(Erin Fourie
& Daniel Rossouw)
Duo should be heartily commended for concentrating
on Beatles numbers that lend themselves to an acoustic treatment. (Review by
Barry Meehan)
Taking on the music of The Beatles is not for the
faint-hearted, so Erin Fourie and Daniel Rossouw should be heartily commended
for their efforts in bringing us While My
Guitar Gently Weeps, a show that concentrates on Beatles numbers that lend
themselves to an acoustic treatment. Both of them play a pretty mean guitar,
with Fourie adding in accompaniment by way of a tambourine, shaker and even a
kazoo for one number!
Worthily regarded by the music industry as the most
influential band of all time, The Beatles changed the world of entertainment,
being instrumental in leading the counterculture of the ‘60s. The range of
musical genres they developed and showcased in their 10 years together (1960 to
1970, when they unfortunately broke up) is ably demonstrated in this
presentation at Rhumbelow Tina’s in Kloof.
Fourie has a powerhouse voice, excelling in numbers
like Golden Slumbers, Honey Pie, Mr Moonlight (a Dr. Feelgood song
covered by the Beatles early on in their career) and Hey Jude, which for
me was the standout number in the show. Unfortunately, opening night saw
Rossouw with a bad case of the flu, but he soldiered on relentlessly. It’s
pretty damn hard to do anything while feeling dreadful as the flu bug hurtles
around your system, let alone sing, and it flattened him somewhat, both in key
and performance. It was decided immediately after the show that his voice
needed to rest.
So tonight
(Saturday August 17) night’s performance has been cancelled, to allow him
time to recover. The only other performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” will be the matinee tomorrow (Sunday)
afternoon at 14h00.
The great thing about this show is the familiarity
of the music. Anyone who lived through the Beatles decade will recognise most
of the numbers, and revel in the words coming back to them, recalling distant
memories of good times. Songs such as Love Me Do, And I Love Her, Here Comes
the Sun, Girl, Norwegian Wood, A Day In The Life, Fool On the Hill, Eleanor
Rigby, Baby It’s You, We Can Work it out, Rocky Raccoon, A Long and Winding
Road, Hello Goodbye and A Little Help From My Friends will all invoke great
memories.
Be that as it may, there are a few things that
could be improved before this presentation becomes a true show. There are too
many dead patches as the artists raise or lower microphones as they sit or
stand, the links are delivered in a somewhat stilted fashion, there needs to be
a lot more comment on some of the numbers to create a better audience rapport,
and some of the songs need to be performed with the meaning behind the songs
and the emotions invoked coming to the fore, rather than just being sung.
These are minor quibbles, however, and with a bit
more direction to tighten things up, the show could pull the audiences it
deserves.
Tomorrow’s show takes place at 14h00. (The
theatre venue opens 60 minutes before show for drinks)
Tickets R150 (R130 pensioners and students
with a valid student card) and tables seat 8. (No alcohol or food may be
brought on to the premises). Tickets are cash or EFT only. Secure parking is
available. Booking is through Computicket or contact Roland (also for large
group booking discounts of 20 or more) on 082 499 8636 or email:
roland@stansell.za.net or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com/
You are welcome to book for lunch at Tina's
Restaurant before the show: Call 031 764 7843 to book.
Tina’s Hotel is situated at 14 Beryldene
Road in Kloof. – Barry Meehan
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