Please note dates and showtimes carefully:
ALL SHOWS TAKE PLACE AT RHUMBELOW THEATRE
IN DURBAN
Date & Time
Mon 27/09/2021 at 9.30am: Macbeth - 2 Hr 38 Min
Mon 27/09/2021 at 1.30pm: Hamlet - 3 Hr 34 Min
Tue 28/09/2021 at 9.30am: Romeo & Juliet - 3 Hr 02 Min
Tue 28/09/2021 at 1.30pm: Macbeth - 2 Hr 38 Min
Wed 29/09/2021 at 9.30am: Twelfth Night - 2 Hr 53 Min
Wed 29/09/2021 at 1.30pm: The Tempest - 2 Hr 58 Min
Thu 30/09/2021 at 9.30am: Antony & Cleopatra - 3 Hr 37 Min
Thu 30/09/2021 at 1.30pm: Coriolanus - 3 Hr 23 Min
Fri 01/10/2021 at 9.30am: The Tempest - 2 Hr 58 Min
Fri 01/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Romeo & Juliet - 3 Hr 02 Min
Sat 02/10/2021 No Show
Sun 03/10/2021 at 9.30am: The Tempest - 2 Hr 58 Min
Mon 04/10/2021 at 9.30am: Macbeth - 2 Hr 38 Min
Mon 04/10/2021 at 1.30pm: The Tempest - 2 Hr 58 Min
Tue 05/10/2021 at 9.30am: Romeo
& Juliet - 3 Hr 02 Min
Tue 05/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Coriolanus - 3 Hr 23 Min
Wed 06/10/2021 at 9.30am: Twelfth Night - 2 Hr 53 Min
Wed 06/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Macbeth - 2 Hr 38 Min
Thu 07/10/2021 at 9.30am: Antony & Cleopatra - 3 Hr 37 Min
Thu 07/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Hamlet - 3 Hr 34 Min
Fri 08/10/2021 at 9.30am: The Tempest - 2 Hr 58 Min
Fri 08/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Romeo & Juliet - 3 Hr 02 Min
Sat 09/10/2021 at 9.30am: Coriolanus - 3 Hr 23 Min
Sat 09/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Twelfth Night - 2 Hr 53 Min
Sun 10/10/2021 No
Show
Mon 11/10/2021 at 9.30am: Coriolanus - 3 Hr 23 Min
Mon 11/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Antony & Cleopatra - 3 Hr 37 Min
Tue 12/10/2021 at 9.30am: Hamlet - 3 Hr 34 Min
Tue 12/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Antony & Cleopatra - 3 Hr 37 Min
Wed 13/10/2021 at 9.30am: Romeo & Juliet - 3 Hr 02 Min
Wed 13/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Coriolanus - 3 Hr 23 Min
Thu 14/10/2021 at 9.30am: Twelfth Night - 2 Hr 53 Min
Thu 14/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Macbeth - 2 Hr 38 Min
Fri 15/10/2021 at 9.30am: Hamlet - 3 Hr 34 Min
Sat 16/10/2021 at 9.30am: Antony & Cleopatra - 3 Hr 37 Min
Sun 17/10/2021 No Show
Mon 18/10/2021 at 9.30am: Hamlet - 3 Hr 34 Min
Mon 18/10/2021 at 1.30pm: Twelfth Night - 2 Hr 53 Min
ANTONY & CLEOPATRA
Following Julius Caesar’s assassination,
Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and Lepidus form a triumvirate as joint rulers of
the known world. Antony, however, is captivated by Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt,
and neglects his duties to spend time with her in Alexandria. This scandal
creates a rift between Antony and Octavius.
News comes that control of Rome is being
challenged by Pompey. Antony is forced to return, and agrees to cement his
alliance with Octavius by marrying his sister, Octavia. Back in Egypt, the news
of Antony’s marriage angers Cleopatra.
