Theatre

STOP PRESS

News just in that The Final Cut the hilarious cricket `send-up' directed by Tamar Meskin with Ben Voss and John van de Ruit will play Kwasuka from November 1 to 14. Book on 309-2236.

Kwasuka has joined the list of outlets selling D'ARTS magazines.

DIE LAASTE STROOI

The works of Afrikaans author C J Langehoven feature in Die Laaste Strooi running in the Playhouse's Sanlam Loft Theatre from October 20 to November 1. Directed and written by the award-winning Ilse van Hemert (who also directed Uit de Bloute which ran at the Playhouse last year) De Laaste Strooi is a traditional whodunnit set in the 1920s.

The play stars Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Chris van Niekerk, Richard van der Westhuizen and Pieter Brand.

A major challenge of Ilse van Hemert's work in researching the play was to make Langehoven's work (usually read rather than heard), theatre-friendly.

The show, sponsored by Toyota SA, radiosondergrense and Sabena/ Nationwide is on a nationwide tour. It received rave reviews at the Klein Karoo Kunstefees.

ANOTHER FOR GREIG

Already a multi award-winner for White Men With Weapons KZN actor, play-wright and director Greig Coetzee won best script of a new South African play for his poignant The Blue Period of Milton van der Spuy in the 1997/98 FNB Vita Cape Town regional theatre awards.

AFRIKAANS PLAYS

Retrenched Playhouse Artists' Pro-ductions offer Afrikaans one-act plays with music and singing for schools.

Liewe Heksie in Kabouterland illustrates various life skills and is suitable for Grade R to Grade 4. The main character is shown in different real life situations where she copes with various challenges.

An action-packed and entertaining play suitable for learners from grade five to 12, Sondag Kos Vyf Pesos, calls for much audience participation and is based on a theme of cultural diversity.

Both productions are 60-minutes long and cost R4 per pupil.

Phone 082 979-5657 or telefax 25-2119.

MAHATMA vs GANDHI

Running in the Playhouse Drama until October 4 is Mahatma vs Gandhi proba-bly one of the finest pieces of theatre Durban has seen in a long time. Three extremely fine performances are given by international performers Boman Irani as Gandhi, Jayati Bhatla as his long-suffering wife Kasturba and director Feroz Khan who also plays their son Harilal. They are well-supported by the rest of the cast which includes local actors and actresses.

A WOMAN'S SPACE

The University of Natal's department of drama and performance studies present a festival of women's plays in the Square Space Theatre on the campus from October 5 to 10.

Spit or Swallow written and directed by Caroline Duck looks at the lives of four students and what makes them tick. Women in Brown written and directed by Krijay Govender, and Hoot-ers devised by Zoe Parker had a successful run in the Playhouse Sanlam Loft last month.

Directed by Tanya du Plessis, For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf, directed by Tanya du Plessis and choreographed by Marie-Heleen, is a choreo-poem dealing with the issues facing African-American women in contemporary urban life.

"Treat her, and her bra, with respect, love and interest and it's surprising how much more you enjoy the gifts inside" describes Second-Hand Goods written and choreographed by Sarahleigh Castelyn.

The double-bill devised and directed by Tina le Roux comprises Inside My Jewel Box, a look at the female body as well as Connections with my Father which reflects Milan Kundera's words "The struggle against oppression is the struggle of memory against forgetting."

With Tears in my Navy Blue Eyes, written and directed by Gail Snyman in collaboration with the Mad Caps, is a social history of Merebank and Wentworth.

Tickets R5 except for Tears in My Navy Blue Eyes (R10). Lunch-hour shows are free and you can get tickets at the door.

TADA AND SHY SHARK

Tada and the Shy Shark is a children's play with music and dance about a boy called Tada and a baby shark who gets washed into a rock pool. Growing up together, their lives develop as they experience various adventures.

The 15-strong cast consists of Nita Allsopp as the Shy Shark with Nicholas Morell as Tada. Young students of the Kwasuka Theatre School will play cha-racters such as Starby Starfish, Oswald Octopus, Great Shark, Colonel Cod and Samuel Seahorse. They will be joined by students of the Linda Vargas School of Spanish Dance.

The play, which places strong emphasis on audience participation, runs at Kwasuka Theatre from October 24 to 28. To book phone 309-2236.

KWASUKA'S COOL

The Kwasuka Theatre is a little gem of a theatre but up until recently it's been a fairly hot spot. While theatre director Pieter Scholtz has sunk a major amount of his personal finances into refurbishing what was an old hall on the corner of Kent and Stamford Hill Roads, this funding had to cover necessities and things like air conditioning had to wait.

Fortunately a kind benefactor who suffered the heat of a particularly swel-tering opening night of Horowitz and Mrs Washington decided that, for the future success of the theatre, airconditio-ning couldn't wait!

Preferring to remain anonymous, this lover of theatre instructed Pieter to source an effective system, get quotes, and have it fitted as soon as possible.

A Mr Slim Mitsubishi system, compri-sing three unobtrusive compact ceiling cassettes keeps the temperature accurate to within half a degree.

So, stand by for some real cool shows from Kwasuka!

RADIO 60

The musical comedy Radio 60 Some-thing, presented by MicMac Music opens at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on October 5 to run for one week only.

These shows have proved popular nation-wide and this latest production promises to beat all box office records.

The show features drummer Mike McCullach (of the McCully Workshop fame, who also directs the show), guitarist Andre Fourie, Mary Anne Ray on bass and saxophonist Helena Fagan, a hit with her rendition of Baker Street.

