FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL: REVIEW

“Footloose The Musical” is an enjoyable production. I think its youthful excitement and energy will be particularly appreciated by the young folk. So, since it is school holidays- there you go! (Review by Keith Millar)

They are back! After a two-year interruption caused by the worldwide Covid pandemic, Johannesburg’s Northcliff High School are back in Durban and on stage at the Playhouse Drama Theatre.

This is the 22nd time that the school has toured their annual musical offering to Durban and this time they are showcasing the lively production, Footloose The Musical.

The stage version of Footloose is based on the 1984 movie which starred a young Kevin Bacon. It relates the story of a young man, Ren McCormack, and his mom Ethel, who relocate from Chicago to the small town of Bomont.

Due to a tragic accident several years prior to their move, when four youngsters lost their lives in a motor accident after a party, the town has imposed a strict ban on dancing and partying.

(Left: Justin Roux, Thabang Ramanala, Lyndan Meyers, Shane Mehlo, Owen Pace & Lyndan Meyers)

Ren sets out to persuade the town’s elders that dancing is a celebration of the joy in people’s hearts and that the ban should be overturned.

The musical features popular songs such as Holding Out for a Hero, Let’s Hear It for The Boy, Mama Says, and Almost Paradise.

Northcliff’s production features a cast of 29, a nine-piece band and is supported by a technical crew of 10. They bring with them all the youthful exuberance, energy and passion one has come to expect from one of their productions.

Perhaps it is unfair to single out individuals in what is such a whole-hearted and enthusiastic effort from the entire cast, but there are a few notable performances.

(Right: Alexi Hasell & Lyndan Meyers)

Lyndan Meyers as Ren McCormack is particularly strong. He has a very good singing voice and handles the acting component with aplomb. He could have a future in the industry.

Others of note were Angelica Rennie as Rusty (amazing hair), a compelling actress. Owen Pace as Willard Hewitt - he provides most of the humour in the piece and does it well. As Ariel Moore, Alexi Hasell is feisty and agreeable. She is the love interest of Ren, and the daughter of the main protagonist of the town’s ban on dancing, the Reverend Shaw Moore. Nicolaas de Klerk puts in a mature and effective performance in this role.

I am not a fan of back-tracks, so to hear a live band was an absolute pleasure. While there are always deficiencies when the musicians are hidden in the orchestra pit, they acquitted themselves very well.

In a fast-moving production such as this with many scene changes, sets can present a problem. But the large rustic set-pieces on wheels used on this occasion work well to depict the various locations. The work of the technical crew was spot-on in this regard.

One cannot help but sing the praises of Northcliff High School’s Musical Producer Nick Jourdan. This is his 38th production with the school. In the past, he has unearthed and nurtured talents such as Cornell Cruise, Samantha Peo and Jonathan Roxmouth.

This production shows that he has not lost his ability to get the best out of young people and to provide them with an inspirational and joyful experience. Long may it last.

Footloose The Musical is an enjoyable production. I think its youthful excitement and energy will be particularly appreciated by the young folk. So, since it is school holidays- there you go!

Footloose is on at the Playhouse Drama Theatre until Sunday July 3, 2022. Shows are at 19h30 Thursday to Saturday with an additional Saturday performance at 14h00. Sunday’s final show is at 15h00. Tickets are between R100 and R120 and can be booked at Webtickets. – Keith Millar

KUNENI AND THE KING: REVIEW

(Above: John Kani & Michael Richard

The actors, John Kani and Michael Richard, are stellar in their performances. They display a refined acting technique and are poised on the delivery of text, characters and the emotional rollercoaster that the play traverses. (Review by Verne Rowin Munsamy)

Last year for my birthday, a dear friend of mine gifted me a play, the best gift. As I read through the pages scribed by John Kani, I reminisced on my own apartheid politics and thought what a joy it would be to watch Dr Kani perform this play in a theatre for a live audience.

So when I heard that the play would be performed in Durban, I jumped at the opportunity to watch a living legend perform live in a theatre - especially since the mask restrictions had been lifted a mere day before. 

To return to the theatre with a full audience in the Playhouse Opera was like magic. The theatre was suddenly abuzz with laughter and hordes of people waiting with anticipation in the foyer for what would be another historic performance. I last saw Dr Kani in Nothing But The Truth many moons ago and this play once again reflects on our all-too-familiar struggles with race politics even now, 25 years after the birth of democracy.

South African Realism has many facets and this is a prime example of simplistic realism where the climax of the play occurs almost at the end and the resolution is left quite open as race politics does not seem to have a happy, neat ending. The writing offers many thought-provoking one-liners that are interspliced with reflective and questioning monologues. I relished the Shakespeare quotes from various plays like Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar and, of course, King Lear, the role for which Richard's character is rehearsing and hoping will be his last performance.

The actors, John Kani and Michael Richard, are stellar in their performances. They display a refined acting technique and are poised on the delivery of text, characters and the emotional rollercoaster that the play traverses. Each of the three segments is woven together with maskanda music which works well to set up the tone for the section that follows. Janice Honeyman directs the show with rhythm and pace, elevates the emotions to exacting point and allows for the show to be gripping without grabbing too much. Hats off to the cast and producers of this show which is sure to resonate with audiences for some time to come.

