CHARLOTTE'S WEB: REVIEW

(Belinda Henwood plays Charlotte)

Garden Gander at Web of Wonders...

The wonder of the show lies in superb puppetry and colourful costumes. (Review by Verne Rowin Munsamy)

KickstArt Productions have revamped their rendition of Charlotte's Web for the beautiful, outdoor amphitheatre in the Durban Botanic Gardens. When one enters the scenery, it is reminiscent of a wondrous house in the middle of a forest. The atmosphere is quite abuzz as kids inspect the set, enjoy some snacks, and wait with anticipation for the marvel of the show, which is designed and directed by Greg King.

The classic tale tells of a Spider, Charlotte (played by ever-poised Belinda Henwood) desperate to save the life of her new friend, Wilbur (played by the adored Mthokozisi Zulu). 

She has the brilliant idea of writing words on her web to best describe Wilbur, which wins him a special prize at the county fair and saves him from the slaughter house.

The rest of the stellar cast are imposing in their performances and include Cara Roberts (who plays Fern and a goose), Lyle Buxton (Mr Arable, Lurvy and doing a great Trump impression), multi-talented Greg King, the versatile Bryan Hiles as the mischievous Templeton, with Claire Mortimer, and Stephanie Jenkins handling puppets.

The wonder of the show lies in superb puppetry and colourful costumes. The underscore whisks you into the world of this theatrical adaptation of this evergreen children's classic. The ensemble is equally talented and diverse, but I felt that the energy dipped a little in the second half. Nonetheless, this show is truly captivating, so take a picnic basket and book yourself... and the kids a ticket to the show.

Ticket R150 (R120 children under 12 and pensioners). The show runs on March 31 and April 1 at 14h30, April 2 and 3 at 11h00. Running time is approximately 1hr and 20 mins, with a ten-minute interval. Venue to open one hour prior to performance for BYO picnics.

Seating is unreserved, (but will be allocated according to responsible social distancing regulations on arrival at the venue.)

Free parking available at DBG Visitor’s Centre, 9A John Zikhali Rd. (Allow time for a ten-minute walk through the gardens to the Amphitheatre)

Book at webtickets.co.za: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1512670034 - By Verne Rowin Munsamy

Tickets may be fully refunded or exchanged for other performances in the event of cancellation caused by Covid or bad weather.