ALIVE & KICKING

(Barry Thomson, Darren Marais, Mali Sewell and Fabien Mitchell. In front: Dawn Selby, Jerryn Foseras and Cali Thomson)

A new genre of supper theatre that perhaps will become very popular in Durban and the rest of the country. (Review by Rosanne Hurly)

Billed as 'an unforgettable experience' this production takes audiences down memory lane to places long forgotten.

The show is directed by charismatic personality Barry Thomson, who is also on vocals and guitar. Joining him on stage are keyboard artists, Dawn Selby and Cali Thomson (even if Cali wasn't actually playing live in the 80's). Mali Sewell is on drums and Fabien Mitchell on bass guitar. Newcomers to the Heritage stage are Jerryn Foseras and Darren Marais.

Music invariably takes us down 'memory lanes'. However, the intent of this show is to ensure this and to bring a smile to the lips of members of the audience as they remember where they were in those days. Most fascinating was that audience members, including me, could not resist getting up onto the dance floor for a bogey. This was truly remarkable. Usually, I will only be persuaded to dance after many glasses of wine and / or the song Funky Town. Strange, since this number was not performed during the show.

While many argue that the 80's did not really produce as much musical genius as say the 60's, or 70's, this was undeniably the era of disco, of synthesized music, and ultra violet lights! Those of us in our 40's and 50's smiled quietly and drifted down memory lane to jols at The Med, Your Fathers Moustache and The Warehouse, etc. Thoughts of student friends, loves and hurts - emotions long forgotten.

Cars by the very 'different' Gary Numan captured our attention. Some of my other favourites included: Hungry like the Wolf by Duran Duran, Don't you want me by Human League, Safety Dance by Men Without Hats, Let's Dance by David Bowie and especially 99 Red Balloons by Nena. You're in the army now by Bolland and Bolland was warmly received by the audience.

Combining the talents of Durban guitar icon Barry Thomson, Dawn Selby, Cali Thomson and Mali Sewell, it is wonderful to greet the two new talents, Jerryn Foseras and Darren Marais. Both performers were completely at ease, flirting and mingling with the audience on the floor. Even if they were only born in the late 80's, the two were able to embrace the music of this show with passion and enthusiasm.

I loved the dance floor. This was such a clever idea. Although the show ended fairly late for us 'middle aged' 80's rockers, the stage allowed us to interact with the performers. This was 'Dinner and Dance' theatre, a new genre of supper theatre, and perhaps one that will become very popular in Durban, and the rest of the country.

Alive and Kicking runs at The Heritage Theatre until June 10. Tickets for all shows are R195 pp from Wednesday to Saturdays and R165 pp on Tuesday evenings and Sunday lunch. The price includes a two course meal. To book contact the Heritage Theatre on 031 765 4197 or book online at www.heritagetheatre.co.za – Rosanne Hurly

MORE FIRED UP

(“Inverted”, 2012, porcelain by Carla da Cruz)

More Fired Up is an exhibition of contemporary ceramics opening this evening (May 31) at 18h00.

Comprising a group exhibition of contemporary ceramics, More Fired Up is presented by the KZNSA Gallery as an extension of the All Fired Up: Conversations between Kiln and Collection exhibition which was showcased recently at the Durban Art Gallery (DAG).

This exhibition has rekindled public interest in ceramics. Responding to public demand, the KZNSA, working together with the DAG Curator of Collections Jenny Stretton, will offer a reconfigured collection of ceramic works. Having long outgrown the title of ‘pottery’, contemporary ceramic art is a fusion of art and science as its practitioners devise ever more innovative ways reinvent their clay.

The invited artists are either lecturers or MA graduates from the Ceramic Departments of both Durban University of Technology and University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg.

The exhibition will be opened on May 31 at 18h00 by The Durban Art Gallery Curator of Collections, Jenny Stretton.

Stretton believes that ceramics have a special role to play because ceramic art is three-dimensional. “It has more claim to the immediate dynamics of society than other visual art forms: it intrudes, demands space – almost as people do, and can alter its form as one circles it. Ceramics in broader society has become one of the darlings of the material sciences, chemists and physicists, who use ceramics to create jet turbine blades, flexible springs and semiconductors.

Set in the context of South Africa in 2012, a transforming social and political landscape, the shift in subject matter for artists is striking. Almost without exception, the artists speak of the transformational power of the kiln – it is a sacred space that has no master, manipulating elements at an alchemic level – God knows what Faustian deals are done as the artist closes the door of the kiln!

Participating artists are, Juliet Armstrong, Kim Bagley, Ian Calder, Astrid Dahl, Carla da Cruz, Leanne Frisinger, Raksha Gobardan, Carol Hayward Fell, Isaac Nkosinathi Khanyile, Fahmeeda Omar, Mhairi Pattenden, Sharon Weaving, Clive Sithole, Georg Hendrik Stroebel, and Martha Zettler. Included in the More Fired Up reconfiguration are artworks by students of some of the above exhibitors.

The KZNSA Gallery is situated at 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, in Durban. More information on 031 277 1703, fax 031 201 8051 or cell 082 220 0368 or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za

NEW HYSTERIA

New Hysteria will perform at LIVE- the venue (Durban) on June 2.

With just over three years under their belt since these three teen musos, Aury Livingstone and Seth Parkin and Pascal Koch (all senior high school students at Westville Boys High school) started performing together “professionally”, they are fast becoming seasoned musicians, respected in the Durban music industry by not only their peers but older, professional artists who recognize their unusually outstanding talent and where clearly it is a case of “hearing is believing”

Although friends for years, the music side of it all began at the age of 11 for Aury when he started guitar training and teamed up with Seth to form a two-man band about three years ago. Seth, whose love for singing is never overshadowed by his passion for the drums, developed a huge interest in musical performance. The pair started writing their own songs and recorded an original, more for the “fun of it”.

It was their one-time school music teacher; Richardt Wissink, who initially recognized their talent and took the opportunity to create a fully-fledged band, teaming them up with a vocalist and the band Voltage was born. Voltage disbanded after a few months, but undefeated and passionate about their music, the two continued with fresh hopes and found the perfect match in another Westville Boys’ High musical talent; Pascal Koch (bass and vocals) adds a “tidy wrapping up” to this tight outfit.

New Hysteria play a selection of carefully chosen and classic covers, which include music for all tastes and genres, as well as their own original music, which keeps them busy with corporate and private bookings. After winning the 2010 Kearsney College Battle Of The Bands, New Hysteria recorded their first sponsored prize from Face Studio, Westville, a self-penned original piece entitled Commercial Living and amongst other great opportunities, the band took to the stage in the Grant Erskine Marquee, Splashy Fen in April 2011 another of the prizes they won at the Kearsney College Battle of the Bands.

Splashy Fen was the first opportunity for New Hysteria to perform their own signature and self-penned sounds. The band was invited back to perform one of the main stages at Splashy Fen in 2012.

Since Kearsney and Splashy and many live bookings in-between and with the added experience and guidance of their management, GreenBox Productions, and the input from their producer at Lyd Productions where they are busy putting the finishing touches to their first album, their musical maturity is moving them into a fresh place where their signature sounds are coming through and which seems now to have found a place to grow from. New Hysteria are crafting their sound and have found that their most recent leaning to a more acoustically tailored, ballady signature is what’s working for them.

New Hysteria have performed on some of Durban’s great stages and venues ,sharing the billing with the likes of Steve Fataar, Toni Rowland, Ross Tarpin ,Tammy Saville and Blue Avenue, Counsel and Force, Zoë Sturgeon and Beatroute. They are presently in Lyd Studio recording their first 12 track album.

New Hysteria will perform at LIVE- the venue (Durban) on June 2. Entrance R40 and a cash bar is available. Bookings through Tanya van Agthoven Marais on 082 747 9738 or email Tanya@greenboxproductions.com

PHILIPPE GRAFFIN FOR KZNPO

(Philippe Graffin)

For the third programme of the season, the KZN Philharmonic will welcome to the podium the highly distinguished German conductor, Thomas Sanderling, a member of one of Europe’s most celebrated musical dynasties, with a popular mostly-Brahms repertoire:.

He will open the concert with the turbulent Tragic Overture, composed in 1880, and concluding with Symphony No. 1 in C minor. The evening’s soloist is the fine French violinist, Philippe Graffin, who takes the spotlight performing Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, one of the more frequently performed of 20th century concertos.

The concert takes place at the Durban City Hall on May 31 at 19h00. Booking is at Computicket. There will be a pre-concert talk at 17h30 in the City Hall’s supper room prior to the performance.

Some 30 additional security personnel are positioned in and around the City Hall, Royal and Albany hotels to escort patrons to and from the vehicles. For further information and subscription bookings, contact 031 369 9438/9404 or visit www.kznpo.co.za

DALRO LICENCES WEBBER SPECTACULARS

DALRO has received the sole mandate to licence major Andrew Lloyd Webber works to schools, universities and amateur dramatic societies. This includes musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat.

DALRO was established in 1967 and administers (or licenses) various aspects of copyright on behalf of authors, artists and publishers. It is a long-standing member of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) and proudly claims an extensive repertoire of both local and foreign content through relationships with local publishers and affiliate international organisations.

This major coup for DALRO means that local producers no longer need to liaise directly with the Really Useful Group Limited (RUG) through its international offices to put on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s crowd-pleasing musicals.

