Two new musicals about to hit South African stages.
Audiences will be the first to see two brand new South African chamber musicals at the Athenaeum Theatre in Gqebera at the end of March. “La Familia” by Ntlantla Swana & Khanyisa Sigwanda, as well as “Call Me A Fool” by Leah Mari, are produced by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in association with Mandela Bay Theatre Complex. The production includes the acclaimed Janice Honeyman, who has provided dramaturgical support to the two new musical theatre writers. These musicals are the culmination of the inaugural “Cabaret and Beyond Festival“.
An exciting line-up of creatives and cast members have been assembled in Durban, where rehearsals are currently underway. Internationally recognized playwright and director Philisiwe Twijnstra is directing “La Familia“, a show about the pressures of being firstborn in a South African township family. Minenhle Sikhosana takes the role of Sihle, who must find ways to navigate the pressures from her family while trying to keep up with Lisa, her sassy schoolfriend, played by Kaylee McIlroy. Mom and Dad are played by Sam Hlope, well known for her role as “Chunks” on Isithembiso and Mduduzi Nombela, a favourite on the Imbewu: The Seed television series.
Mari’s musical, “Call Me A Fool“, is a modern-day tale about the risks of falling in love too quickly, seen through the eyes of Amy and Zara, played by Roshanda Lewis and Kaylee McIlroy (who appears in both shows). Roshanda has been seen in Kickstart musical productions and is a recent AFDA graduate. Kaylee McIlroy graduated from UCT Drama School and appeared in Juliet Jenkin’s piece, “Woolworths” and “Horn of Sorrow”, which recently toured throughout KZN. Musical director and much-loved Durban jazz pianist Evan Roberts took the cast through the score with Steven Stead, of Kickstart fame, directing.
Project manager Roland Perold, who also musically directs “La Familia“, says the rehearsal period is keeping everyone on their toes:
“These are one-act musicals, each 50 minutes long. The writers’ and composers’ styles are very different, so there’s great variety emanating from the two rehearsal spaces. The audience is going to get a lot of bang for their buck seeing these vastly different sounding, and looking, productions that will play together as a double bill with an interval”.
The run at the Athenaeum in Gqebera (Port Elizabeth) is from 24 – 26 March, with tickets available from the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex (24th at 19:00, 25th at 16:00, 26th at 15:00). The production will return to Durban for a limited engagement at Seabrooke’s Theatre: Thursday 31 March – Saturday 2 April at 19:00 and Sunday 3 April at 11:00. Tickets for the Durban run on sale for R100 through www.webtickets.co.za
