(Maeshni Naicker, Shika Budhoo, Kogie Naidoo and Dhaveshan
Govender)
A fun evening’s
entertainment with well-known theatre personalities. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Well-known
theatre personalities Shika Budhoo, Dhaveshan Govender, Kogie Naidoo and Maeshni
Naicker have put together an amusing programme of sketches, linked with
performances by two young dancers. Titled What You Laughing At?, it opens tonight at Catalina Theatre.
I attended
last night’s preview and, apart from a number of glitches which are sure to be
ironed out by tonight, it’s a fun evening’s entertainment which – as the
publicity material states – “offers the best when it comes to showing you what
YOU really laughing at - choosing the perfect Indian bride, porridge vs roti,
planning the perfect Indian wedding, back in the day tunes and a coupla
car-guards choon.”
All four cast
members featured in Lotus FM’s highly popular former daily series Lollipop Lane written by Clinton Marius as the characters Mrs
Singh Song (Shika Budhoo); Aunty (Maeshni Naicker); Storm (Dhaveshan Govender)
and Kantham (Kogie Naidoo).
Naicker and
Naidoo also have a huge following for their roles as Saras and Amsugi in the Broken Promises movies.
The thread
that binds all four together is comedy and this forms – obviously - the focus
of What You Laughing At? While Naicker
has written the sketches that she does with Naidoo, the rest of the material
has been workshopped by the full cast. The script is very funny.
We first see
Govender as a hip-hop youth, all sideways cap, striped sunglasses and
falling-off trousers. We are then introduced to Budhoo who is a delight as his
slightly deaf and feisty grandmother. She refuses to believe his claims that he’s
her grandson as he doesn’t look like his picture. This is hardly surprising,
because the photograph was taken when he was a child!
Under her
wing, the young man is groomed to her satisfaction. In a later sketch, he is
dressed very conservatively and tries valiantly to follow her instructions on
how to propose to his loved one. This included a very amusing process involving
a member of the audience.
Naidoo and
Naicker have worked together for so long that they practically think alike and
their sketches are very humorous. Naidoo pulled in the laughs in her various
guises but it was Naicker who shines overall in the show. Her performance is
completely natural and believable, whatever role she is taking, and the
audience love her. Her car guard scene with Govender was hilarious.
What pulls the
production down – and, again, this may be sorted by tonight – are two things. House
music, and that accompanying the dances, is at far too high a level. Also the sketches
need to flow into each other. Often the audience is left facing an empty stage
which makes it very difficult for the performers to pick up the
audience’s attention which is liable to have wandered during the gap.
What You Laughing At? runs at The Catalina Theatre until December 2 and
is suitable for the whole family. Tickets R70 (discounts for pensioners and
students/kids) booked on 031 305 6889 or online www.strictlytickets.com or Shika
Budhoo shikabudhoo@hotmail.com or
Maeshni Naicker on 083 347 9610. – Caroline Smart
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