The mandate for DALRO to include all RUG’s shows in its catalogue applies to the whole of Southern Africa and has already come into effect. Now if local producers want to put on Aspects of Love, Evita or any other title from the catalogue they simply need to contact DALRO for permission.

Other shows in the impressive catalogue include: The Likes of Us, Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard and The Woman in White. And all producers need to do is e-mail theatricals@dalro.co.za with a few details about the proposed performances to enquire about the rights to wow with a Lloyd Webber masterpiece of musical theatre.

For more information on DALRO, visit www.dalro.co.za

PAVING FORWARD

Mthokozisi Lembethe

Directed by Mthokozisi Lembethe, Paving Forward was the only film from South Africa that was screened at the 2012 Durban Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

The film reflects back on the road travelled in recognizing LGBTI rights (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community) in South Africa and how the ANC was involved. However, the film questions whether the rights are under threat because of the current leaders who make homophobic statements in public. The film draws links between the fight for freedom under apartheid and gay and lesbian people, thus writing them into an important political and social history – a history from which LGBTI people are so often ignored. Through interviews with activists, politicians and judges, this short documentary exposes the vast divide between constitutional freedom and equality, and its articulation within society.

The film follows a personal story of a lesbian mum, Nosipho Mahola, who is still not free to live her fully because her children find it hard to accept that their mother is lesbian. Her journey proves that LGBTI people are still not free even if they have a strong protection on the rights.

Born in KZN, Mthokozisi is a young filmmaker who studied at Big Fish School of digital filmmaking and holds a Performing Arts diploma from the Durban University of Technology. He served his internship in 2008 at the SABC as Assistant Technical Producer. He has been involved in theatre productions where he works as technical stage crew.

Mthokozisi views film and theatre as a great combination to tell stories that impact on society. He has great passion in directing work that showcases the struggles faced by society and gives a voice to their struggles. He was selected as one of 50 young filmmakers across Africa to be part of the 2011 Talent Campus at the Durban Film Festival. The documentaries that he produced and directed have travelled to different film festivals: Out in Africa film festival, Durban film festival, KwaZulu Natal African film festival, Durban Gay and Lesbian film festival, Architect Africa film festival and the Montreal film festival in Canada.

“It was a great humbling experience for me to see my work being given positive feedback and I would like more people to see the film because its addresses a controversial issue that is avoided to be voiced in public, gay and lesbian rights and issues faced by LGBTI community,” he says. “As an upcoming filmmaker I believe I have a social responsibility as a filmmaker to be the voice of the people and tell stories that will create change in society.”

If anyone is interested in seeing the film or wants to know more about the film they can email Lembethe on mthoko23@gmail.com or call him on 072 968 4851.

DURBAN’S ASHWIN SINGH RUNNER-UP

Durban is to host the drama finals and the national finals of the fifth PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing – one of the country’s most respected projects to encourage innovative new scriptwriting - which takes place at the Catalina from June 1 to 3.

Ludolf Parker’s poignant Saying Goodbye to Amelia which tells of the spiritual and physical journey a woman undertakes on the day of her friend’s funeral - won the Johannesburg leg of the fifth PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing at the University of Johannesburg on the weekend.

The runner up award went to Durban’s Ashwin Singh for his one-hander Reoca Light which tells the story of a young man who is presiding over the closure of his parents’ convenience store after a series of robberies, when is approached by a local journalist with a story behind the story about the store.

Audience favourite went to Zwai Mgijima's Veil - which is set in New Brighton and tells the story of two beautiful souls – Ali, a Somali shopkeeper and Nosipho, who find their way to be together for eternity.

Regional events for the festival have taken place in Cape Town two weeks ago for comedy, in Johannesburg last weekend for one and two-hander plays, and will run in Durban at the Catalina Theatre this weekend for dramas. The national finals will be at the Catalina Theatre in Durban on June 3.

The aims of this wonderful and annually much anticipated festival, run with the support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF), are to generate original South African theatre works, to provide a platform for these works to reach the attention of theatre producers, and to work towards full-scale productions of the winning plays.

Productions will be staged as play readings by actors under the guidance of a professional director, with the focus on the script being showcased most effectively, without being overwhelmed by elaborate staging, sets, costumes and lighting.

The winning scripts in each region - Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban - are re-read in the national final in Durban on June 3 and are up for a Grand Prize of R30,000. A panel of carefully chosen industry leaders are the judges of the competition who critically adjudicate the scripts.

Tickets R30 per reading. (R100 if you buy for all four readings in each region. The National Final event is R30, or free with a stub from at least one regional performance. Tickets in all instances are available at the door or in advance for Durban: Catalina Theatre regionals and final readings can be booked through the Catalina on 031 305 6889.

PRODUCTION/TECH MANAGER NEEDED

The organisations of the National Schools Festival are looking for a Production/Tech Manager for its annual event in Grahamstown.

The Production/Tech Manager ideally needs to be available from June 11 (latest June 18) on a flexi-hour basis in order to get all the pre-planning done.

The planning involves contacting suitable technicians who want to stay over from National Arts Festival, drafting a move-in tech schedule and call times for the technicians, preparing the contracts for the technicians and stagehands. Applicants will also be required to work closely with the National Arts Festival technical team in order to facilitate venue handovers.

From July 8, it’ll be full days and/or nights until the festival ends and one or two days after to make sure all the venues are clear and handed over in collaboration with National Arts Festival if it has not been done by Thursday – the last day of festival.

“We require someone to coordinate the venues and technicians for the festival, making sure that all venues are on track and to meet and make sure that the artists are happy and satisfied. Sometimes productions may need assistance to move from one venue to another or to fetch equipment/consumables from the Stores – which requires the use of the Grahamstown Foundation transport (i.e. Drivers licence required),” say the organisers. “As you well know, some unusual hours are required, so it is imperative that the Production Manager is on hand at all times during the festival.”

A competitive industry related salary is offered for this temporary contract position. Apply via e-mail to neville.engelbrecht@foundation.org.za

RHYTHM AND DANCE

(Taryn Leppan’s Highway Dance Academy appears on the programme)

Rhythm and Dance, the RAD KwaZulu-Natal Regional Advisory Panel’s annual fundraising showcase of dance, takes place in the Playhouse Drama on June 2.

The production not only celebrates the splendid development of the students’ skills and their enjoyment of their achievement and growing sense of self-worth but also gives recognition to the teachers who throughout the year invested many hours of dedicated training of their students to ensure that both technically and creatively their contribution would bear the hall mark of excellence in skill, knowledge and understanding.

A great diversity of approaches is to be found in this programme of Dance: Classical Ballet, Ballet, Modern, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, and Celtic. Great pride is evident in the presentation of every item in visualising authentic details, in terms of dance techniques and the costuming which adds to the colourfulness and interest of the programme.

This programme of achievement beautifully costumed and outstanding for the range of the age groups of the participants, and for the freshness and vitality of the work, testifies to many hours of strenuous effort and disciplined endeavour on the part of hundreds of young people, and their skilful teachers, striving to externalise in worthwhile creative achievements, their joy in developing their skill in this stimulating form of activity. These showcases are a joyous celebration of the sense of achievement and self-worth developed and experienced by the participants.

Rhythm and Dance takes place in the Playhouse Drama on June 2 on 12h00 and 15h00. Tickets R80. Bookings through Computicket on 083 915 8000 or at www.computicket.com or through the Playhouse Company Dial-A-Seat facility on (031) 369 9555.

More information can be had from the RAD Office on 031 201 9312 or rad-durban@iafrica.com

A JOURNEY INTO INK

("Jackson Pollock", acrylic drawing ink on canvas by Bradley Schwartz)

Opening on May 28 at artSPACEdurban is A Journey into Ink, an exhibition by Bradley Schwartz of acrylic ink, on canvas.

As an artist Schwartz has spent the last four years developing a technique, using acrylic drawing ink on canvas. All work on exhibition has been done in this technique and a few more materials added along the way. The methods and materials are extremely cost effective, making the works affordable for all. The subject matter is a result of the journey and varies from portraiture to abstract.

The exhibition is to demonstrate the potential and versatility of the materials as well as the artist. As artists it is our duty to share the fruits of our labour, thereby ensure continuity.

A Journey into Ink runs from May 28 to June 16. artSPACE durban is situated at 3 Millar Road (off Umgeni Road) close to the Waste Centre. More information on 031 312 0793 or visit www.artspacedurban.co.za or www.artspacedurban.blogspot.com

MIDLANDS MATRIC ART EXHIBITION

The annual Midlands Matric Art Exhibition in the Main Exhibition Room of the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg mostly shows artworks made by last year’s Matric art students from local schools. This exhibition is usually well attended by young and old. For learners and educators it provides inspiration for theme setting as well as new methods and techniques.

To emphasise the usefulness of the current documentation process that Matrics use in their art-making, the Tatham has displayed the artworks slightly differently this year. Besides the usual grouping of visually interesting works from different schools, the selectors have chosen a number of individual art diaries for detailed display on separate walls. These can be studied to follow the learner’s initial ideas, research, experimental work, and self-evaluation, culminating in the final result.

In another new development, the Tatham has invited a school that has shown consistent improvement and creativity to mount their own art exhibition in the Schreiner Gallery alongside the Matric Art Exhibition.

