of magic to pull it off – but Judy Page has all of that in abundance. Our Dame Judy is retiring from retirement, she says – and it’s about time.

Not that anyone would have noticed these past few years, because she’s been knocking them dead and picking up Naledi awards as if going out of style, with almost every musical part she’s played. But now she’s stepping out on her own – or perhaps leaping is a better description for this grande dame of cabaret.

Walking us through the pages of her life – and there’s 50 years on stage – it takes you back in time to the days of hanging out in Hillbrow, glitzing it up at Sun City and Top of the Carlton, or recording in the Joburg city centre. It’s all there, as she reminds us what hard work carving out a singing career takes.

It includes all the biggies in the business, like Taubie Kushlick, who schlepped her into the world of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht and provided the highlight of the night with a stunning rendition of Pirate Jenny. One forgets the breadth of a career and Page reminds us of her different highways, which stretched from Stephen Sondheim to Bob Dylan, Jerry Herman to Edith Piaf.

Page is clever enough to bring in the best when going solo and Zerf serves her well. His accompaniment is spot-on and the recordings used unnecessary with a pianist on hand. Perhaps she could have used the back-up with her entrance, as well as the Sun City number, to catch the extravaganza element of her work there – but the others can go.

She could also have trimmed more smartly. It’s tough to cut when you’re dealing with a life, but perhaps two hours plus is a bit much for a solo artist . Page herself talks about the realisation that she’s an interpreter. Those are also the songs which soar. Her Fiddler duet with Zerf was perfect and her Moondance version stole the show. There are enough magnificent and quiet moments and some that slipped by. Let them go. It would serve the end product well.

And yet, with someone of this stature, it’s fun to see what works and what doesn’t quite play out. Would she really be an artist if she weren’t still pushing the envelope?

The show is perhaps more suitable for an older audience simply in terms of familiarity but for the young ones with any interest in the arts, watch a master in action. They don’t come by often.

Musical unity through diversity

2010-11-08T02:17:00.000-08:00

Nov 2, 2010 | Edward Tsumele |
A MUSICAL that fuses voices from various backgrounds will run at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in Sandton from November 14 to 18.

Diversity, a musical produced by independent theatre producer Daphne Kuhn, stars Yudi Cohen, Zebulon Mmusi, Mkhanyiseli Mlombi and Khanyiso Gwenxane.
It is a fusion of multiplicity. The production brings together four classically trained opera singers from diverse backgrounds to sing a range of musical genres.

The show, which has enthralled audiences at concerts and corporate presentations, infuses humour, drama and style into music for the soul. The group guarantees a riveting performance - proven in the response to their shows so far, with standing ovations and the audience dancing in the aisles.
From light music and authentic opera to African rhythms, the production presents great diversity.

Cohen (tenor), Mmusi (bass-baritone), Mlombi (baritone) and Gwenxane (baritone) have performed extensively locally and internationally . They joined forces in 2009 with a common goal to create unity through music and diversity,
The sound of great voices, coupled with magnetic personalities, incredible rhythms and obvious camaraderie, make Diversity a must-see.

Tuesdays with Morrie is Superb

2010-09-03T02:58:00.000-07:00

Peter Feldman

Two outstanding South African actors bring to the Johannesburg stage an engagingly crafted piece of theatre that truly touches the soul.

Played by the consummate Graham Hopkins and the younger Asher Stoltz, it is a magnificent portrait of life, written by Mitch Albom that effortlessly blends comedy, drama and poignancy into a cohesive whole.

A good slice of the success of this two-hander should also go to director Alan Swerdlow who manages to siphon into his production the essence of one's humanity; the taking and the giving.

This is life. We grow up, we get old and we die. This process forms the basic framework around which this play has been conceived. It is not miserable or depressing. It is full of life and it works wonderfully well on all levels.

Written for the stage by Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher, and based on Albom's best-selling book, "Tuesdays with Morrie" is a veritable feast for both the mind and the heart. The players, working within Niall Griffin's simple but effective set with its minimum of props, manage to create Morrie's little world and they execute it with immense artistry and joy.

The story is about a young man Mitch (Stoltz) who meets a professor Morrie Schwartz (Hopkins) when he signs up for one of his classes at Brandeis University. They understand each and throughout his college career Mitch and Morrie forge a strong bond.

When it comes time for Mitch to leave and make his way in the world he promises Morrie that he will keep in touch. He doesn't. It is sixteen years before Mitch and Morrie meet again. By this time Mitch is a successful sportswriter and Morrie is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease.

Once they renew their friendship Mitch's visits to Morrie become a regular thing. He flies from Detroit to Boston

The writing is precise and captures the feelings and emotions about our own mortality. Says Morrie: "Dying is not a dirty word - I can live with that."

In another instance he intones words to the effect that dying is only one thing to be unhappy about, while living your life unhappily is something else."

It never ceases to amaze me the depth and range of Graham Hopkins' acting and in his sensitive reading of the Morrie character he brings tears to the eyes. He creates an endearing entity from the moment we meet him. He is witty and wise without being overbearing. Stoltz, whose stature grows with each outing, provides a nice balance to the story, adding a performance that is calm and measured.

The acting styles of the performers complement each other and through this link take the audience on an inspiring journey of compassion and understanding.

The two characters command the stage for the entire production, almost two hours, and the fact that one does not grow tired of watching them and hearing some of the wisdom that flows is stark testimony to the true enchantment of "Tuesdays with Morrie."
every week and has Tuesdays with Morrie. And during these visits he begins to learn some of the secrets of life - and death.

Duet for One is deeply touching

2010-05-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

Peter Feldman

05/14/2010 10:54:00

Peter Feldman: "Duet for One" is a remarkable two-hander which explores the emotional conflict that besets a young violinist who is struck down by multiple sclerosis.

Tom Kempinski's eloquently framed play is the perfect vehicle for players who possess the skills to hold you enraptured for more than two hours. Very little happens in dramatic terms during this period, but the flow of ideas between the wheel-chair bound musician, Stephanie Abrahams, and German psychiatrist, Dr Alfred Feldmann, is what commands your attention.

In Clare Mortimer, an actress based in Durban, and Michael Richard, director Steven Stead has more than accomplished players with whom to work - he has truly great thespians well schooled in the techniques of pace, pause, power and polish.

These important facets are brought together in the creation of this play as the two characters get down to the serious business of discussing life and living.

Inspired by the life of the famed cellist Jacqueline du Pré and her relationship with her husband, Daniel Barenboim, the author has constructed an engrossing and deeply touching psychological drama in which the performances of these two superb players shine through in their every word and gesture.

The 33-year-old Stephanie Abrahams is at first reluctant to reveal the inner turmoil she is undergoing, but he is a wise old psychiatrist whose relaxed, almost non-committal pose masks his deeper concerns for his patient and she relents.

She has to find a way forward now that her playing days are over. She has been suffering with the crippling disease for seven months before going to visit Dr Feldmann. She describes music as the purest expression of humanity, a kind of heaven that lifts you to another place, and her inability to create this state has had a demoralising effect on her psyche. She had thoughts of suicide.

The intelligent interplay between the two characters and the subtle use of pause and body language are telling factors in enriching the experience.

Michael Richard, an actor I have long admired for his versatility, again shows the skills and understanding that have made him such a highly regarded performer and in Dr Feldmann he has shaped a believable entity.

Clare Mortimer is outstanding and is able to convey the anxiety and fear that bubbles just below the surface.

Greg King's set is an evocative one and beautifully captures the look and feel of a cultured doctor's consulting room. The sound and lighting are both spot on.

"Duet for One" provides a wonderfully uplifting evening for discerning theatre-goers.

Duet for One is at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton until 5 June.

Theatre: Master Harold and the Boys

2010-03-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Mar 23, 2010 12:20 AM | By Refiloe Lepere

Self-exploration is never easy, and James Ngcobo's version of Athol Fugard's autobiographical production, Master Harold and the Boys is a gentle, unsympathetic portrayal of this kind of analysis.