The set design, in Honeyman fashion, depicts the lived-in space of a white suburban home with window pane walls, decorated with books, statues and gin hidden in various crevices. While the last section, set in Soweto, is a more simplistic design revealing a vast difference in social standings between the White and Black.

Other race politics that are highlighted begins with mispronunciation of names, white entitlement to status, the ever-present "enamel" cup and the distinct use of a “servants'' quarters. The detailing in the show is remarkable and leaves many questions and a few resolutions at the end. This is definitely a show not to be missed!

Kunene and the King runs in the Playhouse Opera until July 3, 2022. Tickets R120 booked through Webtickets at https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1515123078 - Verne Rowin Munsamy

BAROQUE 2000: NIGHT IN SPAIN: REVIEW

(Above: From left: Margrit Deppe, Ralitza Cherneva, Refiloe Olifant, Jonalene Taylor, Michel Schneuwly, Elena Kerimova, Keamogetswe Magau, Annamaria D'Andrea, Ralitsa Pechoux, Stephane Pechoux)

A fabulous selection of music played with elation and dynamism. (Review by Keith Millar)

Durban’s marvellous Baroque 2000 orchestra once again delivered a first-rate concert at the Mariannhill Monastery Church on Sunday. A fabulous selection of music played with elation and dynamism.

This despite the occasional intervention of one of the biggest troops of monkeys I have seen hurtling over the roof of the church like a runaway freight train.

The title of the concert, Night in Spain, seemed to be a bit strange as none of the composers represented on the programme was from Spain and only one of the pieces performed was overtly Spanish.

However, since this piece was Luigi Boccherini’s inspired Procession of the Military Night Watch in Madrid this mattered not at all.

Luigi Boccherini was an Italian born composer and cellist. He moved to the Spanish capital of Madrid in the mid-1770s to work in the court of a royal prince. When the prince got exiled to the countryside after falling out of favour with the king, the composer followed and wrote this quintet as a reminder of life back in Madrid.

It is a wonderfully descriptive and warm-hearted piece, adaptations of which have often been used in movies and TV series. Imagine strolling through Madrid at night and hearing the tolling of church bells, drum rolls from the military barracks, a minuet played by blind beggars, the rosary prayer, street singers and the retreat of the Night Watch as they bring in the curfew and close down the streets for the night.

Opening the programme at this concert was Balletti Lamentabili a4 by Henrich Biber. The title of this music could be translated to mean Complaining Ballet. All six movements are rather melancholy in nature and it they may be a lament marking the end of the carnival season.

It seems as if no Baroque programme is complete without a bit of Handel, or Vivaldi, or Bach. But who’s complaining? In this case it was Handel with his Overture to Opera Rodelinda. This opera has long been regarded as one of Handel’s greatest works.

Baroque 2000 Director Michel Schneuwly was the trumpeter for Giuseppe Torelli’s Sinfonia in D Major (G8) for Trumpet. Torelli was the most prolific baroque composer for the trumpet having produced more than 30 concertos for one to four trumpets.

Also in the programme was Johan Joseph Fux’s Overture K365. Fux was an Austrian composer, music theorist and pedagogue of the late Baroque era. He is regarded as having been one of the greatest masters of Austrian Baroque music.

His Overture 365 is bright, cheerful music, very well played by the Baroque 2000 ensemble with excellent percussion added by Stephane Pechoux.

Baroque 2000 will now take a break with the next concert taking place on September 25.

For more information contact Michel Schneuwly at sursouth@iafrica.com or on 082 303 5241.

Baroque 2000 is sponsored by Die Rupert Musiekstigting. – Keith Millar

 

THE SURVIVORS AT MONDAYS AT SIX

Next up in the Mondays at Six at St Clements programme will take place on July 4, 2022.

Pieter Scholtz, Rick Andrew and friends invite patrons to The Survivors do Leonard Cohen.

The Survivors, namely Charlie Berea, Theresa Berea and The Axman will regale, enlighten and entertain us with their Tribute to Leonard Cohen. The three seasoned musicians / artists / entertainers, who have been making music together for 45 years, will share readings, observations, conversations (the literary part of the evening) and at least six of Cohen’s songs, from his early to his current work.

Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships.

Cohen's writing process, as he told an interviewer in 1998, was "like a bear stumbling into a beehive or a honey cache: I'm stumbling right into it and getting stuck, and it's delicious and it's horrible and I'm in it and it's not very graceful and it's very awkward and it's very painful and yet there's something inevitable about it.”

In 1967, Cohen moved to the United States to pursue a career as a folk music singer–songwriter. His song Suzanne became a hit for Judy Collins (who subsequently covered a number of Cohen's other songs as well), and was for many years his most-covered song. Collins recalls that when she first met him, he said he could not sing or play the guitar, nor did he think Suzanne was even a song. From there he recorded 15 albums of songs and played many memorable concerts, particularly the two at The London O2 Arena. The footage of the concert is available for viewing on YouTube and is highly recommended. See I'm Your Man or Tower of Song.

He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour. He died at his home in California at the age of 82

The Survivors. The stage names used above are a flimsy disguise for Rick Andrew and Alan Judd and Gill Andrew. They also perform under the umbrella of Mud – Movement Undoing Damage.

