WHITE MOUNTAIN COMEDY

A stable of top stand-up comedians from the Durban School of Comedy will be heading for the hills this long weekend to perform at the annual White Mountain Festival near Giant’s Castle from September 23 to 26.

Included on the bill for the daily comedy hour are Glen Bo, Neil Green, Dusty Rich, Gareth Woods, Paul Cowan, Tharuna Devchand, Duncan Whithers and Jem Atkins, with a guest appearance by Johannesburg musical comedian, Deep Fried Man. Comedic styles range from traditional stand-up with a darker edge to quirky, impressionistic and anecdotal.

On the music front, festival-goers can look forward to a varied line-up of some of the best live acts in the country, including Ard Matthews, Vusi Mahlasela, John Ellis, the Jack Mantis Band, Margaret’s Daughter, Nibs van der Spuy, Tony Cox, Phuzekhemisi, Machineri, Shannon Hope, Barry Thomson, Meri Kenaz, Shomon, Tresor and many more. Expect everything from acoustic rock and blues to folk, world music, bluegrass and maskandi.

Now in its fifth year, the festival takes place over the Heritage Day long weekend and is known for its relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere and idyllic setting in the foothills of the Giant's Castle Nature Reserve – less than 200km from Durban, 400km from Johannesburg and only 25km off the N3, on tarred roads.

Also on offer are a wide choice of outdoor leisure activities, colourful arts and crafts, assorted food stalls and a beer market featuring several local breweries. Festival-goers can also make full use of the lodge’s facilities, including a restaurant, 150-year-old pub, children’s playground, swimming pool and satellite TV.

Tickets R450 at Computicket or R550 at the gate (R100 children under 12) include camping in the festival campsite overlooking the dam. Day tripper tickets are also available at the gate, which opens at 08h00 on September 23.

For more information and the full programme, visit http://www.whitemountain.co.za/wmff/index.php or contact Pedro at 031 563 0824.