BUST(S)

Dingalings prove that they’re as much a dab hand as comedians as they are musicians. (Review by Caroline Smart)

In their last production, Dings, Flings, Class of 85, the hugely popular Dingalings moved into the realms of musical theatre. In this year’s offering, Bust(s), they continue the journey and prove that they’re as much a dab hand as comedians as they are musicians.

With newcomer Melvyn David on keyboards, there’s Henry Ramkissoon on bass guitar, Senzo Mthethwa on drums, Ravi Soobramoney on lead guitar and Koobeshen Naidoo on bongos and tambourine. Once again, Kumseela Naidoo is in the hot seat as director.

However, I jump ahead. The show starts in a prison cell where the Dingalings are in trouble. Fibbing to their wives that they were going to band practice – they don’t actually have a band! - they went to a striptease club called Squeezers where they got busted. They are now locked up in a cell waiting for their case to be heard.

Most of the first half is given over to reminiscences of their sensual experiences at Squeezers with Senzo still naively believing that one of the strippers wants to marry him. The actors are dressed somewhat illogically in prison garb - they haven’t been tried and convicted yet , but let’s take a bit of theatrical licence here. At least, the orange uniforms bring some colour to the stage.

There is a highly amusing courtroom scene where each blames one of the others for getting them into trouble. The judge is lenient and passes a well-deserved community service sentence that they perform to old age homes and other community venues. Much mild chaos follows as they put their previously non-existent band together. I do think that a more imaginative use of the stage could have seen the instruments set in their proper positions and hidden under cloths to be revealed later.

As they prepare their musical programme, the Dingalings go back in time to select popular music from the “old days”.

Having just come back from the official handover to the SABC in Johannesburg of the archives of the Springbok Radio Preservation Society, I was happy to see that the spirit of the station is well remembered. Through the joys of You-Tube, the audience was reminded of some of the legendary Springbok Radio programmes.

The Dingalings have worked together for so long that they are a strong tight knit group and it is to Melvyn David’s credit that he holds his own. His consistently credible performance as the rather dof youngster is a delight. Another notable performance came from Henry Ramkissoon as the ditzy nurse at the clinic.

The Dingalings have a very strong following and the audience laughed uproariously throughout on the night I went. There are indeed some extremely funny lines but – be warned - the language is often explicit so don’t go to the show if this kind of thing offends you!

Produced by Yugan Naidoo, Bust(s) runs at the Catalina Theatre at Wilsons Wharf until May 17 at 20h00. Bookings through Catalina on 031 305 6889 or www.strictlytickets.com or enquiries to dingalingsproductions@gmail.com – Caroline Smart