The play opens with a servant Willie (Nat Ramabulana) setting up the tearoom with cakes, a jukebox, tables and chairs. He is joined by Sam ( Pakamisa Zwedala).

Even though the story is more a personal tale of Fugard's childhood, it has resonance with anyone who has experienced oppression.

Set in the 1950s, the play looks at the minute expressions of racial interaction and oppression. Father mistreats wife and son, son ill-treats the servants, servant abuses his wife, and the chain of abuse goes on.

In a simple setting, Harold Jnr, or Hally, played by Daniel Buckland, is a teenager who comes for lunch at the family-owned tea-room.

The news that Hally's invalid, alcoholic father is to be allowed home from hospital upsets him deeply. He suddenly turns on his best friends, the boys Willie and Sam.

The shock of this racist outburst shows how the political and social realities of South Africa at that time came to distort and dominate our closest relationships and, in some cases, still do.

Ramabulana, who has starred in theatre and TV productions, including Isidingo , said that when he encountered the play, he was moved by the powerful, honest and emotional tale.

"As an actor the challenge was to show the stories of these men in a respectful and real manner because they did exist and their stories were important to them," he said.

The real test for this 26-year-old was how to portray a 40-year-old and be sensitive to his weariness, and understand his personal struggle amid the world's torments.

Master Harold and the Boys is on at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Johannesburg. It runs until April 10.

Master Harold... And The Boys

2010-03-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

Leon van Nierop
03/23/2010 09:22:30

Leon van Nierop: If you want to see indigenous theatre at its very best, do yourself a favour and get a ticket to this brilliant local production.

Athol Fugard's devastating three-hander takes place in the claustrophobic St George's Park tearoom in Port Elizabeth in the Fifties where two waiters and the son of the owner battle it out during a 90-minute Communion of the souls.

The upstart Harold (brilliantly played by Daniel Buckland) initially seems to blend into the conversation with deceptive ease, but seems to hide a deep resentment not only towards his parents, but also to the two workers and society which at this point in time seems too big for him to fully comprehend.

Where he starts off by chatting to them about familiar matters of the day, the conversations takes a turn for the vicious as he first belittles his bed-ridden, alcoholic father and then spats out his racial prejudice and arrogant teenage incompetence towards these two dignified men who are victims of the inhuman apartheid laws. In the process this seemingly liberal young man is exposed as the biggest bigot of them all whose words fly like bullets through the air and hit bull's eye with every turn.

Fugard's powerful words, lean narrative and forceful characterisation all blend perfectly in James Ncobo's elegant and stylish directing in which he uses the small stage and rather limited space to full effect. One feels locked up with these three men who battle it out in a war of words that leaves the audience devastated and in a state of shock. Ncobo perfectly succeeds in involving the audience fully by locking them up with these characters especially since the audience has the foreknowledge of a new millennium and its new challenges while looking back at the problems of the past.

The acting is of the highest standard with Pakamisa Zwedala and Nat Ramabulana balancing the youthful rage of a young man on the brink of self-destruction and the destructive effects of his actions on two innocent men.

This is, without a doubt, one of the major events in the theatre calendar and deserves to be seen.

Master Harold... And The Boys
With Pakamisa Zwedala, Daniel Buckland and Nat Ramabulana
Director: James Ngcobo
Venue: The Old Mutual Theatre on the Square until April 10

Athol Fugard for a new generation

2010-03-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

Peter Feldman
03/23/2010 09:12:48

Peter Feldman: "Master Harold ... and the Boys" has resurfaced in Johannesburg after a number of years.

It has a new director, a new cast and a fresh look by director James Ngcobo at one of Athol Fugard's most celebrated works.

The last time I recall seeing this production was more than 20 years ago at the Market Theatre and it left an indelible mark because it encapsulated a South Africa of the 50s viewed through the eyes of a noted playwright who was fuelled by incidents from his own childhood.

Apartheid was still very much alive when this play was written and when I first saw it Fugard's commentary proved a stinging indictment of South Africa's apartheid policy at the time. It hit home like a sledgehammer because it reduced grand apartheid to more human terms.

This new production still retains the elements that made the original ground-breaking work and the acting is just as intense.

The world has changed certainly since the play was first premiered with the demise of apartheid, but the universal theme of brotherhood between men still exists.

James Ngcobo's production proves that the power and quiet majesty of this play has not diminished with time -even though the impact is not as compelling.

One of the shining lights of this version is Pakamisa Zwedala as Sam, the older and wiser of the two black servants working at St George's Tea Room in Port Elizabeth in 1950. He commands the stage with compassion and understanding and his interaction with Daniel Buckland's Hally is a beautifully balanced reading as the mood changes dramatically from chummy light-hearted banter between master and servant to a more menacing confrontation which places politics into its truer perspective.

Sam and his fellow worker, the more subservient Willie (Nat Ramabulana), have served Hally's mother in the tea room for years and there's a certain rapport that exists between them and the boy Hally. They behave as old friends should, knowing that certain boundaries between appropriateness and offence are there, yet still discovering a few new ones as circumstances dictate.

A brilliantly executed aspect of the play is when Hally contrives to write his school paper using ballroom dancing as a metaphor for race relations.

The production is solid and highly entertaining, yet a slightly worrying aspect is Daniel Buckland whose physical appearance as a teenager isn't convincing.

Hally is a potent character whose destructive streak manifests after he is told by his mother that his crippled and alcoholic father is about to return home from hospital - a signal for Hally to lash out at his workers.

Where the play eventually stands or falls is in the pivotal scene where a blistering exchange takes place between Hally and Sam, his surrogate father, which leaves Hally in a confused state of mind - and this is superbly executed.

As Willie, Nat Ramabulana, provided a consistent performance in what is the play's least textually showy role.

Also, Wesley France's subtle mood lighting, Thando Lobese's costumes, Gregory Maqoma's choreography and Nadya Cohen's evocative set, complete with a jukebox, all contributed towards creating a picture of a world where, unsurprisingly, nothing is simply black and white.

A new generation of theatre-goers will certainly derive benefit from watching a master storyteller at work whose use language is simple but always effective.

"Master Harold ... and the Boys" is on at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, until 10 April.

Getting acquainted with Jacques Brel

2010-02-19T03:05:00.001-08:00

Lesley Stones
02/18/2010 13:14:41

Lesley Stones finally catches up on a musical secret that everyone else seems to know.

Brel, who's Brel? I hear you ask.

Oh, so you already know. Perhaps it's just me then who had never heard of Jacques Brel before. But it turns out that I do know some of his songs, which are being performed with absolute panache in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Quite why I'm familiar with a song about drunken, brawling, whoring sailors in Amsterdam is a mystery. But I've certainly heard it before. And as several other songs began there was also a frisson of familiarity about them.

Brel must have had quite a life. His lyrics are stories as much as songs, and tell of love gone and love gone wrong, war and death, drinking and dying. There's even a song about losing his virginity in an army brothel, although that traumatic experience clearly didn't put him off women for long.

They're lyrics you really have to listen to, but the listening is a pure pleasure with four excellent singers and a perfect backing band. Some of the songs are still in their native French, and sound terribly sophisticated even if you're struggling to comprehend as well as listen. Most have been translated into English, and they're wordy, clever lyrics that spin fascinating tales of human frailties.

The stage setting has a mellow cabaret feel, with rich curtains and few chairs and a table for the props. The lighting by Jane Gosnell is absolutely perfect, and so good that you actually notice the atmosphere it creates. When veteran showman Graham Clarke jumps onto a box to sing The Statue his features become almost grotesquely stone-like in the dramatic lighting. In fact Clarke's face is perfectly suited to many of Brel's songs, with his lived-in, worn-out features.

The younger David Chevers is equally suited to the tales about Brel's earlier life, while Chrissy Caine brings a worldy, knowing attitude to songs such as The Old Folks, a moving tale of the decline of man into sadness and senility.