The Midlands Matric Art Exhibition closes on June 3 at 17h00. Guided walkabouts of these exhibitions can be booked with Thulani or Pinky at 033 392 2801

MZANSI MAGIC COMMISSIONING BRIEFS

Following the success of its first telenovela Inkaba, M-Net’s authentic South African channel Mzansi Magic issued commissioning briefs for a new telenovela and bubblegum movies.

Mzansi Magic’s Channel Head, Lebone Maema, says the overwhelming response to Inkaba confirmed a viewer demand for more original, long-running home-grown stories: “There was an incredible buzz about the show from the very first episode with varied comments and suggestions on our social media platforms. We’re proud to say that Inkabahas quickly become the most-watched local programme on Mzansi Magic and we know this is just the beginning of a memorable new wave of local story-telling, which will include telenovelas, bubblegum movies as well as series, and consolidate Mzansi Magic's position as a local television leader.”

Mzansi Magic’s new telenovela will span over 208 half-hour episodes in prime-time. The channel is looking for an authentic story that world audiences can relate to – a programme that can make us laugh and cry, cheer and jeer with tales of love, betrayal, coming of age and personal relationship struggles.

The themes for the bubblegum movies should reflect contemporary South Africa from any region or background and can be told in English as well as indigenous languages. The most important prerequisite is that the film is firmly rooted within South African cultures and traditions and suitable for the entire family.

"Creating a highly entertaining telenovela that will grasp audiences for many months is a challenging yet exciting exercise and we look forward to seeing how great story-tellers will take the genre to a new level," says Maema "and the bubblegum features provide the ideal opportunity for young, talented filmmakers as well as industry veterans to explore their creativity with the assurance of getting valuable exposure. It is Mzansi Magic's mission to boost our industry and we will continue to deliver on this promise."

The closing date for submissions for both the telenovela and bubblegum movies is June 28.

Mzansi Magic is an M-Net General Entertainment Channel and is broadcast on both DStv Compact and Premium on channel 107. The channel has already produced programmes in a variety of genres – from talk shows to magazine programmes and talent shows.

SPRINGBREAK GOES NATIONAL

Springbreak has built a reputation of being the hottest and most anticipated event of the year – and 2012 promises to prove bigger and better than before. Sound Media, proud event partners to Springbreak for the last four years, will take Springbreak on a countrywide road trip, kicking off in KwaZulu-Natal and running through to the Western Cape.

The youth fraternity’s annual pilgrimage to Sun City each year in September has been a sight to behold for over 17 years. “We’ve loved every minute of hosting this event,” says Alastair Roper, Sports and Promotions Manager at Sun International. “Sound Media are the perfect hosts to take this annual event national. They’ve been involved in Springbreak for the last four years and this, coupled with their experience in presenting large scale events, will give students an alternative Springbreak adventure.”

Springbreak has grown over the years and fans have indicated a definite desire for the event to take place in their home towns. The move will also offer a variety of accommodation options which will appeal to cash-strapped students.

Over the years, Sound Media has built a reputation for providing cutting edge activations and events for some of South Africa’s best loved brands, showcased at nightclubs, beaches, shopping malls and music events around the country. As managing agents for the country’s top Dj’s and celebrities, as well as a handful of international acts, and their close ties to top music industry bigwigs, Springbreak partygoers can look forward to an extended line-up of entertainment acts this year.

Further information on 0800 060 019 or visit the Springbreak Facebook Fan page www.facebook.com/SpringbreakSA

DEADLINE FOR ACT SCHOLARSHIPS

A powerful panel of performing arts experts headlines the 2012 selection of winners for the ACT | DALRO | Nedbank Performing Arts Scholarships.

Talented young performers in Grade 12 are eagerly preparing for the anticipated Scholarships regional rounds to take place in Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg during July.

Six finalists are set to strut their stuff in acting, singing and dancing to impress the likes of popular music artist HHP; presenter, actress and Production Manager of UJ Arts & Culture, Grace Meadows; actor, Naledi judge and writer Renos Nicos Spanoudes; Artist Manager from Talent Etc. Jennis Williamson; dancer and choreographer Lulu Mlangeni and musical theatre expert and director Anton Luitingh. These experts will be judging the six finalists on October 4 in Johannesburg at the UJ Arts & Culture Theatre at the University of Johannesburg.

Contenders will be assessed on their acting, singing and dancing potential. In order to secure a spot in the final, participants should demonstrate competence in all three disciplines with exceptional talent in at least one.

“An exciting first for the programme is an additional round of auditions in Port Elizabeth. This is clearly a welcome extension of the programme considering the response from contenders in the Eastern Cape,” says Pieter Jacobs, ACT General Manager.

Two scholarships to the value of R105,000 each will be awarded on the evening. These winners are able to choose to study their preferred performing arts course at any accredited South African tertiary institution.

All eligible candidates are invited to register before May 31. Rules and guidelines of the programme are available at www.act.org.za or call the ACT office on 011 712 8403.

The Durban venue and date for the KZN rounds is Danville Park Girls High School on July 27 and 28.

The Scholarships Programme is funded by the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO) and Nedbank Arts Affinity, is hosted by UJ Arts & Culture and supported by Talent etc., Classicfeel Magazine, Sleepy Gecko Guest House and Pink Room Productions.

MAD BUDDIES

Leon Schuster’s next comic caper, Mad Buddies, will be released nationwide on June 22.

From flying ostriches and marauding lions to irate politicians and conniving beauties, the new Mad Buddies trailer to be found at www.facebook.com/MadBuddiesMovie expands on the story of Boetie (Schuster) and Beast (Kenneth Nkosi). Two sworn enemies who, to escape a prison sentence following an unfortunate encounter at a the wedding of the Tourism Minister’s (Alfred Ntombela) daughter, are tricked by a scheming TV Producer Kelsey (Tanit Phoenix) into walking from Kwa-Zulu Natal to Gauteng.

With a goal of ending the journey as friends, the pair is unwittingly playing part in the newest and biggest reality show to hit the country ... until their plight is revealed and they join forces to exact revenge.

Along the way, Boetie and Beast encounter some larger-than-life characters who aid and, in some cases, seriously hinder their progress. From the over-zealous cafe owner (Elize Cawood), to the flamboyant farmer Daisy (Anthony Bishop) and many more, audiences should strap themselves in for an unforgettable celebration of what it means to be South African in all its colours, creeds and dimensions.

Mad Buddies is scored by Ed Jordan, directed by Gray Hofmeyr and produced by Helena Spring. Distribution rights for the film have been acquired by The Walt Disney Company South Africa and will be distributed under the Touchstone Pictures banner.

MNET HIGHLIGHTS

Coming up this week on M-Net Stars (Channel 105) are the following highlights:

May 29 at 19h30: Wisegirls directed by David Anspaugh and starring Melora Walters, Mira Sorvino and Mariah Carey is about three waitresses who work in a restaurant owned by the Mafia.

May 30 at 19h30: Callie and Son directed by Waris Hussein and starring Lindsay Wagner and Jameson Parker. An unwed teenager, who is reluctantly forced to give up her son at birth, decides to move to Dallas to get a fresh start. Years later, her obsession with finding her long-lost son starts when her attempts to have a new child with her new husband go horribly wrong. She not only loses her baby but her fertility as well. Now, she is unrelenting in hopes of being reunited with her son. Maybe she is better off not knowing the truth.

May 31 at 19h30: Music Box (1989) directed by Costa-Gavras and starring Jessica Lange, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Fredric Forrest. A lawyer defends her father accused of war crimes, but there is more to the case than she suspects.

CASUAL DAY RAISES RECORD AMOUNT

South Africa’s biggest fundraising project for persons with disabilities, Casual Day, recently announced the amount of money raised during the 2011 project. Last year Casual Day took place on September 2, 2011, and saw the nation dress in the theme, Rock stars – Worn to be Wild in support of the cause.

A small donation of R10 is made for the official Casual Day sticker, providing a means for the project to raise funds. In this way, a record amount of R20,315,451 was raised, benefiting approximately 400 organisations rendering services in the field of disability, via the structures of six major, national beneficiaries.

Casual Day is a successful initiative of the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA) and beneficiaries include Epilepsy SA, DEAFSA, SA National Council for the Blind, SA Federation for Mental Health, Disabled People SA as well as the NCPPDSA.

The annual Casual Day event has become a staple on the calendars of corporate South Africa providing an easy and fun-filled way to make a positive contribution to one of most marginalised sectors of society. The opportunity for office camaraderie is welcomed as each year on the first Friday of September, people are encouraged to wear something different to what they usually wear, wearing the sticker as an endorsement of the serious sentiment behind the light-hearted change in dress code.

Inspired by a naval and boating theme, the 2012 message is Get on Board. Whilst the public is encouraged to dress like a captain, sailor or pirate, the implication is that wearing the sticker is the endorsement to show that they did, in fact, get on board with Casual Day. This year’s campaign takes place on September 7, 2012.

More information from Cornel Theron on 012 663 8181 or email: casualday@mweb.co.za or visit www.casualday.co.za

VANSA KZN SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP

The KZN branch of VANSA (Visual Arts Network of South Africa) is to present a Social Media Workshop on June 3 which will be facilitated by Nadia van der Mescht; blogger and creative consultant.

