(Daniel Rossouw, Helen Vermaak, Tanya Nicolson
& Erin Fourie)
(Pic courtesy of Sharon Watters)
A classy, elegant, and
thoroughly entertaining show. Don’t miss this one. (Review by Keith Millar)
50 Ways…To Leave Your Lover is music revue production which was devised by a
group of artists from Pietermaritzburg and surrounds and first saw the light of
day at the Hilton Arts Festival last year. Since then it has been staged
at various venues in the Midlands, and now has made its way to Durban to grace
the stage at the Rhumbelow Theatre in Umbilo.
And “grace“ is an apt
word, as it is a classy, elegant, and thoroughly entertaining show.
The show is fronted by
two first-rate singers, Erin Fourie and Tanya Nicolson. They are supported by Helen
Vermaak on piano and Daniel Rossouw on guitar who provided a stylish and
complimentary backing.
Featured is a selection
of popular and musical theatre songs all of which have themes along the lines
of breakups and separations of relationships and heartbreak.
By light-hearted banter
between songs, the girls managed to keep the mood light and as a result the
show never sinks into a maudlin atmosphere which was possibly a risk, given the
content of most of songs on offer.
Fourie and Nicolson
perform solo and as a duo. Their voices are an excellent match and they
dovetail wonderfully together. Some of their harmonies are absolutely spine-tingling.
Tanya Nicolson has a
beautifully emotive voice with a pleasing breathy quality and perfect diction.
She displayed these qualities with Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me, Gilbert
O’Sullivan’s Alone Again and an absolute tear-jerker with Alanis
Morrisette’s Your House.
Erin Fourie displays
considerable range and power with her voice along with great sensitivity. She
was very impressive with a soulful rendition of Lisa Loeb’s Stay, Tracy
Chapman’s Fast Car, The Script’s Breakeven, Jacque Brel’s I
Loved and a bluesy standard Cry Me A River.
Also on the programme
was a selection of songs from musicals such as Why Did I Love from Chorus
Line, I Knew Him So Well from Chess and He Had It Coming
from Chicago - as well a medley of songs from the Queen of angst, Adele.
A member of our party
felt that the programme was all a little depressing. In fact, he used the word
wrist-slitting. However, he was decidedly in the minority and may have been
mollified by the tongue-in-cheek Big Girls Don’t Cry, D.I.V.O.R.C.E,
Tom Lehrer’s When You Are Old and Grey and a rousing version of the anthem
I Will Survive.
Rhumbelow Theatre has
come up trumps again by bringing this impressive show to Durban. It is directed
by veteran theatre personality and Director of the Hexagon Theatre in
Pietermaritzburg, Peter Mitchell. If this is the quality of the work available
in the capital, let’s see more!
50 ways…To Leave Your Lover will be back at the Rhumbelow Theatre in Umbilo
next weekend with shows on Friday May 3 and Saturday May 4 at 20h00 and on
Sunday May 5 at 14h00.
Don’t miss this one, it
is a great show.
Tickets R150 (R130 pensioners, students with a
valid student card and tables of eight or more. R75 under 13s.)
Take along food picnic baskets. Braais will be
available. There is limited secure parking and booking is essential. A cash bar
is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). Rhumbelow Durban
is situated at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road in Umbilo.
Booking is through Computicket or contact Roland on
082 499 8636, email roland@stansell.za.net (also for group booking discounts of
20 or more) or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com – Keith Millar
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