MONKEY NUTS

Winner of the prestigious Naledi Award for Best Comedy Performance, Monkey Nuts is one of the finest and funniest shows ever seen in Durban. To be staged at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from May 5 to 15, this comical masterpiece is created by writer/director Geraldine Naidoo; the creator of the hit shows Hoot and The Chilli Boy.

The play is a clever mix of situational comedy, storytelling and hilarious (unforgettable) characters. It tells the story of Edgar Chambers; an odd bod obsessed with entering all sorts of competitions. Edgar, a bank teller by profession, also has the unusual knack of sniffing out free stuff and special offers. Edgar's main hobby is monitoring the prices of grocery items in various stores. So skilled is he at his hobby that he can tell you the price of any grocery item, anywhere and at any given time. It is, however, his obsessive competition-entering that sparks off the madcap story that has had audiences in stitches. Edgar's only friend is a monkey that lives in the back of a pet shop but, as the story unfolds, audiences are spoilt with a bevy of brilliantly portrayed (hysterical) characters - all with some sort of connection to Edgar.

Performed by multi-award winning actor Matthew Ribnick, Monkey Nuts is a definite must-see for anybody craving brilliant quality entertainment. Ribnick has thrilled local and international audiences for the past few years with his breathtaking talent in performances of Hoot and The Chilli Boy. While creating Monkey Nuts, Naidoo anticipated that the new show would be a lot more physically (and vocally) demanding than the previous two shows and started signing up her performer for various activities: including yoga, Tai Chi and singing lessons. It is not uncommon for Ribnick to attend seven yoga classes and eight Tai chi classes a week in order to be fit enough to perform Monkey Nuts. Both Naidoo and Ribnick share the belief that stage actors need to be as fit as professional athletes to truly realise their potential on the stage.

The new show again has Ribnick portraying characters from vastly different backgrounds and it is also the show with the most characters out of Naidoo's three plays. The script for Monkey Nuts has drawn a huge positive response from audiences with countless audience members repeating numerous lines out loud as they exit the auditorium excitedly at the end.

Monkey Nuts runs from May 5 to 15 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. Booking through Computicket. With half-price on Thursdays and Sundays. There is an age restriction of no under 16's.