Social media has become a relatively inexpensive platform that is easily accessible to anyone with Internet access, it is proven to increase brand awareness and communication for various entities. The workshop is designed to provide more insight on online creative business and networking.

The workshop will cover creative blogging; tips for setting up a blog and which platform to use (Blogger, Wordpress); how to create an online presence, and basic tips on using Facebook and Twitter as a tool for your creative business.

The workshop will take place at The Collective in Florida Road. Cost R200 (R150 for VANSA members) Booking closes on June 1. More information on kznadmin@vansa.co.za

GREEN WEEK AT ALLIANCE

Alliance Française de Durban is organizing a Green Week to celebrate the World Environment Day.

From June 5 to 9, displays will be open to the public where they will be able to read interesting information about various topics like weather impacts, recycling, going green, wind / water / solar / waste energy, pollution, sustainable development, and much more...

Among the highlights of the programme are a night market on June 8 which starts at 17h00. Later that evening there will be a live performance by René Tshiakany at 19h00 (tickets R20).

An art competition will be held on June 9 from 08h30 to 12midnight where participants may only use re-cycled or natural materials. They will be allocated an area to work but must bring all their own materials and a table if they need it. Judging will take place at 23h30 and the winner will be announced at midday during the official opening of the Green Alliance where he/she will receive a term of free tutoring in either French or Zulu. To enter contact Natalie on 083 756 6050.

Alliance Française de Durban is situated at 22 Sutton Crescent (off Windermere Road) in Morningside. For more information contact 031 312 9582 or fax 031 312 2864 or email: durban@alliance.org.za

STREETLIGHTS AT GOETHEONMAIN

Running until June 3 in Johannesburg, Vaughn Sadie's project Streetlights at GoetheonMain explores the city of Johannesburg through its lighting strategies.

The project examines the role artificial light plays in shaping and defining the way people either move through, or occupy, these public spaces. Focusing on the larger area around GoetheonMain, it is an attempt by artist Vaughn Sadie to understand the relationships people in the area (residents, security guards, store/ shop owners, pedestrians) might have formed with these various spaces. The Streetlights project consists of various components and was developed to bring about an alternative way of perceiving and engaging with the city of Johannesburg.

As part of a cross-platform approach that looks at providing a multiplicity of narratives and viewpoints, eleven writers have been approached to contribute text-based responses to the project. The departing point being to place themselves, for a chosen period of time, on site with their assigned streetlight, with no disruption to their experience other than a focus on the interplay between light and space.

The writers are Libby Allen (editor), Joseph Gaylard, Lester Adams, Neil Coppen, Zaki Mtshali, Lebohang, Nova Masango, Scott Smith, Percy Zvomuya, Liam Lynch and Phillipa Yaa De Villiers.

Another component of the project looks at the possibilities of performance in response to the research and the thematic approach of the project. Through a workshop process Sadie - together with frequent collaborator Sello Pesa - considers the area through the observation and study of the patterns and rhythms of movement by residents in relation to the varying quality and quantity of light in the spaces they negotiate.

The performers are Murray Kruger, Shayna De Kock, Mbali Khoza, Humphrey Maleka, Brian Mtembu and Kyla Davis. Admission is free. For more information contact Ben Bergner at the Goethe-Institut on 011 442 3232 or 082 769 3254 or email: pr@johannesburg.goethe.org or visit www.goethe.de/goetheonmain

ALIVE & KICKING

(Jerryn Fosteras, Cali Thomson and Darren Marais)

Hot on the heels of the recent Eighties Legends who visited Durban and caused thousands of people to retro dress, The Heritage Theatre is currently offering a brand new and experimental concept in the genre of “supper theatre” - Dinner and Dance Theatre.

Instead of simply sitting down, enjoying a meal and being entertained, Alive and Kicking invites the audience to get up and dance – with the performers!

All the 80s favourites are there: Hungry Like The Wolf, Just Can’t Get Enough, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, Shout, Tainted Love, Let’s Dance, Walking On The Moon, Safety Dance, Big In Japan and many more.

Some of the bands featured are Yazoo, Madness, The Police, David Bowie, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, INXS, Duran Duran, Men At Work, Alphaville, Ultravox and the hugely successful South African group E’Void.

The show features Barry Thomson, Dawn Selby; Cali Thomson; Mali Sewell and Fabien Mitchell and is vocally fronted by newcomers Jerryn Fosteras and Darren Marais.

Every Friday is Dress Up Night with prizes for best dressed couple. Audiences are invited to bring their dancing shoes, and remember – “everything counts in large amounts ..”

Alive and Kicking runs until June 10 at the Heritage Theatre in Hillcrest Tickets R195 pp Wednesday to Saturdays (R165 pp Tuesday evenings and Sunday lunchtime) include the Heritage’s good quality two-course meal. Bookings on 031 765 4197 or www.heritagetheatre.co.za

NIBS & GUY AT HILTON

Two of South African's living music legends, Nibs van der Spuy and Guy Buttery, will perform at Hilton College on June 1.

After over a decade of writing, recording and touring together, Nibs van der Spuy and Guy Buttery have finally recorded their first ever collaborative album. Following an extremely successful string of launches in South Africa, these internationally renowned guitarists will be touring their brand new show at prestigious festivals and venues throughout Europe and the UK accompanied by the release of their debut duo album, In the Shade of the Wild Fig. The album is scheduled for international release later this year.

The concert takes place on June 1 at 19h30. Tickets R80 (R65 students / pensioners). Bookings on 033 383 0126 (o/h) or email tickets@hiltoncollege.com CD's will be on sale!

MERSEYSIDE SWING JAZZ BAND

Every Saturday from 12h00 to 15h00, the Merseyside Swing Jazz Band offer music from Dixieland to the Swing Era. The group comprises Baron Herbst (keyboards); Llewellyn du Toit (drums); Ashvin Laljit (guitar); Derek Geldenhuys (bass guitar), and Barry Varty (trumpet / valve trombone). Musicians are welcome to come and “Have a Blow”.

Catch them at the Merseyside Pub & Tavern at Queensmead in Umbilo. Entrance is free entry. There is a cash bar but no meals. Ample secure roof parking.

JUBILEE ROYAL PUB NIGHT

On June 1 at 19h00, the popular Dee'z N Bee'z will host a Royal Pub Night to celebrate HM Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. The evening will be presented by the SPCA’s Horse Unit.

This will take place at the Scottish Lodge, 25 Hunt Road (off Che Guevara Road) in Glenwood. Tickets R65 - bring your own picnic basket. There will be a cash bar and secure parking. Bookings through Mabel on 031 702 4961 or 083 255 4845.

BHEKI KHOZA AT UKZN

The Centre for Jazz & Popular Music (UKZN) will host Bheki Khoza on May 30 in the final gig for the term. (See following story on the Rainbow Restaurant events for Khoza’s CV)

The concert will take place on May 30 at 18h00 (doors opens at 17h30) at the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music (CJPM), Level 2, Shepstone building, UKZN. Tickets R30 (R20 pensioners, R10 students). More information on 031 260 3385 or email Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za

PHILIPPE GRAFFIN AT TATHAM

Music lovers should not miss acclaimed international French violinist Philippe Graffin when he gives two concerts in Pietermaritzburg presented by Music Revival in association with Friends of the Tatham Art Gallery.

Philippe Graffin has established an indisputable reputation for his interpretations of the French repertoire, natural perhaps for one of the few pupils of Josef Gingold, himself a pupil of Ysaye for whom most of the violin repertoire of this era was written.

Philippe made his first recording with Yehudi Menuhin conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and his numerous highly acclaimed recordings since then bear witness to a questing mind and include many world premieres. He is joined by Annelien Ball at the piano in a programme of music by French composers Debussy and Ravel, the Sonata in A major by Beethoven, JS Bach's magnificent Chaconne in D minor and the celebrated violin charmers of Fritz Kreisler.

The first concert will take place on June 2 at 19h30 at 35 Montgomery Drive, Pietermaritzburg. Tickets R100 include refreshments. Booking essential on booking@musicrevival.co.za or Music Revival on 033 342 3051. Soup will be on offer from 18h30 (extra R20). Bring your own wine.

Philippe Graffin and Annelien Ball will give a further performance on June 3 at 15h00 at the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg. Tickets R80 from Dulce Coffee Shop at Parklane Superspar, chris@fotag.co.za or Music Revival 033 342 3051 or at the door.

There is secure parking at both venues. More information from the Tatham Art Gallery on 033 392 2801.

BHEKI KHOZA

The Pinetown-based Rainbow Restaurant moves into town to present the Bheki Khoza Quartet in concert on June 1 at St. Clements Garden Restaurant in Musgrave.

Left-handed guitarist Khoza originally hails from Umlazi, Durban, but now resides in Johannesburg. His early influences ranged from his grandmother, who played the Jewish Harp and harmonica to the vibrant township weddings, funerals and street parties that were so much part of his early years.

Locally, his influences were Philip Thabane, Allan Kwela and Abdullah Ibrahim; whilst from American he names artists such as Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, George Benson and Charlie Parker as being inspirations. During his early years in Durban, he learned to perform solo due to the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the time but his skill soon led him to working with such legends as the African Jazz Pioneers, Abie Cindi, Sipho Gumede, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Rene McClean, Victor Ntoni, Mike Makhalemele, George Lee and Barney Rachabane.

