(Pic: Sans Moonsamy and Kaseran Pillay)
Versatile duo entertains with a range of zany Indian characters. (Review by Caroline Smart)
If you want an amusing evening’s entertainment, then head for the Playhouse Drama tomorrow to catch Those Indian Guys with Sans Moonsamy and Kaseran Pillay. Their two-hander sketch comedy played to packed houses at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg in January and this evening’s capacity audience responded to the zany humour with much delight.
A real loss to the city, these two former Durban actors are now living in Johannesburg. Both are highly versatile with strong comedy talents and they work well together, bouncing off each other’s individual energies.
They are well-known for their performances on stage, film and television. Sans Moonsamy has appeared in Made in India, Jamaican Jam and To House as well as being a regular actor in LotusFM’s drama series for which he also wrote two series of the popular The Waiting Room.
Kaseran Pillay, who also appeared in the LotusFM drama series, has been in Mr Bones 2, Going Nowhere Slowly and The History of Bunny Chow.
Their first piece sees them as cane cutters in the early days of the Indian community in South Africa, kowtowing to their passing employer and discussing the merits of a local librarian who appears to be distributing favours beyond the boundaries of lending books. From there, we meet domestic worker Gladys who thinks she’s hoodwinked her employer into thinking she’s illiterate.
From then on it’s a fast-paced ride through a number of skits which range from a very funny send-up of Bollywood romances to a scene at a cricket ground. The gags come thick and fast and the show is linked with voice-overs. However, the sound quality wasn’t good for the voice-overs and the audience often missed a lot of the humour.
Kaseran Pillay makes Gladys a redoubtable character - smart and sassy, she’s even on Facebook. His tubby quiz show host, bow-tied and suited with a hilarious hairpiece, brings a member of the audience onto the stage to compete against the streetwise finalist (Sans). His best role - and one which drew shrieks of laughter from the audience - was the auntie who scrounges flour, beans (and anything else she can get) from neighbours while bemoaning her lot in life.
Sans Moonsamy’s airline host is amusing as he welcomes passengers onto a flight which may be their last, singing songs that he considers are appropriate to the journey. Elegant in leopard skin coat, slim pants and high heels, he sashays onstage as Joelene to host her tv programme called Free Talk. His jittery slang-talking quiz show competitor pulled in the laughs as well.
Those Indian Guys is presented by SandMan Productions in association with The Playhouse Company and media partner Saffron TV. There is one more performance tomorrow (March 29) at 18h00 and the duration is 80 minutes without interval. Tickets R80 booked through Computicket. – Caroline Smart
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