The programme takes place at 18h00 on July 4, 2022. Table bookings essential: RSVP ST Clements 031 202 2511

The show will most likely be outdoors so dress accordingly. If you wish to dine after the presentation, place your order before 18h00.

Bookings limited to diners in support of St Clements restaurant and staff. (They stay open specially for the shows.) Be there in time to order before the performance.

St Clements is situated at 191 Musgrave Road. Mondays @ Six run between 18h00 and 19h00. There is no cover charge but when the donations box to support presenters is passed around, a minimum of R50 per person is suggested).

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

(Above: Samantha Landers & Colin Peddie)

Coming to the Rhumbelow Theatre in Durban for the next two week-ends will be a celebration of “break up” music with Barry Thomson & The Reals with guest artists Samantha Landers on vocals and Colin Peddie on guitar and vocals.

The show is titled Love will tear us apart, a celebration of “break up” music

A celebration indeed. The emotional lives we lead inform the art we make. So, while joy and happiness seem to be what most musicians write about, this show will explore the moments in our lives when we are inconsolable and the only respite is to express those emotions through music.

From the team that brought you Poetry in Music and The Chain – The Fleetwood Mac Story comes a musical exploration into the darker sides of our lives. Devised by Colin Peddie and with musical direction from Dawn Selby, audiences can expect a show of the highest quality. Interlaced with hilariously revealing and poignant AV, the performers will take you on the breakup ride – through all the stages of the emotional rollercoaster.

You can expect to hear Marvin Gaye, Abba, Gotya, Dianna Krall, The Beatles, Lady Antebelum, Phil Collins, Carol King, Maroon 5, Fleetwood Mac, Kelly Clarkson and many more.

So come celebrate the crying, the wailing, the gnashing of teeth, all expressed beautifully through music and performed with excellence by Barry Thompson and The Reals.

Performances take place from July 1 to 3 and again from July 8 to 10 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 19h00 and Sundays at 14h00. (Venue opens 90 minutes before show for snacks/drinks)

Tickets R180 a ticket. Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or through Computicket.

Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the venue. A bar is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). There is limited secure parking available.

For more information phone 082 499 8636 or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com/

Rhumbelow Theatre is situated at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road, in Umbilo, Durban.

 

NB: When you come to a Rhumbelow Show please bring some non-perishable food item  to donate to MOTH COTTAGES to support those that are struggling.

GUY BUTTERY WITH INDIAN VIRTUOSOS AT HILTON COLLEGE

(Above: Mohd. Amjad Khan, Guy Buttery & Mudassir Khan)

Just weeks before South Africa went into lockdown, award-winning artist Guy Buttery was invited to perform a concert tour of India. It was on this trip that Buttery collaborated with tabla master, Mohd. Amjad Khan and sarangi virtuoso, Mudassir Khan. The tabla is the principal percussion instrument from the Subcontinent and the sarangi is the 43-stringed “Indian box cello”.

The fruits of this collaboration resulted in their celebrated trio album One Morning in Gurgaon, which was released in both the UK and on vinyl in Japan. Garnering rave reviews from across the globe, their record made the Album of the Year list for NPR and also charted at #10 on the World Music Charts in Europe. This winter, Buttery is returning the favour and has invited both of these artists for a National tour of South Africa, kicking off at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda before moving through the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Their concert at the Hilton College Theatre on July 8 will be their singular performance in KZN. Tickets are available here – https://qkt.io/gamhilton

Prior to their first performance in India together, all three musicians had never actually met before, let alone made any music together. Before their first concert they had only ’practised’ via voice recordings and exchanged texts somewhere between Hindi and English to break down the various parts of the set. Ultimately, it was this unrehearsed approach, combined with the inauspicious and eleventh-hour nature of their first meeting, which provided the stardust for their collaboration.

Buttery explains, “Due to Delhi traffic, our intended dry run was shaved right down to a single 60 minutes, giving us just enough time to shake hands, share a chai and tune our instruments. As a result, we went in totally blind to that first concert, yet what unfolded on stage over the next hour left me in complete awe - so much so that after our performance I immediately set about asking anyone who would listen how we could track down a local studio to capture our newly formed trio.

“As luck would have it, the very place where we had performed that first night had a basic recording set-up and we somehow managed to secure a single morning to record.”

Both Mohd. Amjad Khan and Mudassir Khan are renowned masters of their respective instruments, steeped in the Indian classical traditions from a young age. Although guardians of their musical heritage, One Morning In Gurgaon highlights their willingness to push the envelope of their instruments, expertly highlighted by Amjad whose tabla playing is marked by uncanny intuition and masterful improvisational dexterity.

Likewise, Mudassir has harnessed the potential of the rare and notoriously difficult sarangi, an instrument whose sound most resembles that of the human voice, and an instrument which Buttery confesses to “being overly obsessed with.”

The combined experience of Buttery’s acoustic guitar wizardry with these two Indian master musicians culminates in an experience which is as pure and uninhibited an example of empathetic collaboration as you’ll find anywhere: A musical conversation between musicians exchanging each other’s ideas in the spur of the moment and feeling out the areas of crossover with a depth that goes far beyond mimicry.

Since their spontaneous recording session in India, the trio have not seen each other. The upcoming South African performances will reunite these three artists in a once-off, not to be repeated national tour.