The hit of the show, however, was the brilliant Deneel Uys. Her mischievous face is wonderful for the quirky Carousel and suitably anxious for Timid Frieda. When the opening bars for Ne Me Quitte Pas began, practically the entire audience gave a flutter of recognition, and the performance by Uys was fabulous. We nearly cried right with her.

That's when the band was at its best too. The whole show demands precision and delicacy from its musicians, and the melancholy double bass adds a moodiness that enhances the words magnificently.

One song runs into the next with no dialogue between, so its not a musical revue as much as a showcase for the songs of one man. That will probably limit its appeal to people already familiar with his work, but considering that the show ran for two decades after it first opened here in the 1970s to become the most enduring musical revue in South African history, that should guarantee a pretty enormous audience.

Whether many newcomers will take a chance and book a ticket for a songwriter they've never heard of is debatable, but I'm certainly glad that I did.

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris runs at Sandton's Theatre on the Square until March 13.

Stunning Jacques Brel hits the high notes

2010-02-19T03:03:00.000-08:00

Peter Feldman
02/18/2010 13:55:11

Peter Feldman: "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" is a perennial favourite.

It has been staged in South Africa over the years in a variety of forms, though very few ever managed to attain the status of Taubie Kushlick's early, innovative productions at the old Chelsea Theatre in Hillbrow.

Directors Colin Law and Dean Roberts have based this production on the 2006 Off-Broadway show. It has been resurrected for a new generation and though the feel is modern and meaningful it still retains the essence of Brel with brilliant clarity.

The songs, as many know, are all dramatic monologues that cannot simply be sung, but need to be acted out by a cast of superior performers.

In British singer Chrissy Caine, who has returned to these climes after a long absence, veteran Graham Clarke, and newcomers David Chevers and Daneel Uys, they have assembled a superb, integrated cast which invests Brel's special magic with the sensitivity and understanding it demands. Backed by a faultless group, under the musical direction of DuPreez Strauss, this foursome hardly falter as they interpret a famous songbook that represents Brel's many acute observations and myriad emotions. It is all there in the body language with the performers immersing themselves in the songs to stunning effect.

Over the years I've endured many variations of the Jacques Brel theme, but the combination on stage at this presentation constitutes one of the best I've seen. There is something like 26 songs in the show. These are literate, thoughtful and theatrical numbers and are given the full vocal treatment by a polished and stylish team. Many of my favourites were nicely highlighted and helped trigger memories of the ‘70s when Brel first became known to audiences in this part of the world.

One of my best is "Ne Me Quitte Pas," a wistful song, with its alternating happy and sad lyrics, which became a pop standard for so many international singers, was sensitively handled by the impressive Daneel Uys. She also showed her range with the mix of " I Loved," "My Death," "Timid Frieda," "Girls and Dogs" and the popular "Carousel."

Graham Clarke's handling of "Fanette" ""Amsterdam," "Funeral Tango" and "Sons of Lovers" showed his versatile streak, while the imposing David Chevers took complete control of the whore song "Next" and "The Bulls." Chrissy Caine has always been a class act and her renditions of "Le Diable," "My Childhood" and "The Old Folks" struck deep within the soul.

This version of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well" certainly struck a warmly responsive chord within this reviewer, a feeling of which I really haven't had too much of lately.

"Jacques Brel is Alive and Well" is on at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, until March 13.

Sparkling Brel has new spunk and appeal

2010-02-19T03:01:00.000-08:00

Leon van Nierop
02/18/2010 11:47:34

Leon van Nierop: Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris has been re-invented and re-energised.

The show has a long and interesting history. It debuted in New York in the late sixties in Greenwich Village and was seen by hundreds of thousands of people over its 4-year run. It was then staged in South Africa by the legendary Taubie Kushlick at the Chelsea Theatre in Hillbrow with, amongst others, Laurika Rauch and Danielle Pascal and ran for close on 20 years.

This time around the show is based on the 2006 Off-Broadway New York production with new arrangements of songs by the phenomenally successful and talented musical director DuPreez Strauss, definitely one of the stars of this sparkling production.

Strauss has succeeded in reinventing and re-energising the show and giving it new spunk and appeal. One of the stars of the show is, without a doubt, Chrissie Caine. She has returned to South Africa from the UK to join the local cast and livens up the stage with her spunky and deeply felt renditions of some of Brel's most beloved songs. Mention must also be made of David Chevers's fine voice and vocal rendition. He has a great stage presence and complements the lyrics with his soulful and inspiring performances and self-confidence.

This is a stirring and successful production that was unfortunately marred by sound problems on the opening night, especially with Chevers's microphone. One can just hope that these problems will be sorted out during the run.

So if you like Brel, you might find yourself captivated and moved by this professional and imaginative production.

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
With Chrissie Caine, Graham Clarke, David Chevers and Daneel Uys
Directed by Colin Law and Dean Roberts
At the Old Mutual theatre on the Square till 13 March 2010

A great night out at Tomfoolery

2010-01-16T08:53:00.001-08:00

Moira de Swardt
01/16/2010

Moira de Swardt: This is a delightful musical revue based on the satirical lyrics and music of Tom Lehrer.

Despite the fact that these numbers were first performed in the 1950s and 1960s, it is not, as I expected, horribly dated. Rather, this is an introduction of old favourites to new audiences. A few of the numbers from the original have been cut and I suspect these are the ones which either no longer work or are not accessible to South African audiences. The commentary has been updated. Timewise, the cut is a blessing, particularly for midweek audiences who have to work the next day. An extra twenty minutes would make it a late evening.

Three of South Africa's veteran singing thespians, Kate Normington, Matthew Stewardson and Malcolm Terrey combine forces under Greg Homann's direction to cause the audiences many merry and mirthful moments.

The costuming is very simple, mostly black suits (and it looks as if Kate Normington might not have anything under her jacket, which keeps the straight men awake even if they hate musical theatre) dressed up for some numbers. It always works. The set is similarly Spartan and this always works for me. I find fussy sets distracting at times.

The comedy works well. The characters use their real names, so Kate in "The Irish Ballad" had me in stitches, while Malcolm in "The Masochism Tango" will provoke many a girl to jealousy of those legs. Matthew will amuse as he sings "I hold your hand in mine". What makes these numbers work is their timeless themes which make a pleasant change from still more South African situational humour. Best of all, there is not one single football reference, for which those of us who are already tired of these can be grateful.

Mildly naughty but never vulgar (I suppose this does date it rather) this is suitable viewing for cross generational outings. The Vatican Rag may cause some mild Roman Catholic discomfort in fundamentalists.

It would be remiss of me to fail to acknowledge the competence of the trio of musicians, Shaun Smith on piano, Graham Curry on double bass and Neil Etteridge on drums.

An excellent night out at The Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton until 13 February 2010.

'Tomfoolery’, one to see

2010-01-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

Would you believe there’s a song where the lyrics include yttrium, ytterbium, actinium, and rubidium? Trust me, there is, and you’ll be laughing at it if you treat yourself to an evening of “Tomfoolery” at Sandton’s Theatre on The Square.

The lyrics, pointless as they are, list all the elements on the periodic table that had been discovered when maths professor Tom Lehrer matched them to a Gilbert and Sullivan-style tune way back when.

Now Malcolm Terrey is singing the tongue-twisting lyrics in a show that strings together Lehrer’s wacky collection of songs with some equally satirical social commentary in between.

Lehrer’s lyrics are barbed, funny, insightful and often just plain warped. Some of his songs are funny for the sake of it, while others lampoon the social or political inequities of his day. The important thing is that his lyrics from the 1950s and 60s are just as relevant today, so this isn’t a quaint stroll down pre-memory lane, but an evening where modern problems are also ridiculed.

If you don’t like outcomes-based education then listen as Kate Normington gives a wonderful performance of “New Math”, stringing numbers together in a tongue-twisting song that tells us it doesn’t matter if you get it wrong, as long as you can demonstrate that you know how to do it.

Racism? Heck yes, that still makes “National Brotherhood Week” as applicable today as it did in America’s lynching deep south doggone decades ago.

