(Liesl
Coppin, Samantha Sandler, Marion Loudon and Nadine Oberholtser with Lyle
Buxton)
Running at the Heritage Theatre in
Hillcrest is Shaken Not Stirred, a
musical spoof on James Bond produced by Gary McKenzie and directed by Charon Williams-Ros who was also the
musical director and handled set design.
The opening was very impressive: Stylishly
turned-out, Lyle Buxton recreated the time-honoured opening to all the Bond
movies and this was followed by silhouettes of lithe female bodies swaying to
the music … and having a little fun with a choice of weapons!
Then come the glamour girls: Marion Loudon as
Miss Moneypenny, with Samantha Sandler taking the role of Q and Liesl Coppin as
Bond’s arch-enemy Blofeld. After their initial introduction as these
characters, they go on to provide the glitz and glamour of the show as
vocalists and dancers alongside the willowy Nadine Oberholtser with choreography
by Daisy Spencer.
All the while, a grumbling figure in
overalls has been moving set furniture around, generally complaining about his
lot and trying to muscle in on the act. This is Caspir (Rory Booth) who M
(voiced by Williams-Ros) takes pity on and makes him a spy. Caspir desperately
wants a number, like 007, so he gets one … Double O Zero!
Buxton’s more restrained sophistication and
Booth’s madcap approach make for an amusing mix – their Secret Agent Man was a delight as was their laid-back Feelin’ Good. Booth impresses once again
with his versatility – less than a month ago, he was appearing in Can You Feel It? as the evil King.
My main problem is the structure and logic
of the concept. It’s an interesting one – that of James Bond having a sidekick who
can supply much of the humour. However, it tends to confuse the focus. While
Buxton is undeniably good at Bublé numbers, it seems illogical to include these
songs when every Bond movie has produced theme tunes that have gone on to break
the charts. I would like to suggest a further development of the show and give Buxton
his own Bublé show sometime in the future.
Having said that, each number in Shaken Not Stirred is a winner and the
cast do justice to the excellent quality of the lyrics, phrasing and
musicality. I would have liked to have seen Diamonds
Are Forever, which Coppin delivered so well, sung completely still in a
single spotlight, but that’s just me!
Other highlights were Buxton’s A Foggy Day; Booth’s Shebang and Loudon’s powerful rendition
of Skyfall, the latest Bond hit.
Shaken
Not Stirred runs at the Heritage Theatre in
Hillcrest until August 4. Tickets R195 Wednesday to Saturday (R165 Tuesday
dinner and Sunday lunch) include a two-course meal.
My partner opted for the Heritage Chicken
Salad starter which she enjoyed and she was happy to have been persuaded to
change her original main course option to the Braised Pork Neck Steaks which
she found delicious. Despite my nervousness that it might be too hot for my
taste buds, I chose Portuguese Calamari which was very pleasant as was my main
choice of Baked Baby Chicken. Other options are Soup of the Day and a Veggie
Stack (both for vegetarians) and Sea Catch (Oven Baked Hake Fillet). Desserts
are an optional extra
Early booking is advised on 031 765 4197 or
at www.heritagetheatre.co.za–
Caroline Smart
NB:
If you are travelling to Hillcrest from Durban, please be aware that there are
roadworks en route. Added to this, a good section of the road has been re-tarred
and there are no markings (white lines, exit indications, etc) except for cats’
eyes in some places. This hopefully will be sorted shortly but in the meantime,
travel with caution at night.
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