The Guy Buttery Tour KZN performance will take place July 8, 2022, at 19h00 in the Hilton College Theatre at Hilton. Tickets R200 booked through https://qkt.io/gamhilton

For more information contact 083 689 1935

AMADODA AT THE NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2022

(Pics by Val Adamson)

Well-known and award-winning choreographer Musa Hlatshwayo and his company worked on a tri-fold offering for the National Arts Festival’s online programme for this year. This offering resulted in a presentation that features three outputs that are centred around black men as the subject(s): AMADODA.

Output 1: Portraits Of AMADODA, presents moments captured when our interviewees were confronted by the mirror. It is a collaboration between the world-renowned Val Adamson and Musa Hlatshwayo. The presented product is an exhibition of Adamson's photographs of black men's portraits captured in moments of their interactions with the mirror.

Output 2: Conversations with AMADODA is a short documentary by a young film-maker from Illovu by the name of Sbo Cele. This documentary follows Hlatshwayo and the team as they journey to the various communities to conduct research and to capture the moments of black men as they interact with the mirror. It also features talks with some of the participating men as they shared their stories on Zulu men and their relationships with the mirror.

(Right: Thabani Mahlobo)

Output 3: Is a digital site-specific dance theatre work that interrogates the male body and its transcendence in the quests of its positioning in a society layered and mapped with imposing ideologies and histories. The work is simply called AMADODA. The work is performed by Sphakeme Shangase, Tebogo Mncwabe, Thabani Mahlobo and a chorus that features Hlatshwayo and his male friends and relatives. Lighting is by Lerato Ledwaba. Cinematography is by Sbo Cele while editing is by Wesley Maherry and Sbo Cele.

These works will showcase from June 24 on the NAF’s website; Nationalartsfestival.co.za under the NAF online programme. They will remain online throughout the festival's duration and can be viewed repeatedly at no charge.

HOPE CIRCUT is the name of the PESP Fringe.

"This work was commissioned by the National Arts Festival, with funds from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme, administered by the National Arts Council."

“Many thanks to the National Arts Festival for the commission, the various spaces that hosted us, my team and all the contributors for a job well done! I will be sharing more about each output with more images and details about each output,” says Hlatshwayo.

 

(To link direct to the National Arts Festival site click on the large banner that runs across the top of this blog or visit https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za or visit Facebook: www.facebook.com/nationalartsfestival; Twitter: @artsfestival or Instagram: nationalartsfestival)

 

 

BARNYARD: THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC: REVIEW

(Above: Pic by Marc Thoresson)

I would go as far as to say that this is the best Barnyard production I have ever seen. (Review by Keith Millar)

The Barnyard Theatre is usually the go-to venue if you are in the mood for a bit of a party. A few liquid refreshments, a couple of pizzas along with plenty of loud music and razzmatazz on stage, and spontaneous dancing in the aisles.

Well, the latest show at the Suncoast Barnyard Theatre, Thank You for the Music, has all these elements. But there is also an understated sophistication and elegance to this production which one does not normally associate with a Barnyard offering.

It is less of a crazy razzle-dazzle party, and more of a revue where the music is respected and played with considerable flair (or at least it is a juxtaposition of the two). This is probably due to the excellent band, who have been together for a few shows now and have developed an excellent on-stage chemistry, along with some very talented singers.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that this is the best Barnyard production I have ever seen.

Thank You for the Music is, of course, not a new production – it has been seen a few times before over the years at the old Barnyard in Umhlanga. And one may think that ABBA, the Bee Gees and Queen make strange bedfellows, but they certainly get on well together in this refreshing new production.

Swedish group ABBA is one of the most popular and successful musical groups in the history of popular music. Their two girl members, Agnetha and Anni-Frid, are represented in this show by the effervescent Savanna de Beer and relatively new-to the barnyard stage, Kaylee McIlroy.

(Left: Savanna de Beer & Kaylee McIlroy. Pic by Robz Millar)

The vivacious Savanna, despite her relative youth, has a load of experience at this level and is a star in her own right. Kaylee has made excellent strides since she was first seen on the Barnyard stage earlier this year. She really comes into her own with her solo Money, Money, Money.

All the ABBA hits are in the show. Including Voulez Voux, Chiquita, Waterloo, SOS, Mamma Mia, Winner Takes It All, Dancing Queen, Thank You for the Music and Gimme, Gimme.

Guitarist Jason Kylen also pitched in with an ABBA song, Does Your Mother Know.

(Right: The Bee Gees: Jerryn Fosteras, Josh Philander & Kyle Matthews. Pic by Marc Thoresson)

The Bee Gees, the group that seemed to keep re-inventing itself, are represented by the man with the extraordinary falsetto, Jerryn Fosteras, Josh Philander (son of the well-known Clinton Philander) and Mr Cool himself, the urbane Kyle Matthews.

Matthews proved his experience when the show ground to a halt with a technical glitch and, as cool as a cucumber, he chatted to the audience and made sure no-one got agitated.

Again, all the Bee Gee hits are included in the show and, amongst others, you can hear Massachusetts, Message to You, To Love Somebody, Words, Tragedy, Lonely Days and of course Staying Alive.

