(Pic: Nomonde Matiwane as the Queen of Farts)Ideal interactive show to entertain children over the holidays. (Review by Maurice Kort)
Very timeously for the Easter school holidays, Dhaveshan Govender has produced and directed The Mystery of the Missing Easter Eggs at the Catalina Theatre, in association with TheatrBIZ. This is an ideal interactive show to entertain children under the age of 12 and, incidentally, their parents and grandparents. The children responded most enthusiastically at the opening performance and of course the adults enjoy the show seeing it through their children's eyes.
Mtho Zulu as Sureluck Hare, the Easter Bunny, puts himself heart and soul into the role, bouncing around the stage – maybe he sampled some of his eggs, hence the hyperactivity - and stirring up the audience to keep on eye on his eggs. He tends to shout a little in his enthusiasm. Also featured in the romp is Thandeka Mkhiza as a most energetic Pepperoni Pizza, instantly recognisable as such in her costume, Nomonde Matiwane as the Queen of Farts, nicely costumed as a chicken, and Chloe Perling as the ditzy cellphone Juanita J900 - I loved her costume and impersonation of a cellphone.
Predictably, the Easter eggs are stolen. But who did the dastardly deed? Taking a leaf from the huge Catalina Theatre hit Shear Madness earlier this year and which will be brought back in May by popular demand, the audience is invited to help solve the mystery of the missing eggs. They entered wholeheartedly into the spirit of the show. As with the earlier play, there is an audience vote to decide on who stole the eggs and the play proceeds based on the vote. This is probably the first time this concept has been extended to children's theatre and it is great fun.
The pre-publicity of the show stated that if the eggs are found each child will receive an Easter egg. This did not take place in the opening performance, but it might have occurred in the subsequent boat cruise around Durban bay on the Sarie Marais which is an optional extra associated with the show.
The Mystery of the Missing Easter Eggs runs at the Catalina Theatre, Wilson's Wharf, from April 7 to 14 at 11h00. Tickets for the show are R30 and for an additional R15 pp one can have a boat cruise round the harbour. Booking is through Fiona Prins on 082 414 1543 and more information can be obtained from the Catalina Theatre on 031 305 6998. – Maurice Kort
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