In 1991 he received a scholarship to study music at the University of Hartford, Connecticut under Jackie McClean. Whilst there, he became a resident member of bassist Larry Ridley's Jazz Legacy Ensemble. Returning to South Africa in 1995, Khoza recorded the album Asambe, considered a bit of a jazz rarity. In 2003, he was the musical director of the Sophiatown documentary and this was followed with musical direction for the film Drum, which premiered in 2004. In 2006 he released the album Getting to Heaven Alive.

Accompanying Khoza will be a great trio of seasoned musicians in the form of Mandla Zikalala on bass guitar, Mncedisi Kupa on piano and Babes Ndamase on drums.

The performance at St. Clements Garden Restaurant, 191 Musgrave Road, Durban, takes place on June 1 at 19h30 (doors open at 18h00 for dinner seatings). Tickets R50 at the door. Pre-booking is essential on 031 202 2511.

Oude Meester will present the Bheki Khoza Quartet at the Rainbow Jazz Club and Restaurant in Pinetown on June 3. Doors open at 13h00 with the first set from 14h00. Tickets R50 at the door.

More information on 031 702 9161 or 083 463 8044.

GISELE TURNER: WILD CARD

Next up in the Mondays at Six programme at St Clements tomorrow night (May 28) is actress, director, arts journalist and playwright Gisele Turner. She offers a mixed bag of original literary fare including a few poems, some children's stories, a brand new short story entitled Moo-Yeah Da Freak and excerpts from her plays In Limbo and Woof! Woof!.

St Clements is situated at 191 Musgrave Road on the right-hand side a short way down Musgrave after the St Thomas Road intersection. Mondays at Six run between 18h00 and 19h00. Booking is advised on 031 202 2511. There is no cover charge but there is a donations box to support presenters.

OTHELLO BACK IN DURBAN

(Farai Gwaze, Marc Kay, Darren King and Bryan Hiles. Photo by Val Adamson)

Following its sold-out Durban season in February and March 2012, Think Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s Othello, presented in association with The Playhouse Company, returns to the Playhouse Drama Theatre for five extra schools performances from June 4 to 6.

Directed by multi award-winning actress Clare Mortimer, who is also an accomplished writer and experienced English teacher, the production offers a valuable learning aid for secondary school learners studying Shakespeare’s stage tragedy as a set work.

Farai Gwaze reprises his acclaimed assumption of the title role, playing opposite Robyn McHarry as Desdemona and Clinton Small as the villain of the piece, Iago, with Mortimer taking the role of Iago’s wife, Emilia. Also featured in the cast are Michael Gritten, Daisy Spencer, Marc Kay, Adam Doré, Bryan Hiles, Rowan Bartlett and Darren King.

Playing to packed houses during its previous seasons, Think Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy has garnered ongoing critical acclaim. With its pivotal themes of racism, love, jealousy and betrayal, the play is perhaps more relevant to today’s audiences than ever before.

Schools performances take place on June 4 at 14h30 and on June 5 and 6 at 09h00 and 12h00 respectively. Bookings are through Margie Coppen on 083 251 9412.

Think Theatre's production of Othello is supported by the University of Johannesburg, The Playhouse Company and BASA.

1 BECOMES 2 BECOMES 3

1 becomes 2 becomes 3 … is a mesmerising visual feast of African contemporary dance in the park promised by Flatfoot Dance Company.

“This 40-minute dance theatre work offers a beautiful and gentle introduction into the art of choreography that takes you on a journey of how a solo becomes a duet, become a trio, become a quartet … watch the skill of the dancers as they unravel a basic contemporary dance phrase and turn it into the magic of a full length choreographic work. What happens when lifts are added, when hip-hop forces its way on stage and is chased off by ballet … and did someone mention Bollywood?” says Flatfoot’s artistic director Lliane Loots who has choreographed the work with the dancers.

“Witty, beautiful and a chance for the audience (young and young at heart!) to participate in the decoding of contemporary choreography in the process of making and watching. Huge fun for the whole family!” she continues.

Flatfoot Dance Company is KZN’s premier African contemporary dance company and with numerous awards for their dance work and recent international tours under their belts, this is dance lovers’ opportunity to come and share their work under the winter sun!

1 becomes 2 becomes 3 … takes place on June 3 at 11h00. Tickets R50 include juice and a cup cake after the show. Pre-booking is essential as there is limited space! Call Clare on 082 875 6065 or e-mail craighead@ ukzn.ac.za to secure tickets.

Come to The Breathing Space (Bulwer Road opposite the KZNSA Gallery) between 10h15 and 10h45 to pay for tickets and you will be shown where to go - it’s a short walk into the luscious Bulwer Park.

WONDER MARKET

The Wonder Market takes place on the first Sunday of any month and embraces a local, environmentally friendly, creative, innovative stance on the shopping experience.

Nestled amongst the trees of the Chris Saunders Park opposite Gateway, it aims to capture the atmosphere of a jovial day out in the country.

“It's been almost six months since Umhlanga's first authentic crafters market hit town and we're over the moon about it!” say the organisers. “If you haven't noticed by now, markets are all the rage again. Unlike most trendy fads that come and go faster than the nail varnish of the supercool that develop them, this one is rooted in a more grounded philosophy: a return to sustainable living, for ourselves, for our neighbours, for the planet.”

It’s a fun day out for the whole family, children can feed the ducks at the nearby pond or be entertained by 'The magic pirate'. The stalls have a wide appeal and there are boutique beers and cherry topped champagne on offer.

The next Wonder Market takes place at Chris Saunders Park in Umhlanga on June 3 from 09h00 to 14h00. The organisers promise some exciting surprises for up and coming mid-year dates. Gates open at 09h00 and close around 14h00. Bring friends, picnic blanket, purse and shopping basket.

KZNPO CONCERT: MAY 24

(Jeremy Silver)

Concert highlighting the talents of an unusually gifted husband and wife team. (Review by Michael Green)

An unusually gifted husband and wife were the principal performers in the second concert, in the Durban City Hall, of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra’s winter season.

Jeremy Silver is an English conductor who has built a substantial reputation over the past 20 years. Sally Silver, his wife, is a soprano of distinction, with an impressive record in opera in particular. She and her husband live in London but she grew up in Durban and had her early musical training here (we knew her as Sally June Gain).

With the KZNPO, they presented Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs, written in 1948, a year before the composer’s death at the age of 85. These are beautiful songs, a memorable farewell to a long life. The English titles are: Spring, September, Going to Sleep and At Sunset.

Obviously they are melancholy, but their soaring melodies and rich orchestral part make them inspiring rather than depressing. Sally Silver has a pure and powerful voice, particularly in the upper register, and she sang with emotion and commitment.

Jeremy Silver conducted with appropriate restraint and drew forth a sympathetic interpretation from the orchestra. A word of praise for the orchestra’s four horn players, who had important roles in these songs (Strauss’s father was himself an accomplished horn player).

The concert opened with the ethereal Prelude to Act 1 of Wagner’s Lohengrin, and after the interval we had Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor. This work, written just over a hundred years ago, is a romantic outpouring of music in Rachmaninov’s irresistible style: long, sweeping phrases and brilliant orchestration. Jeremy Silver conducted with expressive animation and obtained a lovely, balanced performance from the orchestra, especially in the Adagio, a kind of love song which is the heart of the symphony.

It is a long work. It lasts nearly an hour, but the time seemed to pass very quickly. - Michael Green

READING OF NEW WRITING

(Four of the actors taking part are Mia Olivier (Bones); Nhlakanipho Manqele (Hinterland); Thobani Mbhele (Wednesday Night) and Caitlin Kilburn (Your Hand in My Pocket).)

The KZN – and final - leg of the PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing 2012 takes place at the Catalina Theatre on June 1 and 2. The four productions fall under the Drama category with two productions taking place on each day, followed by the national finals on June 3.

The fifth PANSA/NLDTF Festival of Reading of New Writing is one of South Africa’s most respected projects to encourage innovative new scriptwriting. The aims of this wonderful and annually much-anticipated festival, is run by PANSA with the support of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF). The aim is to generate original South African theatre works, to provide a platform for these works to reach the attention of theatre producers, and to work towards full-scale productions of the winning plays.

Productions will be read formally (not staged) by actors under the guidance of a professional director, with the focus on the script being showcased most effectively, without being overwhelmed by elaborate staging, sets, costumes, lighting, performances and direction.

The festivals have been a resounding success in previous years with most of the winning scripts (and numerous of those not winning as well) going on to fullscale productions at a variety of theatres and festivals, both locally and internationally. Winning plays include, Salaam Stories by Ashraf Johaardien, Bungi writing finals by Finuala Dowling, Guy Willoughby’s Church Full of Light, and Mike van Graan’s Green Man Flashing and Two to Tango.

More recent winners Kobus Moolman’s Stone Angel and Nicholas Spagnoletti’s London Road (Jury Runner up winner 2007) are still currently enjoying runs in theatres and festivals nationally.

The winning scripts in each region - Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban - are re-read in the national final and are up for a Grand Prize of R30,000. A panel of carefully chosen industry leaders are the judges of the competition who critically adjudicate the scripts.