Now, for the undoubted star of the show, playing Freddie Mercury from Queen is Cape Town singer Richard Kaldenberg. Mercury, with his eccentric moves and clothing may be relatively easy to impersonate. However, with this young man they have found an absolute doppelganger.

(Richard Kaldenberg. Pic by Robz Millar)

He has the looks, the moves, and the wonderful voice to recreate the magic of Freddie Mercury. An exciting talent with a heap of confidence.

Some of the Queen songs heard are Don’t Stop Me Now, Break Free, Somebody to Love, We Will Rock You, It’s a Kinda Magic and We are The Champions.

Special mention must be made of guitarist Jason Kylen who showed his performance chops replicating the style of Brain May from Queen - including a solo version of Who Wants to Live Forever. He shows that he ranks with the best guitarists in Durban – and boy, is Durban blessed with some great guitarists.

Other members of the band are Dylan van der Linde on drums, Bongani Shokela on bass and the peerless Callie Thomson on keyboards. She is also the Musical Director for the show and, as the boss, she must take a lot of credit for the musical success of this show.

Thank You for the Music runs at the Suncoast Barnyard until September 25, 2022. It is highly recommended.so don’t miss it.

Bookings can be made online or by phoning 031 940 0500.

THE AESTHETE EXPERIENCE

The Aesthete would like to extend an invitation to art lovers to be part of their new art experience - The Aesthete Experience - which runs from July 8 to 10 at the Knoll Historic Guest Farm.

The Aesthete is back in the Midlands, after two successful events in the beautiful town of Clarens, where they brought the first and only Arts Festival.

Exhibitors and performers will not only be from the art-renowned area of the Midlands but from all corners of South Africa. The exhibition will boast a magnificent repertoire of art; from paintings to fine-art photography - from bronze to ceramics. 

Patrons are invited to take the opportunity to invest in the carefully-curated art, hung in the gardens of The Knoll Historic Guest Farm.

To encapsulate the immersive experience which is a signature characteristic of The Aesthete, a fabulous array of art to artisanal workshops are planned throughout the event. This year’s workshops have been curated to facilitate one’s expression, and broaden one’s creativity. Art-related workshops and entertainment will also be available for kiddies. Each workshop will be limited, so booking is essential. Find more information via Facebook.

Engaging live performances will run throughout the weekend. Expect a line-up of original music from local talents, to out-of-town musicians. Become enthralled by the various forms of movement performances, such as contemporary dance and flow art. Absorb and observe the intimate process of creating art live throughout the weekend.

This event will be The Aesthete’s 12th event, five of which being independent, since its emergence in November 2019. The young and alternative art collective has created new and innovative opportunities for artists and performers to exhibit and showcase their talents. They have since started monthly workshops and a pop-up gallery at The Old Mushroom Farm in the Karkloof.

The Aesthete was also responsible for the World’s first drive-through art exhibition in July 2020 in Hilton, KZN - The Aesthete Drive Through, which attracted the interest of many keen art supporters as well as media houses including SABCTV.

The organisers say: “We look forward to showcasing many talents and sharing new experiences with you. See you at The Knoll in July!

For enquiries or if you would like to get involved, email: hello@theaesthete.co.za

 

MITH (MUSIC IN THE HILLS): TIM PARR

(Left: Tim Parr)

Arguably the KZN Midlands’ best-loved music venue, Music in The Hills (MiTH) is an opportunity for beginners, professionals, and passionate music fans to share the joy of music at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm.

MiTH takes place every second Wednesday at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm, Knoll Drive, Hilton.

19h00: Kristen and Matt Duo

Kristen Wepener is no stranger to the MiTH stage. She has performed at MiTH since 2017, both as a solo act and as part of Cactus Club. Kristen started teaching at St Charles College in 2020, and in 2021 took Duo on as a singing student. Duo is now in grade 11 and is currently working on his grade 6 voice exam content. A talented musician and performer, he wants to broaden his horizons beyond school performances. They will take the stage together for the first time at MiTH on June 29, 2022.

20h00: Roly Struckmeyer

A fixture on the KZN music scene since the late 80’s, Pietermaritzburg-born acoustic guitarist and vocalist, Roly Struckmeyer, started playing the guitar at age seven. He has toured and performed with names such as Wonderboom and Landscape Prayers. He worked with Syd Kitchen in the early 2000s, and with Perez from 2001.

Struckmeyer’s first solo album came out in 2007, and he has spent the last decade in cover bands, like No Fly Zone, A-frame, and more recently, Rustic Spring. A few years back, he formed an original duo with Michael Goddard from Perez (also of Steampunk Coffee fame). He is excited to be creating music and to be back at MiTH!

 

21h00: Tim Parr

One of the most accomplished singer/songwriters in the history of South African music, Tim Parr is a fantastic live performer and storyteller.

He first came to national prominence in the southern-rock blues band Baxtop, where he shared guitar duties with Larry Amos in the Jo’burg club scene of 1976. Rising quickly to the top of the national circuit and winning the SABC battle of the bands, they recorded Work it Out for Warner Brothers in 1979, which remains an enduring SA classic. Parr then formed Ella Mental with Heather Mac, which played many of the country’s top festivals, and was one of the iconic 80's bands to have a string of radio hits in South Africa. Ella Mental then relocated to Ireland in 1986.

