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Friday, July 5, 2013

NAF: VLAKKANT/DIEPKANT

(Elzabe Zietsman)

Elzabe Zietsman’s provides a performance platform for the kids from her Doilie Foundation. (Review by Keith Millar)

Elzabe Zietsman’s, Vlakkant/Diepkant is a difficult show to categorise. The National Arts Festival programme lists her under Music Theatre/Cabaret.
The description of the show suggests that it is n’boerebarokAfrikaanseburlesque-VerskriklikeNaaisVerskeidenheidsKonsert. For those of you whose Afrikaans, like mine, is a bit rusty a translation would read: a farmers baroque, Afrikaans Burlesque, Appallingly nice variety concert.

Well, a hodge-podge of things it certainly was but I am not sure any of those descriptions fit.

We had Zietsman sing a few songs, such as What a Wonderful World, Zietsman cracking a few jokes, Mark Hawkins and Tony Bentel doing a couple of Drag Mime acts, a very good clarinet and sax player, a ballet/modern dance to the Flight of the Bumble Bee, two young girls singing True Colours, comic videos of an Afrikaans radio announcer struggling with pronunciations, and so on.

So – possibly, let’s call it a variety konsert and stick to that.

Elasbe Zietsman is a seasoned and experienced performer. She is aback at the National Arts Festival after a break of 18 years. She kept the audience well entertained reflecting on her career and personal life, and with her very good singing voice.

The drag mime acts provided by Mark Hawkins and Tony Bentel were entertaining in their own way, if a little too crude for my taste.

It seems as if Zietsman’s main aim with this show is provide a performance platform for the kids from her Doilie Foundation. The Doilie Foundation supports young talented artists who could not otherwise afford to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. The acts on show were all very nice and competent, but I am not sure that they are ready for a professional stage yet.

This Variety Konsert will be on at the Bowling Club as follows. July 2 at 12h30; July 3 at 13h00; July 4 at 16h30 and July 6 at 10h30. Tickets R90 for adults. – Keith Millar