The festival is a national project of PANSA: the Performing Arts Network of South Africa which is a civic national network of individuals, NGOs, service providers and mainstream institutions that are engaged in the practice or support of the performing arts (performing arts in all forms - dance, music, theatre, opera, musical theatre). The national office is in Cape Town, with regional offices in Durban and North West, and active volunteers throughout the country.

The regional line-up for next week is as follows:

June 1: Your Hand in My Pocket by Craig Eisenstein at 17h00 followed by Wednesday Night by Ingrid Wylde at 20h00.

June 2: Hinterland at 14h00 by Duncan Buwalda (directed by artSMart editor Caroline Smart), followed by Bones by Anton Kruger at 17h00.

June 3: National winners ½ Hander (13h00)’ Drama (16h00) and Comedy (19h00)

Tickets at the door - R30 per reading with the National Final R30, or free with a stub from at least one regional performance. Advance tickets for Catalina Theatre regionals and final readings, can be booked through the Catalina on 031 305 6889 (o/h)

BATS LIVE AT THE HEX

It all started in 1964 when the Bats, Eddie Eckstein, Paul Ditchfield, Pete Clifford and the late Barry Jarman, burst onto the local scene and became, to many ardent followers, South Africa's answer to the Beatles. They toured extensively, both locally and internationally, wowing audiences here and in the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) and Germany with their brilliant music and hilarious comedy show. More than just great musicians, they were also great entertainers, and it was this that kept them at the top of their game for 16 years, an amazing achievement for any band.

With numerous successes under their belts, they decided to go their separate ways in 1980. However, after constant pressure from their fans to get back together again, Eddie, Paul and Pete, now joined by Derek Gordon, got back on the road for what they thought would be a short 'come back'. Little did they know that 12 years later they would still be on the road, delighting audiences young and old.

The Bats will perform at the Hexagon Theatre UKZN, Pietermaritzburg, on May 25 and 26 at 19h30. The show on May 25 has a dinner option, with ticket price R200 for dinner followed by the show. Show only tickets R90pp (R80 seniors) booked by email on hexagon@ukzn.ac.za

ROYAL SYMPHONY

Parklane Superspar in association with the Royal Agricultural Society of Natal will present the Royal Symphony on May 27 as part of the Royal Show taking place in Pietermaritzburg.

This concert with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of British conductor Jeremy Silver will include soloists Sally Silver (soprano); Lionel Mkhwanazi (tenor); Andrew Butler (baritone), the OSCA Choir and the PMB Caledonian Pipers.

Royal Symphony takes place at 11h00 on May 27. Royal Show gate fees apply.

OPERA NIGHT AT HILTON

The Pietermaritzburg City Orchestra WILL presents A Night at the Opera tomorrow (May 26), in collaboration with the PAMS Choir and featuring soprano Haylea Hounsom and tenor Nicholas Wilcox, conducted by resident conductor David Plank.

The programme features excerpts from several famous operas, including the Overtures to Mozart's Così fan Tutti and The Marriage of Figaro, the Hebrew Slave Chorus from Verdi's Nabucco, Puccini's Nessun Dorma from Turandot, as well as selections from gems of modern musical theatre, such as Les Misérables, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, and Lionel Bart's Oliver!

A Night at the Opera takes place at 19h00 on May 26 at Hilton College Theatre. Tickets R80 (R50 concessions). Bookings on 033 383 0126 (o/h) or email tickets@hiltoncollege.com

JOHN HARPER MEMORIAL CONCERT

The John Harper Memorial Concert in Pietermaritzburg on May 31 takes the form of a recital by international organist Dr Gordon Stewart (UK).

The concert will take place at 19h00 on May 31 at the Cathedral of the Holy Nativity in Pietermaritzburg. Tickets R50 at the door include refreshments. There is safe parking.

For more information on Gordon Stewart, visit www.gordonstewart.org /

ABBAMANIACS RETURNS!

(Cobus van Heerden, Pinkie Mtshali, and Sean de Klerk with Lisa Bobbert and Marion Loudon seated and Aaron McIlroy popping into the picture on the right. Photo: Val Adamson)

Back by popular demand, MacBob Productions presents its runaway hit, Abbamaniacs, at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from May 30 for a month-long run.

Just when you thought it was safe to breathe, they're back, all set to take the Durban stage by storm once more!! MacBob Productions presents the return of Abbamaniacs, written and directed by Aaron McIlroy. This uproarious musical comedy features rock hits by the legendary Swedish super group, and stars the irrepressible Aaron ("Wake up my boy!") McIlroy as the psychotic, wannabe DJ, Nigel Bjorn van Rensburg, an obsessive Abba fanatic who hijacks East Coast Radio's airwaves to flood listeners' homes with an ongoing string of his idols' hit songs.

Lisa Bobbert, Marion Loudon, Pinkie Mtshali, Cobus van Heerden and Sean de Klerk are the super-hot talent line-up who join Aaron onstage, playing a procession of zany characters who wander into his studio, to be swept away in the momentum of Nigel’s hectic energy and the show’s hilarious plot.

The show redefines nostalgia. Nothing is sacred in this affectionately irreverent, two-hour entertainment that combines fun and farce with all-time Abba favourites such as Fernando, Waterloo, Honey Honey, Money Money Money, Take a Chance and many more, all performed with immense gusto.

Last seen in Durban six years ago, Abbamaniacs has a track record as one of MacBob's greatest runaway successes. It has played to clamorous houses all over South Africa. The production boasts costumes by Terrence Bray, lighting by Michael Broderick and sound by Tim Pullen.

Abbamaniacs runs from May 30 to June 24 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre with performances at 19h30 (Tuesdays to Saturdays) and 15h00 (Sundays). Tickets R129. Early booking at Computicket is advised on 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com

WRITERS WRITE

Writers Write offers effective, practical writing advice for aspiring writers. Current on offer are two courses. The workshops are interactive, user-friendly and facilitated by published authors.

1. Writers Write – How to write a book
2. I believe in love – How to write a romance

For more information contact Ceri Oakes on 071 184 8369 or email ceri@writerswrite.co.za

COSI COSI POP-UP CINEMA

The cinema will scope Durban as three one-of-a-kind films will be showcased in what promises to be one of the highlights of Durban’s film calendar this year.

The first edition of the Cosi-Cosi Pop-up cinema will make its way to Durban’s shores on May 26 for what promises to be an indulgent feast for the cities cinephiles. Presented by Coolab Creative Collective in conjunction with the Tri-Continental Film festival Cosi-Cosi will be held at Colombo Coffee and Tea in Glenwood, in the heart of the city’s creative precinct. Conceptually, it is an event that will merge an irreverent lifestyle ethos with unique cinematic expletives to create an immense viewing experience. The films showcased are engrossed in a mixture of powerful narratives and a unique directing style to bring out the best of what South African cinema has to offer.

The films include A small town called decent directed by Jahmil XT Qubeka; Mama Goema: The Cape Town Beat in Five Movements directed by Angela Ramirez, and Surfing Soweto from Sara Blecher, the director of Otelo Burning.

As part of a sponsorship with the Durban International Film Festival, there will be a giveaway of two double golden tickets to the Durban International film festival. Here the winners can rub shoulders with the who’s who of South African cinema at the premiere of two new films over the opening weekend of the Durban International film festival. Attendees can enter this draw on the day of the event.

The Cosi-Cosi Pop-Up Cinema will also feature open food stalls that will be in full flight during the intervals. The famous Coffee bar at The Factory cafe of Colombo Coffee and Tea will also be open.

Cosi-Cosi Pop-up cinema takes place at 11h00 on May 26 at Colombo Coffee and Tea, 369 Gale Street (Magwaza Maphalala), Glenwood. Tickets available for pre-sale at Colombo Coffee and tea for R50 booked through Russel Hlongwane on 073 678 1901, email: Russel.Hlongwane@hlag.com or Olwethu Bandezi on 072 3349 149, email: brandrmagazine@gmail.com Early booking is advised as seating is limited.

JAMES’S SUITCASE AT SOWETO THEATRE

(The new Soweto Theatre)

Former Durban actor James Ngcobo - now a national figure in theatre, film and television – will present the first production on the stage of the new Soweto Theatre which is to be launched today (May 25).

An emotive and poignant piece of theatre, The Suitcase is based on the short story by academic, writer and literary critic Es’kia Mphahlele.

The new Soweto Theatre has been the talk of the country since construction commenced in June 2009. The magnificent theatre complex is situated in the Jabulani CBD and includes other amenities, such as the Jabulani Amphitheatre, parkland and public art.

“The Soweto Theatre is a stunning piece of architecture, inspired by the idea of a ‘black box theatre’, a flexible multi-functional space. In the end, the theatre was made up of three boxes. It's magnificent,” says Councillor Chris Vondo, MMC for Community Development.

This design will ensure the theatre stays true to its multi-faceted mandate. As a receiving house the Soweto Theatre will play host to its own productions, as well as staging productions from the surrounding community. As a producing house, the theatre’s main objective is to produce performing arts in a wide variety of genres that will stimulate discussion on a variety of challenging issues, thereby actively contributing to the vision of transforming the City of Johannesburg into a “world class African city”.

“This theatre won't only provide the residents of Soweto with an innovative and culturally relevant theatre programme, incorporating traditional African art forms, as well as European productions but will also be a platform for the community, to ensure the participation of previously disadvantaged companies and individuals in the operations of the organisation,” says Vondo.