Parr returned to South Africa to form the Zap Dragons who gigged hard throughout that emotional period in SA's history. His solo album Still Standing is a brilliant mix of country, pop, blues, soul, and rock, with the title track a firm favourite among SA audiences.

In 2021, he released his new album Revolution which made a real impact on music lovers in SA. He successfully toured the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, selected venues in Gauteng, and performed live on an international live stream event hosted at The Daisy Jones Bar OMG music venue in Stellenbosch.

The common thread throughout all these projects has been Parr’s expressive vocals and soulful guitar playing, and unlike many guitarists, his rhythm and textural playing is as distinctive as his lead work.

 

The MiTH programme takes place on June 29, 2022, at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm.

Entrance: R50 - Cash or Zapper at the Door. Doors open at 18h00 and the music will kick off at 19h00. Bring your own booze. Food and soft drinks are available for sale.

Visit www.mith.co.za for more details and directions. Musicians can contact mithbookings@gmail.com for slots.

For more information contact 082 331 7271

 

DIRECTIONS TO MiTH: Take the N3 to Hilton, take the Hilton turnoff and go South into the Village (away from Hilton College). Travel 5,2km along Hilton Avenue (past two sets of traffic lights and Crossways Pub) and keep going straight as Hilton Avenue turns into Dennis Shepstone Drive. At the 5,2km mark, Knoll Drive will be on your right – the entrance to MiTH is the “second” entrance on your left into The Knoll Historic Guest Farm.

BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE FOR MITH

Coming up on the Music in the Hills (MiTH) programme is Baby It’s Cold Outside.

Produced by Paul Spence and starring Grace Botha and Kath McClennand, with David Ayeku on piano, Baby It’s Cold Outside will take place at La Popote Café in Hilton on July 1, 2022, at 18h00 for 18h30.

Price R320, dinner included. Only 50 tickets available. The venue is unlicensed so bring your own.

Bookings through Andrew on 066 254 8112.

BAROQUE 2000 NIGHT IN SPAIN

(Above: Margrit Deppe, Ralitza Cherneva, Refiloe Olifant, Jonalene Taylor, Michel Schneuwly, Elena Kerimova, Keamogetswe Magau, Annamaria D'Andrea, Ralitsa Pechoux, Stephane Pechoux)

The next Baroque 2000 concert is titled Night in Spain and will take place on June 26, 2022 at the Church of Mariannhill Monastery.

The programme includes Biber’s Balletti Lamentabili à 4; Handel’s Overture from Rosalinda; Fux’s Overture No 3; Torelli’s Sinfonia in D (G8) for trumpet and Boccherini’s Procession of the military nightwatch in Madrid.

Night in Spain takes place at 11h30 on June 26, 2022, at The Church of the Mariannhill Monastery

Tickets R170 at the door (children are free). Ample, free and safe parking available.

The Monastery Tea Garden will be open for refreshments and light lunches

For more information contact: Michel on 082 303 5241 or email: sursouth@iafrica.com

 

MONDAY MUSIC: SEB GOLDSWAIN

The next Rhumbelow Theatre’s MONDAY MUSIC presentation will take place on June 27, 2022, and will feature Seb Goldswain.

Seb Goldswain is a fingerstyle virtuoso, composer and performer from the sunny city of Durban. He is known for his intricate and energetic style of playing, often leading listeners to believe there must be multiple guitars weaving the rich sonic tapestries they are hearing.

His inspirational live shows are a must-see, and have led him to open for international pop-star George Ezra. His playing has led him to be recognised as a brand ambassador for bespoke instrument companies including Guitar Gallery and AER Amplifiers. Live shows will often see an eclectic mix of Goldswain’s own original fiery acoustic songs, well known traditional and modern South African tunes as well as various tributes to great fingerstyle guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel and Chet Atkins.

Tickets R100. Food available at the Rhumbelow. Full bar available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises)

The show starts at Rhumbelow Theatre at 18h30 on June 27. (Venue opens 90 minutes before show for snacks/drinks) Limited secure parking available.

Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or Computicket.

The MONDAY MUSIC programme is supported by Concerts SA through funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SAMRO. Concerts SA is administered by IKS Cultural Consulting.

42 Cunningham Road is situated off Bartle Road, Durban.

 

NB; Message from Rhumbelow management: When you come to a Rhumbelow event please bring some non-perishable food item for us to donate to MOTH COTTAGES to support those that are struggling.)

LIVE MUSIC PICNIC WITH “BLACKBIRD”

Enjoy a Live Music Picnic with Blackbird on July 3, 2022, from 12h00 to 15h00 at Swissland Cheese in Balgowan.

Bring your own picnic. Cheeses, cold meats, preserves, bread and ice creams will be on sale.

Cheese platters including cold meats and preserves, can be made up on order for R250.

Entry R40 (youngsters under 12 free).

Swissland Cheese is situated on the Old Main Road, Balgowan. For more details, watsapp Fran on 082 418 3440.

INSURRECTION - RESURRECTION

The Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg has announced the forthcoming exhibition Insurrection – Resurrection.