On the brink of war, Antony and Octavius
make peace with Pompey. Shortly afterwards, Octavius attacks Pompey, anyway,
and dismisses Lepidus from the triumvirate. Antony sends Octavia to negotiate
with her brother while he returns secretly to Alexandria.
News arrives in Rome that Antony and
Cleopatra have crowned themselves king and queen in Alexandria.
Octavius declares war on Egypt. Despite
having the advantage, the Egyptian forces suffer a blow when Antony deserts a
battle to follow Cleopatra’s fleeing ship. However, hearing that Octavius has
offered to make a secret treaty with Cleopatra, he rouses himself for a second
battle. Antony’s courage is renewed, but his soldiers are nervous, and even
faithful Enobarbus deserts him for Octavius.
As Antony’s fleet surrenders, he accuses Cleopatra of betraying him to Octavius. She retreats to her monument and sends out a false report that she is dead.
CORIOLANUS
Coriolanus is the story of a Roman soldier
at the time of the birth of the Roman Republic, as a new political structure
was emerging and people jostle for power. This was hundreds of years before
Rome became an Empire, so the plays shows a society that is just establishing
itself and struggling with ideas about how to govern and rule.
The play opens at a time of famine. The people of Rome, known as plebeians, are rioting because they believe the Patricians or ruling class have been hoarding grain and are responsible for their suffering. They make it clear how unfair the system is and call Caius Martius the worst of them all, declaring him an ‘enemy of the people’. It is Caius Martius who then goes on to become Coriolanus, when he defeats the enemy in battle.
HAMLET
Old Hamlet, King of Denmark, has died and
been succeeded by his brother, Claudius, who has married Gertrude, the widowed
Queen. Prince Hamlet, distressed by his father’s death and his mother’s hasty
remarriage, sees the ghost of his father who tells him that he was murdered by
Claudius. Hamlet vows to avenge the murder but, to cover his intentions, feigns
madness.
Polonius, whose daughter Ophelia has been
the recipient of love letters from the Prince, believes that Hamlet’s madness
is caused by repressed love. Spied on by Polonius and Claudius, Hamlet
encounters Ophelia and violently rejects her.
Hamlet asks a company of players to perform
a play, hoping its theme of murder will force Claudius to betray his guilt.
Hamlet’s suspicions are confirmed. He visits his mother and disparages her for
her hasty marriage, but, startled, accidentally kills Polonius who is hiding behind
an arras. Claudius sends Hamlet to England, planning to have him murdered.
Laertes, Polonius’ son, demands revenge for his father’s death. Ophelia, maddened by grief, has drowned herself. Hamlet returns and confronts Laertes at her funeral. Claudius, meanwhile, has plotted with Laertes to kill Hamlet in a fencing match in which Laertes will have a poisoned sword. The plot miscarries and Laertes dies. Gertrude drinks from a poisoned cup intended for Hamlet and also dies. Hamlet, wounded by the poisoned sword, kills Claudius before he, too, dies.
Macbeth and Banquo, generals in the service
of King Duncan of Scotland, are returning victorious from battle when they are
hailed by three witches who predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
and then King of Scotland.
The first part of the prophecy is soon
fulfilled when Duncan rewards Macbeth's loyal service.
Encouraged by this, and playing on her
husband's ambition, Lady Macbeth persuades him to murder Duncan while he is a
guest at their castle. Malcolm and Donalbain, Duncan's sons, flee to England
for safety. Macbeth, now king, has Banquo murdered in an attempt to secure his
own position, but Banquo's ghost appears to him at a banquet.
Macbeth visits the witches again. They warn him to beware of Macduff, a noble who has also fled to England, but assure him that he cannot be harmed by any man born of woman. Macbeth orders the murder of Macduff's wife and children. In England, Malcolm and Macduff raise an army to march against Macbeth. However Macbeth, armed with the witches' prophecy, believes that he is invincible. However, soon Macbeth must face the true meaning of the witches' words...
