(Above: Evan Roberts & Steven Stead)
Stead, a master storyteller, as he has proven from his many stage triumphs with his KickstArt Production Company and beyond, is able to extract every ounce of drama, mood, and passion from the songs. (Review by Keith Millar)
Steven Stead delivers a powerful, emotional, and dramatic performance in his one man show Once Upon A Tune.
The production, which is presented in the style of an old school cabaret, first saw the light of day in December last year and is now back for just three shows at the Durban’s Rhumbelow Theatre in Umbilo.
The music included in this production, which includes songs from musicals as well as from the likes of Noel Coward, Chris De Burgh and Jacque Brel, all tell a story in one way or another.
And Stead, a master storyteller, as he has proven from his many stage triumphs with his KickstArt Production Company and beyond, is able to extract every ounce of drama, mood, and passion from the songs.
The result is an intense experience which leaves the audience emotionally moved and maybe a little drained by the end of the show.
Of course, there is a fair amount of humour along the way with a generous dose of Noel Coward’s genius. He is represented by a few of his saucy ladies in Louisa, Alice who Is At It Again, Mrs Wentworth-Brewster from A Bar on The Piccola Marina, and Nina From Argentina.
Joining these ladies is Patricia The Stripper, a song by Chris De Burgh which for me is very much in the style of Coward.
My favourites were the two Jacques Brel numbers, Port Of Amsterdam and Carousel. These brilliant songs gave Stead the opportunity to really let loose dramatically. In fact, maybe a bit over the top.
Other songs included Steven Sondheim’s Giants In The Sky from Into The Woods, Coloured Lights from Kander and Web’s The Rink, Come On Come On by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles (I was not too keen on this version).
The second half included Stars and the Moon from Songs for a New World, Leave You from Follies, How to Handle a Woman from Camelot, The Colours of my Life from Barnum, and a very atmospheric Kinders Van Die Wind by Kobus du Plessis, sung in Afrikaans.
Accompanying Stead on the piano for this show was the excellent Evan Roberts.
The lighting for this show was particularly noteworthy. The subject matter allowed the award-winning Tina Le Roux to perform her magic. The result was atmospheric, moody lighting which made a major contribution to the show.
There are only two performances of this show left: tonight, November 20 at 19h00 and tomorrow, November 21 at 14h00.
Tickets are R180 each. Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or at Computicket: https://tickets.computicket.com/event/once_upon_a_tune/7157079
Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the venue. All seating will be at separate tables and the venue will obviously be seating co-habiting couples and/or family members. 50 % max capacity
Limited secure parking available and a bar is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises)
Strict Covid protocols will be observed. Rhumbelow Theatre is situated at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road in Umbilo, Durban. – Keith Millar
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