Also notable are Christian Marais tribute to Buddy Holly and Dennis Baker's ren-dition of A Little Help from my Friends and American Pie. Others in the cast include Loreen Chesling, Jenny Endean and Amanda Wilson.

Tickets at R38,50 from Computicket. Discounted prices available for block bookings of over 50.

NICOLA STORIES

Between them, Adi Paxton and Caroline Palmer have a fair amount of experience in children's theatre - Adi as Cherry the Magical Clown and Caroline for her numerous appearances in children's plays. Together they have pooled their resources to create a touring school programme of the well-known Nicola Stories written by child counsellor, Mary Hudson of the Sunday Tribune Fighting Chance Foundation.

The programme aims to develop skills using stories about manners, self-protection and customs presented in an entertaining manner and 20% of the proceeds will be donated to Fighting Chance which provides assistance to children in need.

Prices range from R2 to R4 per pupil depending on numbers. To book, phone Adi or Caroline on 21-2515.

The actresses are appealing for sponsor-ship to allow them to take the show to underprivileged schools, hospitals and children's homes, etc.

MULE COMEDY

Remember the D'ARTS wrap-up of the Grahamstown Festival? Readers may recall how Allan Committie impressed with his send-up of Richard III as did Canada's Magic Man with his unique style. Durbanites can see these come-dians for in the award-winning Smirnoff Mule Comedy Roadshow.

Having played to capacity houses in Cape Town last year, the show has a limited run in the Playhouse Opera from October 6 to 17.

Presented by East Coast Radio, the Smirnoff Mule Comedy Roadshow is South Africa's largest comedy project, showcasing a combination of local and international artists. Local prime stand-up comics Mark Banks, John Vlismas, Alyn Adams, Sean Griggs, Soli Philander, Alistair Prodgers, David Levinsohn and Allan Committie share the stage with Martin Davis (host at London's Comedy Café), top Irish comic Nick Wilty and Canada's Magic Man.

Tickets at R35 through Computicket.

ADAMS PLAYWRIGHTS

The Adams Playwrights Festival 1998 will be staged at the Kwasuka Theatre with technical support, advice and design by Production Projects.

The brainchild of Macbeth and Co, a performing arts company, this year's event promises to be the best yet.

The 1998 Adams Playwrights Festival features Greig Coetzee's award-winning Blue Period of Milton van der Spuy and funny man Patrick Kenny's Cunning Linguist as well as Diet Coke and Lattitudes written by Catherine Mace and performed by Macbeth and Co.

Also on offer will be a new work by Patrick Hyland titled Elle Incidental, Shireen James's Alice Threw the Looking the Glass and two other new works yet to be confirmed.

The festival runs from October 29 to 31. Contact Catherine Mace on 28-7019.

DOGGY'S TALE

Running at the Animal Farm's Fairytale Theatre until October 2 is A Doggy's Tale, Garth Anderson's delightful play for young children aged three to 10.

Children enthusiastically join in the fun as Itchy the fox terrier tries to elude the dreaded dog-catcher. Nice performances all round from Lindsay Sullivan, Linda Sokhulu and Francis Gavin.

Durban Arts members may call Denise on 262-9149 with their membership numbers to claim one free ticket for a child per each adult ticket booked.

SA COLLECTOR

Dennis Schauffer explores the psycho-logical make-up of an abductor in his play, The South African Collector, which is running in the Playhouse Sanlam Loft until October 18.

The play was inspired by the gripping '60s novel by John Fowles, The Collec-tor in which a psychologically disturbed young man aims to add a beautiful young girl to his butterfly collection.

Starring Patrick Collyer as the abductor and Jayloshni Naidoo as his hostage, The South African Collector stays with the abductor/hostage scenario although its male character is a socially dysfunc-tional middle-aged songwriter who hopes that, by striking up a meaningful rela-tionship with his captive, he will rekindle his musical inspiration.

SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY

The KZN branch of the Shakespeare Society is very active and meets on a regular basis. On October 11, English lecturer Barbara Barkhuizen will discuss King Lear. For more details, phone Hildé Slinger on 25-7893.

PASSION PLAY

The Durban Catholic Players' Guild plans to stage a production of The Passion Play in the year 2000 and wishes to contact past cast members as well as anyone who would be interested in the production, particularly sponsors! Phone Gordon Turner on 23-4682 or 082 463 0170.

PUPPET OPERA

After its production The Elves and the Shoemaker which played to capacity audiences in Durban, Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg, Puppetree Productions is about to launch its next show.

This will be an English translation of Mozart's fourth opera, Bastien and Bastienne (written in 1768 when he was just 12) which will be presented at Kwasuka Theatre from October 8 to 18.

"But you don't have to be a musico-logist to enjoy this beautiful music" says Puppetree puppetmaster and director Andrew Godbold. "The tale of a love quarrel resolved by magic and human nature and set in a rural village is masterfully told."

Presented in association with the Durban Singers Studio, the hour-long show fea-tures the voices of Stacey Almond, Trevor Khumalo and Richard Salmon.

"The marionettes, scenery and lighting are beautifully in scale and detailed," says Andrew." I don't believe that Durban has seen marionette theatre of this calibre before."

Pulling the strings with Andrew are ex-Munich marionetteer Pamela Tancsik as well as Thandiwe Mvula and Patricia Liversage.

Tickets at R20, R15 and R13 (R10 block bookings, students, pensioners and children 12 and under). Phone 23-0825, 903-5279 or 309-2236 to book.