The theatre has already contributed R20 million to the local economy through creating 460 jobs as part of the construction of the theatre. As the theatre develops, work opportunities will be created for actors, directors, producers, dancers and musicians.

James Ngcobo will also be remembered by long-term Durban theatre audiences as a member of the Napac Loft Company. He adapted and directs The Suitcase, a beautiful story of love and trial. Written in 1954, it is set in the 1950s and is based on an actual event. It centres on a young rural couple, Timi Ngobese, played by Siyabonga Twala, and Namhla Ngobese, played by Xolile Tshabalala. Filled with hope, the husband has dreams of returning to the village with his fortune. But this hope fades and, desperate to provide for his pregnant wife, he steals a suitcase left in a bus, an act that dramatically changes his life.

“It is an honour to stage the Soweto Theatre's first production,” says James Ngcobo. “To be able to yet again pick up this great piece of story-telling by our giant Es’kia Mphahlele leaves one with a lot of humility, to honour his work and the biographies that he put in this story. There is poignancy about how he weaved this story that it is still in conversation with contemporary issues.”

VANSA RESPONSE TO BRETT MURRAY CONTROVERSY

The Visual Arts Network of South Africa has noted with concern the evolving controversy around Brett Murray's artwork The Spear:

“We acknowledge both the diversity of viewpoint and depth of feeling that this situation has elicited, among both our members, and the wider South African society. In this context, rather than taking a 'position' on this issue, we feel that the present situation should give all parties pause for thought and reflection.

At the same time, we also note with alarm both the reported threats of physical violence directed at the artist and the gallery concerned, and the various acts of violence surrounding the defacement of the artwork in question. We call on leadership across the arts, civil society and government to actively discourage and condemn threatened actions that would indisputably violate the laws of our country and have the most distressing consequences both for the parties involved, and our body politic more generally.”

For more information on the Visual Arts Network of South Africa, visit www.vansa.co.za

TWICE AS NICE

Long-time theatre audiences in Durban will well remember the names of popular performers Helene Joseph and Luciano Zuppa, now known and acclaimed on an international basis.

They are currently in Durban and appearing in the Rhumbelow Theatre with their production, Twice As Nice, which offers a collection of familiar duets and solos that will take audiences on a nostalgic journey down memory lane.

Expect to enjoy hit songs from Broadway, movies, and the top of the charts, in the different styles of swing, jazz and the Motown era. The song line-up includes Mack the Knife, Route 66, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Have You Met Miss Jones, Lady is a Tramp, I’ve Got The World On A String, I Will Survive, Some Enchanted Evening, My Way, Amigos Para Siempre and many more classics.

Performances take place on May 25 and 26 at 20h00 and on May 27 at 18h30. The venue opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner.

Tickets R100. Take along food picnic baskets and braais will be available. There is limited secure parking and booking is essential. A cash bar is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). Rhumbelow Theatre is situated in Cunningham Avenue off Bartle Road.

Booking is through Computicket or contact Roland on 031 205 7602 (h) or 082 499 8636, email roland@stansell.za.net or visit www.rhumbelow.za.net

COMEDY WITH LAMY

For more than three decades Kloof resident Fernando Lamy has kept South Africa in stitches with his amazing sense of humour. The Comic’s Choice Awards also proved that he knows his funny side very well as he was nominated in two categories.

This Portuguese boy was only 11 when he first arrived in South Africa. He could not speak a word of English or Afrikaans but soon mastered both languages. He quickly realized he had a great passion for entertaining and wrote the lyrics and music for the early Afrikaans hit movie, Erf goed is sterf goed.

“I’ve always said to people that I’m not a comedian, I am an entertainer and I wanted to do comedy with a difference,” says Lamy who doesn’t only crack jokes, but enjoys singing and miming as well.

In the late 70’s, Lamy was asked to join the comedy group, Headline. They performed at Father’s Moustache, an old pub in Durban, five nights a week for many years. Lamy then moved on to form the comedy group, Glam, which he describes as the biggest thing that hit South Africa. Glam performed for 11 years at Father’s Moustache.

After Glam, Lamy then formed part of the comedy duo, Cheers, which performed from 1992 to 1996. In 1996, SA Breweries contracted Lamy and sponsored him for five years. When his contract ended with the brewery he again starred in Cheers from 2002 to May last year.

“Comedy is what I love doing most. It doesn’t matter how my days go, when I am on stage, I am in control. I love bringing peace and laughter to people,” says Lamy.

Fernando Lamy appears at the Stirling Theatre from June 1 to 3 with performances on Friday and Saturday at 20h00 and on Sunday at 15h00. Tickets R80, BYO picnics/snacks. There is a cash bar (regret no credit card facility). Stirling Theatre is based in the Italian Club, 82 Fairway Durban North. Bookings on 076 786 1127 or email bookings@stirlingtheatre.co.za

WATCH JOSHUA BELL FREE!

Sign up as a subscriber and get to see classical music superstar free!

The KZN Philharmonic has announced that classical music superstar, Joshua Bell, will perform with the orchestra for one night only on September 1, 2012, at the Durban City Hall. Referred to as the poet of the violin, Joshua Bell’s list of awards, achievements and accolades are too numerous to mention. This is certainly a concert not to be missed!

Those who subscribe to both the Winter and Spring KZNPO seasons will receive a free ticket to this exclusive concert!

The next concert in the KZNPO’s Winter Season takes place on May 24 when the orchestra welcomes back versatile British conductor, Jeremy Silver and his South African-born wife, soprano Sally Silver (formerly Sally June Gain). Ms Silver performs Richard Strauss’s sublimely beautiful Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs). These final works of the great German composer’s entire output, composed in 1948, rank amongst his loveliest and most haunting music. The programme also includes Wagner’s Prelude to Act 1 of Lohengrin and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2

The concert will take place on May 24 at 19h30 in the Durban City Hall. Booking is at Computicket.(Please note that the rehearsal on May 24 will not be open to the public!)

The KZNPO in association with Friends of Music hold pre-concert talks in the City Hall Supper Room (in the basement) at 18h00. Entrance R10.

For more information on KZNPO activities, click on the button advert at the top of this page.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER

As a proud representative and supporter of The National Theatre Live in London, Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau Theatres strives to deliver the best in alternate content and performance arts to South African audiences.

A new addition to the National Theatre Live season, She Stoops to Conquer will be screened exclusively at Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau Theatres on May 26, 27, 30 and 31.

She Stoops to Conquer is the latest period comedy straight out of London. Written by Oliver Goldsmith, and directed by Jamie Lloyd, this play was first staged in 1773. Some 240 years later, it still manages to create a stir amongst audiences.

The scene is set in the country house of the Hardcastle family. Mr Hardcastle (Steve Pemberton from the award-winning The League of Gentlemen), envisions his daughter and his best friend’s son getting married. However, his plans are thwarted when Tony Lumpkin (David Fynn) plays a prank on Marlow (John Hefferman), the prospective son-in-law. This causes Marlow to enter the Hardcastle house, mistaking it for a country inn. Mr Hardcastle is mistaken for the innkeeper, and his daughter Kate (Katherine Kelly from Coronation Street) for the barmaid.

The truth is that Marlow can barely speak to women, and is a tongue-tied wreck when it comes to women of his own class. However, he is a complete lecher when communicating to his social inferiors. Kate Hardcastle decides that in order to win over Marlow, she must play her part as the barmaid. Mrs Hardcastle (Sophie Thompson of Eat Pray Love), gives audiences an absurdly over the top performance as she engages the prospective son-in-law and his foppish friend.

Join Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau for this spirited comedy, and meet the dandified and hilarious characters of She Stoops to Conquer at Cinema Nouveau Gateway from May 26 to 31. Running time is three hours (estimate) including host introduction and one 20 minute intermission. Bookings are open - visit sterkinekor.com, or SterKinekor.mobi. Or call Ticketline at 082 16789.

NAF SOLO PLAYS & FRENCH SEASON

The 38th National Arts Festival runs from June 28 to July 8 in Grahamstown this year. Within the broader structures of a fabulous programme, a number of mini-festivals catering for specialized tastes or celebrating deeper partnerships are taking root.

Two exciting new initiatives to look out for this year are a season of solo plays within the Main theatre programme, and the launch of the French Season in South Africa.

After the signing of an agreement between the governments of France and South Africa, The French Season in South Africa comes to life through performances by French artists and companies around the country in the second half of this year. A reciprocal arrangement will see South African work travel to France in 2013. The season kicks off in Grahamstown with the support of the French Institute in South Africa, the Embassy of France and the South African Department of Arts and Culture, and sees a number of productions across several genres premiering.

When French theatre-maker Jean-Paul Delore met South African actors Nick Welsh and Lindiwe Matshikiza, he knew they were going to find a middle ground through shared curiosities. Their first encounter in Johannesburg was a surrealistic experience at Ster City, an abandoned multiplexed cinema which was the source of inspiration for their work. In their play Ster City, two clowns create a compelling narrative for the past and very strong present of the city and, indirectly, the South African nation.

Other productions include Pudique Acide and Existases - a double bill created by French choreographers Mathilde Monnier and Jean-François Duroure; !Aïa - a transversal work between art, culture, science and traditional wisdom created by the internationally renowned Taliipot Theatre company from Reunion; and two productions by the innovative Cien Non Nova Theatre Company - Vortex and Afternoon of a Foehn. The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra will also present a concert of fantasy and favourites, celebrating the cultural exchange between France and South Africa with an all-French programme.