Normington is a brilliant performer, and adds an extra dimension to the lyrics by her authentic accents and fabulous facial expressions. Terrey is also in peak performance mode, flitting around the stage and using his flawless timing and expressive eyebrows to emphasise any subtleties in the script. Not that there are many subtleties. The songs are bold and brash and, how shall we put it, adult, yet always funny even in their most unsavoury moments.

What Lehrer did brilliantly was word games, rhyming all sorts of obscure words in a way that’s immensely clever. The “Vatican Rag” is a real witty charmer, and anyone who can write lyrics where genuflect and transubstantiate just trip off the tongue has to be a twisted genius.

Joining Normington and Terrey on stage is Matthew Stewardson, who belts out a couple of big numbers before showing a languid, all drugged up rendition of “The Old Dope Peddler”.

The music is provided by Shaun Smith on piano, Graham Curry on double bass and Neil Etteridge on drums, and that’s the only dated thing about this show. The lyrics are still absolutely spot-on, but the tunes are definitely pre-pop. That makes a cool contrast of the genteel old-style music against the wicked wit of the words.

”Tomfoolery” has been around since Cameron Mackintosh adapted the songs for a stage show in the 1980s, and it’ll probably still be playing in another 20 years. But don’t wait that long before you see it.

By Lesley Stones

Tomfoolery runs at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square until 13 February.

Tomfoolery - a tonic for the senses

2010-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

Peter Feldman
01/16/2010

Peter Feldman: It is great to kick off a New Year with a show that's a tonic and endless fun to watch.

This provides an engaging and delightful showcase for the best of Tom Lehrer's sharp, witty satirical songbook.

Lehrer set the benchmark by which future musical satires would be measured. No topic is sacred and this production of 'Tomfoolery" certainly hits the spot for audiences who enjoy their political commentary served up hot and spicy, immensely funny with plenty of food for thought.

To recreate the work of satirist Tom Lehrer, director Greg Homann selected a trio of South African talent who hardly put a foot wrong as they engage with the audience in an easy, relaxed style. They filled the tiny space at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square with singing, dancing and comedy in this 23-song music-hall-style revue.

Veteran Malcolm Terrey, whose sheer joy and enthusiasm overflowed into the audience, brought out the humour in Lehrer's work with enormous skill and timing. He displayed an astonishing ability to recite the table of elements without missing a beat in "The Elements" performed to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan's "I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major-General." It certainly showed that technique and training come into the acting equation. He also shone in the deliciously bizarre "The Masochism Tango," "I Got It From Agnus" and "The Hunting Song."

Kate Normington and Matthew Stewardson also provided a non-stop flow of Lehrer's genius treatment of gems such as "New Math," "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and together with Terrey on "The Vatican Rag" (all executed in the proper habits).

The ensemble work was excellent. "Oedipus Rex" had Normington taking the spotlight with Stewardson (as Oedipus) tearing out his poor eyeballs and letting them bounce onto the floor attached to red ribbons. He also produced a fine rendition of a southern plantation owner in the bitterly satiric "I Wanna Go Back to Dixie." Funny, too, was his rendition of "I Hold Your Hand in Mind."

Normington displayed her versatility and comedic skills on "In Old Mexico" and "The Irish Ballad" and "Wernher von Braun."

The wickedness of the hypocrisy-skewering number "National Brotherhood Week" was nicely effective from the trio.

The live band, Shaun Smith (piano), Graham Curry (impressive on the double bass) and Neil Etteridge (on drums), briskly negotiated the satirist's use of a wide range of musical styles that included rags, waltzes and a touch of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Lehrer's songs were penned in the 1950s and ‘60s. One could argue whether this social satire is relevant today. They made an impact at the time because issues such as racism and pollution were not on the social agenda. After World War II those who returned home from fighting on foreign soil just yearned for peace and quiet. But America was facing difficult times and an artist such as Lehrer made Americans very much aware of these social ills though his work - and topics like pollution, racism, the education system and religion are all still with us today.

Lehrer's lampooning of these subjects still make "Tomfoolery" a joy to watch and a chance to laugh at ourselves.

"Tomfoolery" is on at Old Mutual Theatre on the Square until 13 February.

Golden oldie glows once again

2010-01-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

January 12, 2010

By Diane de Beer

Stepping out of the spotlight at the end of last year as the director of Spoof Full of Sugar, Malcolm Terrey is back in the limelight in 2010 in the cast of Tomfoolery.

This is not the first time round with this particular musical review for Terrey.

"I did it 20 years ago," says the veteran of 37 years on stage.

He believes it holds up brilliantly and, while he describes it as a piece of antiquity based on songs written in the 50s and 60s, if you nurture antiques, he says, they glow.

That's what he feels has happened here. He's also delighted to work with Kate Normington in a production for the first time even though they're good pals. Add to that, Matthew Stewardson whom he has known since he was a little boy, and the trio on stage get on like a house on fire.

His career has been a blessed one, believes Terrey, but part of the success has been his versatility and the way clever producers and directors have not always typecast him.

Last year, for example, he started off with Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be which was the only production on his horizon at the start of 2009. He followed this with a part in the Black Ties production of Merry Widow, then went on a trip to Sweden as part of the Cape Town production of Showboat and concluded as the director of Spoof.

This year, the early prospects aren't much better but as an actor who has had only two slumps in his career, Terrey knows that probably he will be part of some production, somewhere in the world.

And if you ask him about a dream part still to come his way, he's quick off the mark: "Fagan in Oliver," he says. "I still have to do that and would love to do some more Shakespeare. It's all about growth and learning."

While he enjoys directing, he's only up for that when he can do what he knows best, musical reviews.

He describes Tomfoolery as a sophisticated, witty and nicely dressed night at the theatre.

"Tom Lehrer was the kind of writer who liked to poke fun at sacred cows, hence the cow on the poster," he explains.

Many of the songs will be familiar but the show has been juggled and rejigged with four actors becoming three, some songs contemporised and, as Terrey points out, nurtured.

With young director Greg Homann in command, it is given yet another contemporary edge.

But more than anything, it's a show ready to start the year on a silly if slightly slanted note. As Terrey says, "put me in a costume and point me to the stage. I'm always ready to go..."

Nothing's sacred in this rambunctious revue

2010-01-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

Jan 4, 2010 11:07 PM | By ANDREA NAGEL

To start the new year with a laugh, The Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in Sandton presents the wickedly funny musical hit, Tomfoolery, which runs from January 11 to February 13.

Starring Kate Normington, Malcolm Terrey, and Matthew Stewardson, this musical features the barbed and rapier-like wit of Tom Lehrer and showcases his familiar satirical songs.

The genius of Lehrer hits you smack in the face as the songs go from wacky to deliciously wicked. There is little that escapes Lehrer's sharp eye. Three actors, a trio of musicians, and a healthy dose of attitude bring the devilishly off-beat and thoroughly twisted world of the famed songwriter to life on the stage.

In concerts, television appearances and a series of now-classic recordings, the Harvard-educated math professor has delighted millions of fans during the past 56 years with his dry and cynical but good-humoured attacks on war, racism, religion, pollution, pornography, the military, the boy scouts and mathematics.

There are no sacred cows in this rambunctious musical revue featuring Lehrer favourites such as Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, When You are Old and Grey,The Masochism Tango,The Old Dope Peddler,The Vatican Rag and an unforgettable Gilbert and Sullivan-esque recitation of the table of elements, linked with an updated commentary on the world.

The original musical arrangements by Robert Fisher are adapted for the stage by Cameron MacKintosh and his narrative links Lehrer's greatest songs from the 1950s and 1960s into a wonderfully humorous evening.

This brand-new production, brought up to date by its stellar cast, will be directed by Greg Homann, who also directed Pterodactyls, Brothers in Blood and Lord of the Flies.

The cast is led by Normington, recently seen in Hairspray, High School Musical and Bombshells, Terrey who delighted audiences in We Will Rock You and Spoof Full of Sugar and Stewardson, who played the role of Dean Martin in The Rat Pack.