“The insurrection of July 2021 left citizens of the city shocked and appalled by the rampage of theft and destruction which followed the insurrection. Nobody was left unaffected and each of us has a story to tell of the fear, anxiety and pain which resulted from this decline into anarchy. Jobs were lost, businesses destroyed, leaving shortages of food, and basic supplies for all of our citizens.”

In the wake of the mayhem, citizens banded together and took control to protect what was left. Communities protected their neighbourhoods and livelihoods if they could, people helped each other, fed the hungry, cleaned up the City and guarded unaffected shopping centres.

A year after the anarchy, the Tatham believe it is important to revisit this disaster and reflect on the fragility of our world, that can be destroyed at any moment.

In an attempt to heal the community, and acknowledge its resilience and intrinsic humanity, the Tatham Art Gallery is hosting a public participation exhibition where every person affected by the disaster of July 2021 was invited to participate and express their experience and fears, and their hopes for the future, through photographs, words, or poetry.

Insurrection – Resurrection will run in the Schreiner Gallery from July 10 to September 11, 2022.

The Tatham Art Gallery is situated opposite the Town Hall in Chief Albert Luthuli Street, Pietermaritzburg. It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10h00 to 17h00. Café Tatham is open on Saturdays. Safe parking with a car guard available. More information on 033 392 2801 or visit https://www.tatham.org.za/

 

CREATIVE WRITING COURSE FOR TEENAGERS

(Right: Mara Schillaci)

Durban based creative, educator and healing expert Mara Schillaci is running a short holiday course of four, two-hour sessions in central Glenwood for high school learners keen to develop their creative writing technique and experience.

Schillaci has taught a number of different modalities, both creative and theory-based for almost 20 years including teaching English to foreign students. By her own admission, she is a lover of all things creative and enjoys nothing more than to get lost in the magic of words. As an educator and healing expert, Schillaci understands the absolute necessity for creativity to play an active role in our everyday lives.

"Nurturing creativity and imagination in our youth is vitally important. On a practical level this becomes a crucial skill to problem solving by thinking outside the box. On a soul level, it creates a new generation of inventors, creators, artists, crafters and entrepreneurs," she says.

“After having run creative writing, journalising and art book classes for adults, I was approached to run a class specifically for high school learners, for them to practice creative writing, journaling and self-expression through the medium of writing,” explains Schillaci.

“I have adapted my adults’ course specifically for more youthful participants - especially those with a penchant for creative writing. The idea was to create a supportive environment to practice some creative writing techniques in a structured and engaging environment and develop tools to tap into personal creativity.

“These skills could be adapted to encourage essay writing; poetry; lyric writing; blogging; short story writing and creative expression,” she adds.

 

The course will cover:

-choosing a genre;

-choosing a writing style;

-how to craft a story-board;

-creating a plot outline;

-developing characters and character motivation

-and exercises on developing descriptive techniques.

 

The course is over four days in a central venue in Glenwood on July 5, 8, 12 and 15, 2022, from 10h00 to 12 noon.

Course will be conducted in English, but learners can write in language of their choice.

Pen and paper and class notes to be provided.

For more information, or to book, contact Mara Schillaci on 072 896 3898 or email: mara@maitrayaenergy.co.za

 

DIFF PRESENTS LIVE SCREENING PROGRAMME

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) will host the Durban International Festival (DIFF) from July 21 to 30, 2022. The 43rd edition of the festival programme speaks to the curatorial theme of: Adaptation, Survival and Sustainability.

The festival will present a selection of South African premieres, which include a diverse number of features, documentaries and shorts, as live screenings at Suncoast CineCentre in collaboration with Avalon Group.

The programme

The festival has curated a hybrid film presentation programme consisting of almost 200 Features, Documentaries, Shorts and Student films. The selected films, programmed by national and international film professionals, highlight alternative views through different lenses. The programme celebrates the myriad ways in which we have restructured our lives to reflect the current global focus. Films that reach back while looking forward, focusing on strengthening the tapestry of indigenous and authentic stories with a view to diversity and inclusion. The programme's greatest strength is its 50% female content contribution and representation.

Some of the feature films that highlight these themes include:

Donkeyhead (Canada), directed by Agam Darshi in which failed writer Mona is tasked with taking care of her ailing Sikh father, but her three successful siblings soon interfere.

Juwaa (Belgium), directed by Nganji Mutiri in which a son and a mother are reunited in Belgium, after a traumatic night in the Congo.

Klondike (Ukraine), directed by Maryna Er Gorbach is set in 2014, in the early days of the Donbas war. It is the story of expectant parents, Irka and Tolik, living in disputed territory in Ukraine.

(Left: A scene from “Public Toilet Africa”)

Public Toilet Africa (Ghana), directed by Felix ‘Kofi’ Ofosu-Yeboah, in which a reticent Ama returns to the city where she was gifted to a white art collector as a little girl, with a quest to even the score.

Ring Wandering (Japan), directed by Masakazu Kaneko, is a fantasy drama about a young man who aspires to be a manga artist and traces the memories of past sleeping souls in downtown Tokyo.

Skeletons (South Africa), directed by Jade Bowers, is set in the Maluti mountains and is a magical realist film that grapples with social and political issues and matters of land and ownership.

(Right: Scene from “Valley of a Thousand Hills”)

Valley of a Thousand Hills, directed by Bonnie Sithebe, in which a young woman from a conservative village must choose between living a lie to stay the perfect Zulu daughter or risk her life for true love - with another woman.

