Knowing Me, Knowing
You is a great start for the Rockwood Theatre. (Review by Barry Meehan)
What used to be the Krakatoa Nightclub at the Sibaya Casino
is now the second Rockwood Supper Theatre, and what a great venue it is for
this type of entertainment.
Comparisons to the now defunct Barnyard are impossible to
ignore, but where the Rockwood stands out is the freshness of its offering. So
many shows were desperately jaded by the time they reached Umhlanga after
touring the Barnyard circuit. You could almost hear the cast thinking “Bloody
hell, do we really have to go through another few weeks of this show?!?”
Be that as it may, the Rockwood production team has brought
new life to the North Coast entertainment scene with Knowing Me, Knowing You and the cast sparkle with energy and
commitment. The premise of the show is collaborations and partnerships in
music, with some attention paid to artists who went on to have solo careers
after partnership breakups.
Fortunately, the show doesn’t feature a specific music genre
or decade, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. Featured
bands/musicians in the first half of the show are ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, Sonny
and Cher, Ike and Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross
and Lionel Ritchie.
Again, fortunately,
the Rockwood team has not fallen into the trap of having their performers
impersonate the original artists. Having said that, however, there is one
notable exception, with stage newcomer Jean Citto giving us a very entertaining
Michael Jackson impersonation with Billie
Jean, aided and abetted by Liesl Coppin as his back-up dancer!
Long-time Durban artiste Liesl is undoubtedly the stand-out
singer in this production, her professionalism shining through, almost
eclipsing the excellent lighting rig at the theatre. How she did it I don’t
know, but within twenty seconds of her frantic Billie Jean dance number, she reappears on stage in a completely
different outfit and launches straight into a great version of Endless Love!
The second half of the show gets off to a superb start with Soul Sacrifice by Santana, really
bringing the on-stage musicians to the fore with some stunning solos by drummer
Dylan van der Linde and local boy lead guitarist Jason Kylen, who deserves a
special mention as a very welcome addition to the Durban music scene.
Musical director Calli Thomson is her ever-professional self
on keyboards, with Nico Badenhorst solid on bass guitar and Kirsty van der
Linde providing great eye-candy as well as some excellent sax. Her performances
in the Beatles number Come Together
and the Mango Groove sequence are excellent standouts.
Other featured artists in the rollicking second half are
Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Wham, Roxette, The Gypsy Kings, Amy Winehouse,
Chicago, Mango Groove and the Beatles, with a great Fleetwood Mac encore.
As I mentioned earlier, there’s something for everyone in
this show, which features four front-line singers. Liesl Coppin is the
standout, but is very ably supported by the energetic Jemma Kate Shankland, and
two young newcomers to the stage, Jean Citto and Ofentse Mokhuane. The two guys
both have great voices, and can only improve in the future as far as stage
presence is concerned. Unfortunately for them, they had probably never heard
half the numbers they perform, but they do carry them off with enthusiasm.
All in all, Knowing
Me, Knowing You is a great start for the Rockwood Theatre, and I wish them
every success in the future.
Knowing Me Knowing You
runs until January 28, 2018, with shows from Thursday to Saturday evenings and
Sundays at 14h00. Doors open 90 minutes before each show in time for a meal. The
venue offers a menu but patrons are welcome to bring in meals bought from
within the Sibaya Complex. The theatre also has a fully-stocked bar. (NB: Wine
is served by the bottle)
For more information on show times, ticket prices and reservations
contact 031 161 0000 or visit www.rockwoodtheatre.co.za or follow on Facebook –
Barry Meehan
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