Spoof Full of Sugar in the most delightful way

2009-12-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

By Lesley Stones

Is there anything more uplifting for the soul than a good uninhibited laugh out loud? Well, sex, perhaps, but this wickedly funny musical revue gets you laughing with plenty of naughty innuendos, giving you two good things wrapped up in one.

It’s tough to write a consistently funny show made up of numerous little pieces, but this script fizzes almost all the way through as it takes the mickey out of local show business personalities, plonkers and utter air-heads. The loose plot involves a mediocre actress who draws her biggest headlines through her untimely death.

It’s written and directed by theatre stalwart Malcolm Terrey, who can’t resist getting in on the act too by providing some voice-over narratives. You can’t blame him really. It’s such fresh and original entertainment that he’s shown enormous restraint in not jumping up on stage with them.

Every sketch is sung to the tune of a hit musical, with immensely clever new words making the songs far more entertaining than some of the rather prissy originals.

Elaine Paige would blush to hear what Dianne Simpson makes of that old classic “I Blow Him So Well” - yep, you read that right, which is why there’s an age restriction for the audience. But for me the highlight is the delightful and buxom Ntsepa Pitjeng giving a heartfelt rendition of “Mammories” as she bemoans the ravages of time.

Since the plot is only a vague guideline rather than a stern direction, Terrey can include all sorts of not-strictly related bits and pieces. That lets him combine the antics of Joost van der Westhuizen and Steve Hofmeyr in a sassy rewrite of Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango”, again with Pitjeng bursting out all over the place.

Somehow we later move to a spoof of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, with the actors playing geriatric transvestites as the tired old musical gets revived for yet another time warp.

The four actors are equally excellent, and my favourite changed with every scene. There’s eye-candy in the form of Brandon Auret, who’s back on the stage after a stint in the movies. He’s a good singer too, with some wicked facial expressions. In fact, it’s worth grabbing a seat near the front because all four are so expressive I’d hate you to miss a thing.

The fourth cast member is Pieter Bosch Botha, who proves equally able to perform a variety of roles in quick succession. Pianist Dawid Boverhoff keeps it all together as the front-of-stage pianist and the whole event zips along at a cracking pace with slick costume and character changes.

But the main applause must go to the lyrics, which are even more bitchy and cutting than the characters they’re lampooning.

Opening night of Spoof Full of Sugar

2009-12-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

For more pics from opening night, Click Here.

Submitted by MySandton on Mon, 30/11/2009 - 11:21.

Annelize Pretorious and At Botha.

The opening night of Spoof Full of Sugar took place at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in Sandton on November 29, Guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and laughed throughout the show.
Take a slice of musical theatre, a healthy dollop of broad humor and a pinch of murder mystery and you have the recipe for this Christmas’s remedy Spoof Full of Sugar which will run until December 31, 2009.

Acclaimed performer Malcolm Terrey directs the crème de la crème of South African talent in this hilarious and totally irreverent satirical musical revue where familiar show tunes blend with outrageous comedy in this tongue-in-cheek look at the seedier side of South African Show Business and Celebrities.

Nothing in sacred in the razor sharp look at the Entertainment industry, with a crooked finger being pointed at models, agents, critics, celebrities, large scale musicals, sex shows, TV presenters, socialites, the SABC, the tabloid press… and more!

No one is safe from the eagle eye of the SPOOF team – if they're famous and they're in the public eye they'll make it into the show. Some of the South African Celebrities making it into the script include Noelene, Barry Ronge, Nicky Greenwall, Debra Patta, FHM Models, Joost vd Westhuizen, Steve Hofmeyr, Gwen Gill to name but a few.

Tickets are R160 and available through Strictly Tickets www.strictlytickets.com or directly from the theatre at 011-883-8606.

Sweet satire

2009-12-07T03:56:00.001-08:00

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.

Terrey prescribes the best medicine in town

2009-12-07T03:49:00.000-08:00

December 1, 2009
By Diane de Beer

Spoof Full Of Sugar
DIRECTOR: Malcolm Terrey
CAST: Brandon Auret, Ntsepa Pitjeng, Dianne Simpson, Pieter Bosch Botha
MUSICAL DIRECTOR/PIANIST: Dawid Boverhoff
VENUE: Old Mutual Theatre on the Square
UNTIL: December 31
RATING: ****

A few too many years back, Malcolm Terrey's Joburg Follies was an institution of the Johannesburg theatre calendar. But the break was good for everyone, it appears.

He's back, but this time it's in the director's chair and with a wonderful cast. In fact, they're a huge part of the success of this spoof because of their energy, commitment and sheer talent. Each one of them has a star turn, from Bosch Botha's brilliant Tannie Evita knock-off, Auret and Pitjeng's kvetching pyjama babes, Simpson's spot-on accents and caricatures and, as a final show-stopper, Pitjeng's unique and knock-out rendition of Memories.

It all began, says Terrey, because of the South African lust for celebrity. They can't get enough, yet no one ever confesses to reading Heat or Huisgenoot. And this is where they dig in - deliciously deliberately.

It's not the usual old hobby horses of crime, politicians or even taxis. It's not that they steer clear completely, but for this show we're dealing in Steve and Joost rather than Jackie and Jacob.

It's sharp, sophisticated and naughty fun, because these are actors jousting mainly with those in front rather than behind the cameras. They know how the game is played and the games people play, so they let rip.

They don't spare a soul. From the name changes of the Civic Theatre, now settled as the Joburg Theatre, to the snoringly boring Barnyard shows that come by as if on a factory conveyor belt, to the titillating banter between critics or TV hosts, all names we recognise.

There's the news reader with "hair", another fine take by Bosch Botha, the sex kitten and her cooking, a melancholy Mr Instant Fame, with most of the spoofing relying on familiar show tunes to do the trick.

These are given fresh lyrics, but as we recognise the song, we're immediately part of the action.

Terrey has gathered his cast, given them spectacular guidance and they're up for the task. He is a director who knows the delicate balancing point, when to push and when to let go and more than most, how to make them laugh.

Spoof Full of Sugar is a sweet success

2009-12-07T03:46:00.000-08:00

Peter Feldman
11/30/2009 11:49:50

Peter Feldman: Malcolm Terrey is an extremely gifted performer whose comic skills have been seen in a huge number of productions. His innate ability to home in on a subject and extract something funny from it has always been a strong factor in his theatrical make-up.

He contributed material to the ever-popular "Jo'burg Follies" series and in this new production, which has echoes of "Follies," Terrey puts the world of show business under his microscope and emerges with an extremely witty, fun-filled roller-coaster ride with a splendid group of home-grown talent.

The four-strong cast, comprising Brandon Auret, Ntsepa Pitjeng, Dianne Simpson and Pieter Bosch Botha, make an indelible impression as they switch roles and characters to bring a dazzlingly demonic look at the South African entertainment scene.

Nothing escapes the eagle-eye of Terrey whose rapier-like wit helps spoof most of today's high maintenance celebs, soapies, TV show, high-profile critics and anything to do with that show business thing. It's an often hilarious assault on the senses as the well-oiled cast, decked out in zany costumes and wigs, and singing famous show numbers appropriately adapted for the occasion, produce the goods.

There are 30 different sketches paraded before the audience and these are slickly handled, though on opening night a sketch around film fundi Barry Ronge came somewhat unstuck when the two players broke into hysterical laughter as they began corpsing.

Dianne Simpson and Ntsepa Pitjeng, with her infectious laugh, perhaps shaded the men in the vocal department. Simpson has a wonderful voice and fine comic timing, while Pitjeng made a meal out of almost every scene in which she appeared

Pitjang brought the house down with a wonderfully acerbic version of "Memory" called "Mammary" while Simpson hit the right notes with "Cooking with Sex," a "new late-night show on e.tv, and a brilliant parody of Top Billing.

The men, Auret and Bosch Botha, show their mettle with Auret outstanding in a sketch entitled "My Least Favourite Things," and Bosch Botha doing a striking take-off, word for word, of Tannie Evita Buizenhout.

