(Aimee Nel, Toks
Mahlambi, Shannon Newton & Shannyn Zorab. Pic by Van.Go Photography)
Decadence, a music
revue written by Mikhale Singh, directed by Preven Reddy and choreographed by
Veronique Ellis will run at Seabrooke’s Theatre from February 19 to 25.
The show is set during the 1940s Burlesque era and follows
the journey of Anastasia, a beautiful young dancer who enjoys playing the line between
being a model performer on the straight and narrow… and giving into her darker
desires on occasion. She attracts the attention of two legendary beings in the
dance industry: the prim and proper Cecilia and the seductive polar opposite Jocasta,
Anastasia becomes the subject of their wager, to see which
school of thought is superior, especially within the dance world. Both sides
attempt to tempt, dupe, sway and convince Anastasia into picking their side. At
this point, a mysterious potential love-interest and an Emcee with a hidden
agenda enter the fray, which complicates life for Anastasia even further. And eventually,
she does pick a side, the unconventional one, and we see how her consequences
actually end up changing the entire dance style of the time. She could be good,
she could be bad, or she could carry on revelling in the pleasure of playing
both sides.
“The show was designed to be an entertaining look at the
Burlesque era, and how it fits into and has influenced modern music and dance,”
says producer Mikhale Singh. “As a creative team, we have always been
mesmerized by the elegance and the coquettishness of this time period and we
spent a lot of time researching the colloquial phrases, the dress sense as well
as popular music, and dance styles of the time. The end result is a show that
is inherently 1940s, but has a few more modern numbers (keeping the Burlesque
theme) in it, to be more approachable for the audience.
“One of our biggest inspirations for this production was, of
course, Cabaret and other works by
Kander and Ebb, who wove important messages into their narrative. We have aimed
to do the same, and surreptitiously slipped in issues that Anastasia faces in
the 1940s, that are the very same issues facing many young people today. These
include themes of choosing your own path, peer pressure, both positive and
negative and of course, the Gatsbyish obsession with unrepentant hedonism
versus knuckling down and working. We offer both sides of the situation, and
the audience is free to make up their own minds, as well as see the consequences,
positive and negative of Anastasia’s ultimate decision. It’s also important for
people to look back at the past, and see how many things that we take for
granted today, were actually a really big deal back then. “
Decadence features
Sarah Thompson and Shannon Newton who have both starred in numerous Rainbow
Young Performers productions as well as Nqobile Mahlambi, ex-Idols contestant Nidaal Hassim, and
introduces Jason Jefferys and Kyle Trytsman. The ensemble includes Shannyn
Zorab, Andile Dube, Jessica-Paige Smith, Naomie Sishi, Rio Notra, Tarryn
Trollip, Toks Mahlambi and Veronique Ellis.
The creative team compromises Brett van Dort (set design),
Sana Siddiqi (costume design,
producing), Amy Hawthorn (vocal coach), Julian Evans (sound and lighting) and
Mikhale Singh (producer).
The show is recommended for high school students, couples,
ladies looking for a night out and older audiences.
Presented by Blunt Productions, Decadence runs from February 20 to 25 at Seabrooke’s Theatre on the
Durban High School campus. Performances nightly (except February 22) at 19h00
with an extra show at 14h00 on February 21. The show on February 22 starts at 14h00.
Tickets R100 available online and in selected stores from Webtickets. Seating
is unreserved
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