ROMEO & JULIET
A long-standing feud between the Montague
and the Capulet families flares into a brawl on the streets and is stopped only
by Escalus, Prince of Verona. Romeo Montague, love-sick for Rosaline, is
persuaded to go to a masked party by his friends Benvolio and Mercutio. The
only trouble is that it’s at the house of the Capulets. There he meets Juliet,
only daughter of the Capulets, and they fall instantly in love. With the help
of Juliet’s nurse, they are secretly married the next day by Friar Laurence.
Juliet’s cousin Tybalt is offended by
Romeo’s presence at the party and challenges him to a fight. Mercutio
intervenes and is killed. In a rage, Romeo kills Tybalt and flees.
After a night with Romeo, Juliet learns that her parents intend to marry her to Paris immediately to save the Capulets from shame and defeat. She seeks help from Friar Laurence, who gives her a drug which will make her appear dead. When she wakes from her drugged sleep, Romeo will be waiting. The Friar’s messenger sets out to tell Romeo the plan – but doesn’t make it to Mantua. Instead, Romeo’s friend arrives to tell him Juliet is dead. Romeo races to Verona to be with Juliet in her tomb.
A storm strikes a ship carrying Alonso,
Ferdinand, Sebastian, Antonio, Gonzalo, Stephano, and Trinculo, who are on
their way to Italy after coming from the wedding of Alonso’s daughter,
Claribel, to the prince of Tunis in Africa. The royal party and the other mariners,
with the exception of the unflappable Boatswain, begin to fear for their lives.
Lightning cracks, and the mariners cry that the ship has been hit. Everyone
prepares to sink.
The next scene begins much more quietly. Miranda and Prospero stand on the shore of their island, looking out to sea at the recent shipwreck. Miranda asks her father to do anything he can to help the poor souls in the ship. Prospero assures her that everything is all right and then informs her that it is time she learned more about herself and her past. He reveals to her that he orchestrated the shipwreck and tells her the lengthy story of her past, a story he has often started to tell her before but never finished. The story goes that Prospero was the Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio, conspiring with Alonso, the King of Naples, usurped his position. Kidnapped and left to die on a raft at sea, Prospero and his daughter survive because Gonzalo leaves them supplies and Prospero’s books, which are the source of his magic and power. Prospero and his daughter arrived on the island where they remain now and have been for twelve years. Only now, Prospero says, has Fortune at last sent his enemies his way, and he has raised the tempest in order to make things right with them once and for all.
TWELFTH NIGHT
Viola and her twin brother Sebastian have
been shipwrecked; each believes the other to be drowned. Viola disguises
herself as a young man and, under the name of Cesario, enters the service of
Orsino. Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia on his behalf, but Olivia is taken
in by Cesario’s disguise and falls in love with him. Viola has secretly fallen
in love with Orsino, and Orsino is confused by his feelings for his new ‘male’
servant. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Viola’s twin, has been saved by Antonio, who
promptly falls in love with him. Olivia’s butler, Malvolio, disapproves of all
the other members of her household – her uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir
Andrew Aguecheek and her servants, Maria, Feste and Fabia. Together, they plot
Malvolio’s downfall. Malvolio is secretly in love with Olivia, and the others
trick him into believing that these feelings are returned. To restrain his
apparently insane delusion he is locked up.
Olivia meets Sebastian and, mistaking him for Cesario, asks him to marry her. He readily agrees. But when she later encounters Orsino and Cesario they are dismayed by her conviction that she and Cesario are betrothed. At this point, the twins are reunited and true identities revealed. Malvolio is released, and an attempt is made to pair everyone up satisfactorily.
Tickets R100 pp. Teachers accompanying
school groups are FREE.
Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the
venue. Cooldrinks, coffee & tea on sale
All seating will be at separate tables and the venue will obviously be seating co-habiting couples and/or family members. Covid limit – max 50
Limited secure parking available.
ALL TICKETS MUST BE PRE-BOOKED - NO WALKINS
ALLOWED
Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za
STRICT COVID-19 PROTOCOLS WILL BE OBSERVED
For more information contact Roland Stansell on 082 499 8636 or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com/
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