The show has a loosely woven story about a once famous South African actress found murdered during a performance of "Beauty and the Beast" and how an inept police force is simply not interested in solving the case. They would rather read gossip magazines in the safety of their control room.

Providing faultless accompaniment is lone pianist Dawid Boverhoof who certainly caught the eye of Tannie Evita.

"Spoof Full of Sugar" is the ideal sweetener for the holiday season and when we can forget our woes and indulge in a healthy dose of laughter.

Spoof Full of Sugar is on at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square until December 31.

On the Stage

2009-12-07T03:40:00.000-08:00

MARY JORDAN

THE revue is a particularly English form of entertainment which, for over a century, was to remain a staple of the London theatrical scene. The short sketches and songs first produced by Charles Cochran in 1893 were, over time, to evolve into the witty, sophisticated lyrics of Flanders and Swann, and the waspish satire of Beyond the Fringe.

In our own country, the mercurial Adam Leslie — remembered for his skit on The Ladies of Rosebank — Leon Gluckman and the Tracey brothers who created Wait a Minim, and the acerbic Robert Kirby continued in the use of those same skills: a mercilessly accurate and wickedly funny tweaking of conventional attitudes.

Then, in 1985, Kevin Feather and Malcolm Terrey collaborated on Jo’burg Follies, a two-hour send-up of South African figures in every field, which became an annual fixture for Pieter Toerien.

Now, in SPOOF FULL OF SUGAR, showing at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in Sandton until December 31, Terrey gives recognisable hits from well-known musicals a thoroughly modernist thrashing. The effect is hilarious.

Terrey is a devastatingly acute observer of adults behaving badly.

He is aware of those flaws that fascinate and understands those ambitious people who tear one another apart in gestures of playfulness or boredom.

Here, in a mocking and dismembering that unpicks our ongoing obsession with the cult of celebrity and our skewed value systems, he conveys the eccentricity of being human.

Part of the fun lies in recognising the musical numbers and then listening to Terrey’s splendidly startling reworking of the lyrics. Brandon Auret, Pieter Bosch Botha, Dianne Simpson and Ntsepa Pitjeng perform with vocal virtuosity and disarming gusto.

Each has an individual compelling moment — Cutting it Short, Rent and Barnyard Blues are really very clever — and the company’s Warped by Time is a show stopper.

On keyboards, Dawid Boverhoff is quite superb.

All the way through, you will surely feel that slow gurgle in the base of the diaphragm which recognises truth in laughter: and laugh you surely will, at the world of the living and our irritating conceits.

Backstage baby gets in on the act

2009-12-07T03:34:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2009
By Diane de Beer

It's tough being an artist, so when you're offered more than one job, you grab it. Fortunately for actor/director Pieter Bosch Botha the schedules for two new shows did not clash.

On weekends he directs Noises off, which will be staged at the Breytenbach Theatre in Pretoria from November 25 until 28.

During the week, he rehearses as one of the cast of the new Peter Terrey review, Spoof Full Of Sugar, which opens at Sandton's Old Mutual Theatre on the Square on Monday.

Pieter's Dad, At Botha (Dryfsand), Shareen Swart (7de Laan), Kaz McFadden (Villa Rosa) and Desire Manthey (Binnelanders)will all perform in Noises Off.

Every year, Swart, who is the head of Pretoria's Performing Arts Lifestyle Institute, puts on a stage production with her students.

As this was such a challenging production, she brought in a group of professional actors, including herself, with less than half the cast filled by students.

For Botha, it has been a particular challenge as he is still testing his directing skills, but having paid his dues with two years of children's theatre at the Roodepoort Civic as well as a physical theatre piece, Hats, which he plans to take to Grahamstown next year, he loves trying different genres.

As an added bonus, directing Dad has also gone without a hitch. Botha sr hasn't been on stage for about 20 years, but father and son say it's been a good experience. "He didn't pull rank," says junior.

Farce isn't an easy one to pull off, but watching Botha at work, it seems that, young as he is (23), he knows what he wants.

"It helps that I am an actor," he says. And one who grew up around actors, with his parents both famous Afrikaans actors (his mom, Annelize Bosch, did mostly stage).

As part of the cast of A Spoof Full of Sugar, Botha will display his singing and acting skills.

"It's a blast," says the performer, "and a send-up of everything from celebrities like Nicky Greenwall, Noelene and Joost to an insider's view of the entertainment industry.

Terrey is an old hand at this kind of writing and, a few years back, he used to present a regular review titled Joburg Follies.

With a cast featuring two men and two women, this sounds like something that runs along similar lines - a reprise in fact.

"We have hectic costume changes," says Botha, who thinks there will be as much fun backstage as in front of the curtain.

Joining him are Brendan Auret ( best known for his role as Dup in Isidingo), Top 10 Idols finalist Ntsepa Pitjeng and Dianne Simpson, who was part of the Sound of Music and My Fair Lady casts.

"It's familiar songs with fresh lyrics," says Botha, who is having as much fun on stage as in the director's chair.

"They always say it takes a good actor to be a good director," he concludes - and that is what he's striving for.

"It's constant andrenalin, that's why I love it so."

Spoof takes a dig at the industry

2009-12-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

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.

Sweet but definitely not saccharine

2009-12-07T03:16:00.000-08:00

Dec 6, 2009 12:00 AM | By Arts & Entertainment

Send-up of South African entertainment industry is fun and funny without being venomous

As Julie Andrews informed us in the 1964 Disney classic Mary Poppins, "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down". But it won't have you laughing quite like Malcolm Terrey's satirical musical revue Spoof Full of Sugar.

As the title suggests, Spoof Full of Sugar takes a hilarious and enjoyable look at the South African entertainment industry, sending up everything from popular, big-budget musicals and tribute shows to South Africa's burgeoning celebrity culture.

But, said Terrey, Spoof is not a show full of insider jokes for the enjoyment of those who work in the industry. Even though he has been in showbiz for 37 years, he insisted that he had approached this show with the same eyes as the general public.

"I live alone and I, too, talk back at the television and say, 'what the hell are you saying?! ... why are you doing that?!'"

He said there was "no venom" in his lampooning of the likes of Steve Hofmeyr, Joost van der Westhuizen, the Barnyard Theatre with its unending string of musical tribute shows, and the Sunday Times's very own Barry Ronge. Instead, he said, he does it with a "coating of sugar". Sugar-coated, yes, but not saccharine.

A healthy dose of frivolity, irreverence and humour is served from the outset.

An amateur production of Beauty and the Beast goes awry when a giant, singing teapot is interrupted while performing the musical's title track, made famous as a duet by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson.

The news is shocking: the lead actress who plays Beauty has just died, but the show must go on. Suddenly the romantic and syrupy Beauty and the Beast becomes a cynical Beauty Is Deceased.

What ensues is a whodunit in which jealous actresses seize their moment in the limelight, agents and producers milk the saga for every cent they can, the media makes itself the main event, the police do precious little to find the killer and housewives love every second of the drama. It does not matter that no one seems to care who killed Beauty; the story line is entertaining but unimportant.

Born in the UK, Terrey links the genre to "the old British 'blackout sketch'" in which a stand-alone comic sketch or scene ends with a sudden blackout or a dropping of the stage curtains. Another sketch that has no relevance or connection to it follows.

The challenge, said Terrey, was not only having a tight and clever script, but finding performers who were good singers and actors, who could do comedy and who, "let's face it, are attractive to look at on stage".

He certainly struck it rich with this cast. Each person not only shines individually, but they work exceptionally well as an ensemble. Brandon Auret, best known for his former role as detective Leon du Plessis on SABC3's Isidingo and more recently in the movies Hansie and District 9, reveals a side that few have seen. Dianne Simpson, who trained at the former Pretoria Technikon and at the TV1 Actors Studio in Los Angeles, impresses with her all-round excellence: an impeccable voice, with range and athleticism, versatility and an ability to make you laugh again and again.