Theatre enthusiasts who are fond of solo theatre will enjoy the intimacy of a season of solo plays, which features five productions by some of South Africa’s best known writers, actors and directors.

At the forefront of the solo programme is A Conversation with Pieter-Dirk EISH. In his journey from the old South Africa to the new, political hypocrisy has hardly ever escaped Uys’s perceptive eye. His courage, combined with his talent as a raconteur, has enabled him to tell uncomfortable political truths in a way that even those politicians who are the subjects of his satire have found themselves chuckling. In this unique production, Uys presents his life on stage, ever so transparently.

Mother to Mother is a powerful story of forgiveness and reconciliation, based on the tragic killing of Amy Biehl, and brings together four powerhouses of South African female talent. Adapted for stage by Dr Sindiwe Magona (writer of the original story upon which the play is based), Janice Honeyman (multi award-winning director), and Thembi Mtshali-Jones (celebrated singer, actress and playwright); it is produced by Yvette Hardie (international producer, director and educator).

Actor and writer Omphie Molusi was the first recipient of the Royal Shakespeare Company/Baxter Theatre Brett Goldin Award. His self-penned, one person play, Itsoseng is set in Itsoseng, a township in the North West province, which means “wake yourself up”. The play is a scathing indictment of government indifference, cynicism and incompetence in dealing with the people of the township. It won a Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Festival in 2008, receiving reviews that opened doors for performances at several international venues.

Set in contemporary South Africa, written by Nick Warren, directed by Jenine Collocott and performed by James Cunningham, Sunday Morning centres on a successful photographer who has his life exactly how he likes it – ordered, neat, and beautifully composed. Until the day his girlfriend tells him she is pregnant. In an attempt to process this disturbing information he goes out for a run. Straying from his regular route, he ventures into a strange part of the city where he makes a gruesome discovery that changes everything.

Nicky Rebelo has adapted some of Herman Charles Bosman’s stories to create Jurie Steyn’s Post Office. David Butler again takes on the role of Bosman, as well as some of the eccentric characters that used to gather in Jurie Steyn’s voorkamer (reception-room), which also served as the local Post Office.

Other niches are being explored on the Festival programme this year: The Student Theatre presentations by tertiary institutions around the country have been a rite of passage for much our country’s top acting and directing talent and this year 16 institutions take to the stages in Grahamstown. Forums such as Think!Fest and the independently-run Wordfest - which provide a platform for discussion around topical and pertinent issues and a Launchpad for young writers respectively - have become a mainstay of the annual programme.

Bookings for this year’s “11 Days of Amaz!ng” are open at Computicket. Booking kits are available from selected Standard Bank branches, selected Exclusive Books and Computicket branches from May. For more information on the programme, accommodation and travel options visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za. Also join the National Arts Festival group on Facebook for all the latest news, or follow us on Twitter @artsfestival.

The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, The Eastern Cape Government, The National Arts Council, City Press and M Net.

ALBERT LUTHULI – LET MY PEOPLE GO

(Ntando Mncube as Chief Albert Luthuli)

Eager Artists in association with Stable Theatre will present Albert Luthuli – Let My People Go. A musical based on a book written by Luthuli himself - Let My People Go. This historical and powerful story is told through multimedia, music, song and vibrant dance.

Running from June 1 to 8, Let My People Go is based on the life of Albert Luthuli. It has been adapted from Luthuli’s novel and directed by Jerry Pooe with choreography by Reggie Densta and music composition by the cast. This is a vibrant musical journey which is flavoured with humour while delivering a number of serious moments from events that took place in the apartheid era in South Africa. Pooe has ensured that the production serves as a history lesson to the youth and a reminder to those who lived through those years of where we have come from as South Africans.

Pooe has managed to highlight historical events in the life of Albert Luthuli as well as his contribution in the struggle for freedom during the apartheid regime.

2012 is declared a Year of Heritage. A year to celebrate struggle heroes and heroines, culture, history and a hundred years of the liberation struggle. This is what prompted Eager Artists to celebrate South Africa’s heroes during this year of the centenary celebrations.

Currently showing at Windybrow Theatre in Johannesburg, Let My People Go has performed to audiences of all races, ages and cultures and the response has been highly supportive. This response has generated moving the production to Durban.

This is an invitation to witness a journey of a man who was not only a freedom fighter and a leader but was also a teacher, a family man, a preacher, a president of the ANC, a unionist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Ntando Mncube (25) plays Chief Albert Luthuli. Having graduated in Drama at Durban University of Technology, he still manages to boast his sheer natural talent as a born leader himself. He is supported by the well-known Eager Artists’ twins, Musawenkosi and Bongumusa Shabalala, who play the Priest and Postman. As Nokukhanya Luthuli, Chief Albert’s wife, Thandeka Mdlalose represents the strong black woman supporting her freedom fighter husband. Stella Zuma as Lillian Ngoyi represents the women directly involved in the struggle. The rest of the cast is made up of Eager Artists’ members who represent the different men and women living in those times.

Let My People Go highlights events in which some of our heroes made history in the quest for freedom. It runs at Stable Theatre from June 1 to 8 with shows at 15h00 and 18h00. Tickets R50. School shows will be held from June 4 to 8 at 10h00 and 12h00. For bookings, enquiries and directions contact Khethiwe on 072 462 1603.

INDIAN GUYS ARE BACK

Those Indian guys are back by popular demand, with their exciting sequel Those Indian Guys 2 at Suncoast Casino’s SunZone this June.

The original Those Indian Guys was written and conceived by Sans Moonsamy and Kaseran Pillay, two versatile performers who promise that the follow-up skit is “bigger and browner”. Those Indian Guys 2 is a fast-paced show which blends a series of side-splitting comedy sequences into 80 minutes.

Moonsamy and Pillay use a multitude of costumes, an innovative set and their talent for physical comedy to transform themselves into a number of lovable loony characters. The show covers a range of comedic styles from crazy song and dance routines through to hilarious parodies and witty sketch comedy.

Both performers are popular, having performed in an array of well-known South African shows and movies such as Going Nowhere Slowly, Mr Bones 2, Curry on Laughing and Karma Komedian.

Adding to their successful careers, both Moonsamy and Pillay are fresh from shooting one of South Africa’s biggest action comedies Blitz Patrollie, which stars some of the top names on the comedy scene.

Audiences will be treated to a special performance from the comedy duo’s debut CD Funny Choons.

Mike Dowsley, MD of SUNCOAST said: “Durban has shown tremendous support to both comedians in the past, with their show being sold out. Our number one entertainment destination brand is reflected by the quality shows and performances hosted at Suncoast.”

Those Indian Guys 2 Bigger & Browner runs at Suncoast’s SunZone from June 1 to 3 with performances on Friday and Saturday at 20h00 and on Sunday at 16h00. Tickets R120 booked through Computicket. For more information contact Suncoast on 031 328 3000 or visit www.suncoastcasino.co.za

FOM: CELLIBRATION

(Boris Kerimov)










Exceptionally large audience responds with great enthusiasm to cello programme. (Review by Michael Green)

The cello is a majestic instrument and it has many admirers in Durban, judging by the crowd that turned up at the Durban Jewish Centre for a Friends of Music concert entitled Cellibration.

This was an evening dominated by the cello, and an exceptionally large audience, about 180 people, responded with great enthusiasm to a programme offering a wide variety of music.

The nine performers, all members of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, were six cellists, plus important contributions from the violin, viola and percussion. The leading figure in all this was Boris Kerimov, principal cellist of the KZNPO, who took part in all 13 items on the programme and made many of the arrangements for cello on that programme.

He opened the concert with a 15-minute Suite for solo cello, unaccompanied, by the 20th century Spanish composer Gaspar Cassado, a challenging work for the performer and, to some degree, for the audience. It is Bach-like in form and style but very Spanish in content, with obvious references to folk music. It was played with great skill and assurance.

Boris Kerimov was joined by his wife Elena Kerimova (violin) and David Snaith (viola) for a performance of Beethoven’s String Trio in D, Op. 9, No. 2. The five Beethoven string trios are lovely works, not played very often, written by the composer when he was quite young but having the unmistakable imprint of his genius. This one was beautifully played, with precise and accurate ensemble and some lovely sounds from Elena Kerimova’s violin.

After the interval it was all cello, with the addition at the end of a percussion element. The cellists were Boris Kerimov, Jennifer Cox, Nina Watson, Fiona Grayer, Marguerite Spies, and Ralitsa Todorova. They played 11 short pieces ranging from Vivaldi, Handel and Bach to Astor Piazzolla and the contemporary South African composer Allan Stephenson. It was all most enjoyable, and the exceptional tonal range of a cello was amply demonstrated, especially in an arrangement of a well-known song from Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras.

Stephane Pechoux of the KZNPO’s percussion section joined the cellists for the last three items and almost stole the show at the end with a virtuoso hands and fingers performance on an extraordinary basin-shaped drum.

The audience rewarded the players with a standing ovation.

The Prelude Performers of the evening, funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, were Il Signori, a quartet of young Zulu male singers, who beguiled the audience with skilfully harmonised songs, the best being Tula Tula, a compilation of Zulu lullabies. - Michael Green