“The DIFF prides itself on discovering and nurturing new talent, and each year we select films from filmmakers from various countries, including first-time feature-length directors. The 43rd edition is no exception with almost 30% directorial debut feature-length films programmed, which we are very excited about,” says Festival Manager, Valma Pfaff. Some of these directors include the South African Jade Bowers, who directed Skeletons and Belgian Ngjani Mutiri, who directed Juwaa.

Additionally, the festival will screen two films by French directors in partnership with VideoVision that are exclusively screened in cinema: Eiffel, directed by Martin Bourboulon, a romance drama about celebrated engineer Gustave Eiffel, and Notre Dame on Fire, directed by Jean-Jacque Annaud, a thriller drama that gives a blow-by-blow recreation of the gripping events that took place on April 15, 2019, when the cathedral suffered the biggest blaze in its history.

 

Programme and details

DIFF 2022 will be presented in a hybrid edition with online screenings at www.durbanfilmfest.com and a diverse live programme presented at Suncoast CineCentre, Durban. All information about the live screenings is accessible at https://ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/live-screenings/ 

Tickets for the live screenings will be available directly at the Suncoast CineCentre www.cinecentre.co.za and will open by the end of this month. The entire festival programme will be released online on July 1 at www.durbanfilmfest.com

The 43rd edition of the festival is produced by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, in partnership and with the support of KZN Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation, KZN Department of Arts & Culture, Avalon Group and other valued funders and partners.

The Durban Film Office DFO, in collaboration with the Film Publication Board (FPB), cordially invites you to the Film Industry Workshop that is taking place on June 24, 2022, at Botanical Gardens at 08h30.

The purpose of the workshop is to empower, upskill and share knowledge with all the filmmakers. The following will be discussed in the workshop:

 

-Durban Film Office Development Programmes / Funding opportunities

-Application process (How to apply for funding)

-Application Criteria

-Call-out Announcement

-Practical exercises/ activities for classifications procedures, guideline and processes by FPB

-Ratings and categorizations of films

-Distribution laws

-Offensive content/ film creation

-Production laws

-Regulations for film screenings, festivals and digital application developers

-Penalties etc.

 

The Durban Film Office encourages all filmmaker including emerging filmmakers to attend this information session to prepare themselves as the funding for the next cycle will open soon.

This will be a full day programme from 08h30 to 15h30 and filmmakers are encouraged to start arriving at 08h00 for registration process and covid-19 screening so that the workshop will start on time.

NB: in keeping up with COVID-19 safety measures and health precautions, NO MASK, NO ENTRY .

To RSVP for your attendance, email filmdurban2@durban.gov.za and for any enquiries contact the Durban Film Office Development Officer, Nosipho Hlophe: email nosipho.hlophe@durban.gov.za or call DFO on 031 311 4243.

KUNENE AND THE KING

(Above: John Kani & Michael Richard)

The Playhouse Company in association with the Joburg Theatre present Kunene and the King from June 25 to July 3, 2022.

How do you put a nation’s history on stage? In this remarkable play, Dr John Kani – as formidable a writer as he is an actor – does it through a confrontation between two men who represent polarized aspects of the South African experience.

Marking 28 years since the country’s first post-apartheid democratic elections, the play becomes an exploration of race, class, politics, theatre, and the potentially unifying power of Shakespeare.

Written by John Kani and directed by Janice Honeyman, Kunene and the King makes its return to South African theatres with performances running at The Playhouse Opera from June 25 to July 3, 2022.

Limited seats available. Book your tickets today. https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1515123078

 

LITTLE RED RIDES AGAIN!

(Above: Bryan Hiles as the Big Bad Wolf towers above Cara Roberts & Belinda Henwood)

KickstArt, in association with The Durban Botanic Gardens Trust presents Little Red Rides Again, further tales of Little Red Riding Hood, which comes to the Durban Botanic Gardens Amphitheatre in time for the July school holidays from July 1 to 17, 2022.

Not long after the story we all know, Little Red Riding Hood returns to Granny’s cottage in the woods for a sleepover. But their evening of baking and bed-time stories is soon interrupted by an unwelcome knock at the door from a furry paw… Another wolf is on the prowl, and Little Red and Granny must use all their wits and ingenuity to keep him out… or be gobbled up for dinner!

Kickstart and three delightful comic actors, Bryan Hiles, Belinda Henwood and Cara Roberts return to the Durban Botanic Gardens this July Holiday for a hilariously rowdy re-telling of this well-loved tale.

Booby-traps, pranks and pratfalls abound, as Little Red and Granny teach the Big Bad Wolf a serious lesson about bullying, and unexpectedly, learn a thing or two themselves. This original, new family show is devised by the Company, and designed and directed by Greg King.

Show times: Mornings at 11h00, Matinees at 14h30 on certain days. See full schedule of shows online at Webtickets.

Duration: One hour (No interval). Suitable for ages 4 to 12

Venue will open one hour prior to performance time for bring-your-own picnics.

Ticket prices: Adults R150, Wrigglies (kids 0-12) and Wrinklies (OAP’s) R120. Booking at Webtickets

Parking at Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre, John Zikhali Road.