Pieter Bosch Botha wows with his musical theatre-styled voice and Ntsepa Pitjeng is unforgettable. I'm not sure she manages to convey it on television - she starred in SABC2's Muvhango - but on stage she is a bold performer who knows no boundaries, without being over the top.

Ultimately, the secret ingredient is Terrey's "control freak" sensibility. He was not only responsible for directing, adapting the script and rewriting all the lyrics, he also designed the costumes, actually sewing some of the garments and making the many wigs.

In an entertainment industry that Terrey describes as one in which "a person does one episode of a drama series and all of a sudden they're a celebrity", there is only one Malcolm Terrey.

"Some say thank God for that!" he joked.

Nostalgie slaan trom: hard en luid

2009-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

2009-10-14
Paul Boekkooi

The Blues Brothers
Theatre on the Square, Sandton

Sou dit kon gebeur dat nostalgie ooit uitsterf, sal dit nietemin in die teater bly voortleef. Dít, vanselfsprekend, op voorwaarde dat teater sélf oorleef.

Ontleed ’n mens die teater- en veral musiekspelaanbod plaaslik en oorsee, is dit nostalgie wat die trom slaan: hard en luid.

The Blues Brothers is so ’n produksie. Elke mens met té min somers agter die rug sou kon dink John Belushi en Dan Ackroyd is enigiemand wat hulle moontlik nie is of was nie, maar was jy in die 1980’s volwasse en ’n joller, sou hul kultussoekery beslis iewers ’n merkie in jou breinlobbe gemaak het.

Dié word weer op hierdie verhoog wakker geskud deur Johan Baird as Jake en Alwyn Kotze as Elwood Blues.

Kyk, hulle is twee langasems, sing en skoffel dat dit klap, beweeg soos wafferse kontorsioniste op die verhoog en besit by tye soveel binnepret dat hulle dit na buitentoe uitdra. Met ander woorde: hulle is mededeelsaam in alles wat hulle doen.

Soms voel dit asof die verrigtinge net effens té kunsmatig voortgedryf word, maar kort voor lank plaas húlle, die sesstuksorkes en die drie Bluesettes (die agtergrond-sangtrio wat ook ’n paar imposante solobydraes lewer) nuwe woema binne die geheel.

Toe wyle Belushi en Ackroyd (nog met ons) destyds die persona van die Blues Brothers op die NBC-televisienetwerk se Saturday Night Live aangeneem het, was alles nie naastenby so gesofistikeerd as wat dit dikwels deesdae die geval is nie.

Dit is daardie gees van soms onnutsige spontaneïteit wat in dié verhoogproduksie voortleef, maar by tye tog gedeeltes van John Landis se verfilmde weergawe van 1980 laat verongeluk het.

Dit het ’n aweregse uitwerking op die publiek gehad. Waar die kritici die fliek wou begrawe sien, het die persona van Belushi en Ackroyd op só ’n ongewone manier ’n beroep op die breë onderbewussyn van honderdduisende aanhangers gedoen dat dit ’n kultusfliek geword het.

Agttien jaar later se Blues Brothers 2000 vertel die verhaal van die oorgeblewe Elwood (Ackroyd) wat weer sy “bênd” aan die gang wou kry, maar dit was slegs die musiek wat dié mindere poging gedeeltelik gered het.

Daarvan gepraat: Hoewel die plaaslike verhoogproduksie sterk op gehoordeelname steun, soos in Flip, Flop, Fly, is dit uiteindelik die ritme van rock, soul en veral blues wat vir hoendervel sorg.

Wie onthou vir Mustang Sally, Under the Boardwalk, I Feel Good, Hold On, I’m Coming, You Let Me Feel Like a Natural Woman en Jailhouse Rock?

Indien nie, kom by!

Tot 25 Oktober.

The Blues Brothers’ en hul ‘bluettes’ in Sandton

2009-10-24T11:03:00.001-07:00

2009-09-22
Thys Odendaal

Dit het alles begin met John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd en NBC van Amerika se televisie-treffer Saturday Night Live. En eersdaags is die musiekspel The Blues Brothers in die Theatre on the Square op Mandelaplein in Sandton.

Die rolle van Belushi en Aykroyd word in die jongste plaaslike weergawe van dié wêreldwye treffer vertolk deur Johan Baird en Alwyn Kotze, wat van Dinsdag 29 September tot einde Oktober die verhoog van die Theatre on the Square sal inneem.

Die musiekspel is eintlik ’n huldeblyk aan die musiek wat gewild geword het deur die “pork pie and Wayfarers”-duo, Jake en Elwood Blues in die hoogs suksesvolle fliek in die 1980’s The Blues Brothers. Die eerste verhoogweergawe met
Belushi en Aykroyd was ook ’n lokettreffer.

Clayton Stewart, die regisseur van die Suid-Afrikaanse produksie wat vol teaters in die Goudstad Durban en meer onlangs Kaapstad verseker het, was die eerste plaaslike Elwood Blues. Quintus Jansen is die choreograaf. Baird en Kotze word ondersteun deur drie “bluettes” en ’n sesstuk-orkes.

Kaartjies kos R180 by Computicket of die teaterloket tydens werksure of by die teater sowat ’n uur voor die vertonings begin.

The Blues Brothers is van Dinsdae tot Vrydae om 20:15 op die planke, Saterdae om 17:30 en 20:30 en Sondae om 15:00.

Dinsdagaande se opvoerings is halfprys – koop ’n kaartjie en kry ’n ekstra een gratis.

Navrae: 011 883 8606.

Put on your blues shades, brus...

2009-10-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

September 29, 2009
By Zane Henry

Whoo-hoo! Jozi's got the blues! Popular musical The Blues Brothers runs from tonight until October 25 at Sandton's Theatre on the Square.

Based on the characters created by Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi for Saturday Night Live, the show pays tribute to the songs and gags from the TV show and the Blues Brothers movies. Johan Baird and Alwyn Kotze take on the iconic roles of Jake and Elwood Blues. They are backed by three Bluettes, Crushanda Forbes, Tshepi Mashego and Lebo Toko. They are directed by Clayton Stewart, who starred in the original SA production as Elwood Blues.

"It's a very vibey show that will get people partying," Baird says. "It's not a rip-off of the films. It pays tribute to the characters and the music. Alwyn and I try to channel the spirit of Ackroyd and Belushi without directly imitating them."

Baird and Kotze are good friends and flatmates. Kotze used to play for Afrikaans rock band Lukraakitaar. He and Baird currently play together in a project called Jaco Britz.

"We know each other very well and have a good vibe between us," Baird says.

"The Bluettes - Crushanda , Tshepi and Lebo - are amazing singers and quite intimidating. We have a great time together and enjoy performing together. It's hard not to, with such great songs as material. We're not getting into the slow, suicidal blues, but going instead for fun, cheeky songs like Mustang Sally and Jailhouse Rock."

Baird graduated from UCT with a BA Honours degree in theatre and performance and won a Fleur de Cap award in 2004 for most promising student.

Since then he has appeared in many productions. He starred in the Cape Town run of Pythonesque directed by Alan Swerdlow and before that, he played Walter in the musical Chess. He has played in several comedies including 39 Steps, Modern Orthodox, Frankenstein and Around the World in 80 Days.

"I'm lucky enough to be getting regular work now, so my parents are a bit happier," he laughs. "They've always been amazingly supportive. I hope to be able to do regular theatre work for many years."

• The season at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square runs from tonight until October 25 with shows from Tuesday to Friday at 8.15pm and two shows on Saturday at 5.30pm and 8.30pm and a matinee on Sundays at 3pm. (Tuesdays buy one get one free.)

To book call 011 883 8606 or 073 725 7381 or online on www.theatreonthesquare.co.za

http://tonight.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5182578&fSectionId=431&fSetId=251

Put on your pork pie hat and party

2009-10-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2009
By Peter van der Merwe

The Blues Brothers

Cast: Johan Baird and Alwyn Kotze

Musical director: Du Preez Strauss

Director: Clayton Stewart

Venue: Theatre on The Square, Sandton

Until: October 25

Rating: ****

In the late '70s, comedians Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi created The Blues Brothers as part of a comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live. Forty years, a ridiculous movie and an entire cult following later, the boys are back in town - and they're having an absolute blast.

Like Belushi and Ackroyd, Johan Baird and Alwyn Kotze possess no more than fair singing voices - but they not only get away with it, they rock the house. Their comic timing is superb and they fill the gaps between the songs with a witty repartee that has the audience howling.

That's not to say the music takes a back seat. On the contrary, it's what the show is all about.

One of the highlights is the rap/electronic version of the US Civil War standard Two Little Boys, which has to be seen to be believed. Composer Theodore Morse would be bopping in his grave.

The show starts with the cast mingling with the audience under the pretence of being caught unawares - but the moment the familiar opening bars of the Peter Gunn theme ring through the theatre, it's all action. From the laid-back satire of Rawhide to some rocking numbers by the backing group The Bluettes, this is music played with passion and verve.

This show stands out for its sheer entertainment value. The musicianship - a six-piece band headed by Du Preez Strauss - and choreography are top class, and it is maniacally funny at times.

If you're looking for a great night, then I cannot recommend this show highly enough.

THE BLUES BROTHER on Radio Today with Brooks Spector

2009-10-19T08:07:00.001-07:00

BASA Today 11 October 2009 (Arts and Culture Programme)

Radio Today Podcasts

Feeling good with the Blues

2009-10-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Published: 2009/10/10

SOMEWHERE over the years The Blues Brothers have lost the plot. Literally. The musical based on the 1980 cult movie has thrown away the story line completely. So if you’re expecting car smashes as cops chase some robbers who have formed a band to raise money for an orphanage, you’re not going to get it.

You’d struggle to fit that on the stage anyway, so all that’s left are the songs, the live band, some deadpan humour and the cool but slightly menacing attire of suits, hats and sunglasses .

And that’s all you need for a hugely entertaining show that’s simple but utterly captivating.

Johan Baird as Jake Blues and Alwyn Kotze as his brother Elwood are tremendous. Kotze wears his outfit with great aplomb, and is a slightly better dancer. Baird has his shirt hanging out and his top button casually undone, but has the more elegant voice. Yet when Kotze performs a fabulous version of Under the Boardwalk with only a bass guitar to accompany him, you realise their voices suit the different songs equally well.

Then they dance their exuberant elastic-legged dances and you can’t help laughing at the fabulous choreography by Quintus Jansen.

It’s slick and sassy with wacky duets performed perfectly in synch. This show is all about the music, and the six-piece band is as tight and professional as the brothers are loose-limbed and loveable. Kotze and Baird intersperse their songs with humour, and sometimes leave the stage free for the trio of Bluettes backing singers to shine.

Dapper Tshepi Magabo gives a beautifully engaging version of Minnie the Moocher, his white suit sparkling almost as much as his naughty eyes. Crushanda Forbes and sexy Lebo Keke are equally impressive, adding the female emotional quota that used to exist in the long-since discarded plot. It doesn’t matter that you don’t know why they suddenly launch into Think , or Respect . They just do, and like everything in this musical, they do it superbly.

Then everyone is back on stage to pump out classics like Gimme Some Lovin’ and Jailhouse Rock. The laugh-out-loud dancing and the sheer feel-good factor of it all is contagious. They may have lost the plot, but the whole audience lost their cares for the evening.

n The Blues Brothers runs at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, (011) 883-8606, until October 25, booking through Strictly Tickets or through the theatre’s box office, www.theatreonthesquare.co.za

2009-10-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Cult classic

Published: 10/11/2009
NATALIE BOSMAN

If any two guys could pull off being The Blues Brothers, or “Blues broers,” as Johan Baird jokes, it’s him and his housemate Alwyn Kotze.

Throughout the interview the duo keep a running line of commentary going, with Kotze sporting Elwood Blues’ characteristic dry sense of humour, and Baird playing up the role of the clown and, by his own admission, “the fat guy”.

Actually, there’s nothing “fat” about Baird, who proudly announces that he lost 18kg while rehearsing and performing the high energy dance moves required throughout the musical review show The Blues Brothers..

Kotze, on the other hand, actually gained 5kg worth of calves. But that’s neither here nor there – let’s get back to the show.

Aware they have impressive shoes to fill, going up against the likes of the late John Belushi and Dan Akroyd, Baird and Kotze say that their approach is to make the show their own rather than copy Akroyd and Belushi.

“We’re not emulating them,” explains Kotze. “As players, we are approaching it in the sense that we want to become Blues Brothers – not Dan Akroyd as a Blues Brother, but Alwyn as a Blues Brother, and Johan as a Blues Brother.

“So we try to incorporate as much of ourselves as we can. I mean, I’m more reserved and more rigid, and I have a dry sense of humour, and Johan is more outgoing, so the contrast is there,” he says.

“We are actually really like that,” Baird chips in.

“He does the dishes at home and I sit around playing Playstation,” he laughs.

The revival of this Eighties cult classic movie and stage show is proof enough of the music’s timelessness.

It’s music that spans all generations, even those born long after the soul, blues and rock and roll genres celebrated in the show came to an end.

“There have been a lot of musical productions on the circuit in SA, but it’s been a lot of pop and soft music. The Blues Brothers, they bring you old school – soul, blues and rock and roll,” comments Kotze.

Baird shares Kotze’s admiration for the era.

“I was at a friend’s daughter’s birthday, and there were a bunch of 18- and 19-year-olds, playing their music and sitting around, but as soon as the old stuff came on, old school classics like Jailhouse Rock, they were up on their feet and dancing,” he says.

“So I think those kind of classics are well known to everyone. Give Me Some Loving, Sweet Home Chicago, Under The Boardwalk, Soul Man; all those songs people know from a young age.”

If you’re not already a fan of the music before watching the show, The Blues Brothers will win you over and generate a new respect for the music.

It’s a fabulous, feel-good show for audiences across all ages; a memorable night out with superb performances by the Blues Broers, the three Bluettes and the six-piece live band.

To book tickets, call the theatre on 011-883-8606 or visit www.theatreonthesquare.co.za.

http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=107399,1,22

Blues Brothers will touch you in a special way

2009-10-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

16 October 2009
Edward Tsumele

IF WHAT you want right now is music by legends, there is one place you need to go to and indulge yourself in some of the finest sounds. It is the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square.

This production, which is choreographed by Quintus Jansen and directed by Clayton Stewart, will not fail to impress you.

The Blues Brothers, which opened at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square on September 29, runs until next Sunday. It is a smash hit rock and roll, rhythm and blues musical that is sure to touch you in a special way.

For those who, like me, are not quite clued up in terms of this music genre, here is a bit of background information you need to have before attending the show.

This award-winning musical celebrates the music made famous by the “pork pie and wayfarers” duo Jake and Elwood Blues in the cult 80s movie called The Blues Brothers.

These iconic kings of cool were created by the late John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd for NBC’s Saturday Night Live show and the film was made on the strength of the cult success of these characters.

The first Blues Brothers stage show was a 1980 musical comedy starring Belushi and Aykroyd as Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues.

Musical numbers featured include songs by singers James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, among others, such as I Feel Good, Jailhouse Rock, Midnight Hour, Riot in Cellblock No. 9 and Sweet Home Chicago.

This musical has impressed many people where it was performed around the country so far. The original South African production broke box office records in Joburg, Durban and most recently at the NewSpace Theatre in Cape Town. This production is directed by Stewart, who was the original Elwood Blues in the South African show, and the choreography is by Jansen.

Playing the Blues Brothers with serious attitude is Johan Baird and Alwyn Kotze, who are joined by three Bluettes – Lebo Toko, Crushanda Forbes and Tshepi Mashego .

Tickets cost R180 with shows from Tuesdays to Friday at 8.15pm and two shows on Saturdays at 5.30pm and 8.30pm and a matinee on Sundays at 3pm. Group prices for 10 persons or more are R140 per ticket.

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1078318