The Louw Down: October 2014

by our Editor

October, also my birthday month, seems to be a month to keep the calendar open, that is, if you are not on a private charter airplane to address the US government. The sad part, is that I am turning 36, but the good news is that the entertainment that awaits us for the rest of this year, will bring out the young heart in all of us.

September was also a very good month, for various reasons. It was the start of Masterchef, as well as the announcement of the Top 11 of this year’s, the 10th season  of SA Idols.  We all still have our favourites in both the Masterchef and Idols reality series, so it is left to time, and weekly episodes of thrilling suspense, to see who comes out as the cooking Idol, or the Idol cook.  Just a reminder, that Idols is now broadcasting 2 hour shows on Sundays, with the Live Show, as well as the Live results, happening in that time slot.  The normal Tuesday results show, is therefore left for other MNet Programming.

More, in the Small Screen section, is that ASTV, the Afrikaans Channel on OpenviewHD, is also growing from strength to strength, and I believe the growth can even be faster, if the Afrikaans community knows about this exciting new satellite television Platform.

SABC news… well, we will not mention the bad flavour left by the Generations strike, which caused the show to return with a new concept, as the new generation of this soap will star, a brand new cast when it resumes.  It does not seem all well at the Public Broadcaster, as 7de Laan can also expect major changes, as the overwhelming white cast and crew of this Afrikaans soap, is not representing enough of South African demographics.  I just wonder how many white actors will star in the new Generations, to make this demographic representation fair?

Regarding productions on our Theatre Stages in September, I can write a lot, but here is the Louw down.  What was big in this last month, was Cirque E’loise ID, which I thought would have been bigger, but after more feed-back about the show, the main complaint, if I can call it that, was that the show was much too short.  Maybe this slight positive criticism, will see a more extended production in the future.

With a ballet festival by Joburg Ballet, with La Bayadere and The Nutcracker Re-imaged staged on back-to-back Fridays, the traditional mindset of ballet, was indeed challenged. From the Classical masterpiece of La Bayadere, which saw South Africans and Cuban stars taking it to the stage, it revived that controversial love for the ballet, as it was intended to be.

But then the next week, when we saw the curtain raised on the modernised, and newly choreographed Nutcracker, let me say it, Re-Imagined, it was justified to write a little bit of a not-so-positive review here. I think it is the love for the classics which leaves some of us hesitant to easily accept a modification of such a magnitude. With the Nutcracker being the extremely well-known and loved classic it is, you will expect just that when booking your tickets for a show advertised as being the Nutcracker.  The music, was the magical music of the Nutcracker, but the rest, will be said with mixed feelings.

Firstly, there is no sangoma in the ballet. Secondly, when you want to stage aerial aerobatics, gumboot- and Latino dancing as a ballet, by a reputable Ballet Company, advertised as the Nutcracker (yet re-imagined) I would believe that it will do better, not being incorporated in a ballet at all. Fact for me, is that it is supposed to be a ballet, not something else.  I will not say that the dancing, from the aerial showpieces, to even the gumboot dancing was bad.  It was something awesome, but not in a ballet.  Let’s be South African, and create our own productions.  It didn’t come together for me to see those contemporary dancing being performed on classical music, especially music we all associate with the Nutcracker.

I strongly thought, that if we had one of our many South African musicians brought in to compose a score, relevant and appropriate for the style they presented, we could have had a unique South African Masterpiece produced.  Especially with the face of Madiba, and the South African Coat of Arms, on the decor drops…

Then, while I am ranting, a new phenomenon I noticed manifesting itself in theatre nowadays, is the fact that you may record video clips and take photos, with the producers’ wish to advertise that production on social media. All good and well that we all want to help build on the Theatre and Live Art industry in our country.  I have however, found it very destructing, on more than a few occasion, when I want to enjoy the efforts and hard work of the actors on stage, to get blinded by a bright light of a cell-phone in front of me, trying to take some photos.  Maybe I am wrong, but is this really necessary to spoil the experience for some, just for some awareness it might cause?

I must admit though, I sometimes miss those days, where going to the theatre, was still a fancy affair, with respect for our other theatre lovers.  I will not start talking about Theatres, whose ushers let escorts late-coming patrons to their seats,  after the start of the show… with torches even…

Ok, enough ranting, let’s start raving.  Coming up in the last few months of 2014, is productions that will excite you more than Christmas eve itself.  Firstly, we have the War Horse coming to the Teatro at Montecasino.  I was privileged enough to meet the creators of the show, as well as Joey, the main star, which is a 3-man operated horse, acting as the main attraction.  With this production, originally born in Cape Town, and then achieving multiple praise and recognition in many overseas countries, it is finally returning home, firstly to Johannesburg, and then Cape Town.  Click Here to Meet Joey War Horse

We are also more than excited for the return of the Rocky Horror Picture show, as soon as it is done with their second Cape Town season.  This very popular musical, as proven by the huge demand, will once again feature Brendan van Rhyn as the very controversial drag queen we were kindly forced to love during the first run.  I am mentioning van Rhyn, as most of the feedback I received from the 1st run, was that van Rhyn made the show… even for the conservative theatre patrons who saw dare to see it.  Friday night, 14 November, will see the start of this season at the Pieter Toerien Theatre in Montecasino.  What will really be nice this year, for all the indecisive New Years people, a special New Years Show will be staged at 21:30 on New Years Eve… If this is not all, go dressed up as crazy as you can, and you can even win an Apple iPad Mini…

Staying at the Pieter Toerien theatre, where Mark Lottering returns from the Soho Theatre in London, with his stomach-muscle-attacking one-man Show, This is Captain Lottering Speaking. From the 15th of October, he will crack up audiences of the Pieter Toerien Theatre, by displaying his unique way of stand-up comedy.   And for the more serious theatre fan, who loves the art of stage plays, especially those serious stories with a deep message hidden inside the plot, Michael Richards and Richard Gau, recently seen in Vanya, Marcha, Sonya and Spike, will be joined by some other South African Actors, in the Vertical Hour, which was the fastest selling play in the UK Royal Court. This ethical battle on choices one makes daily, can be seen at the Studio Theatre, from 1 October.

On other entertainment areas, we can expect the Bachelor and Bachelorette SA, being crowned in November. After I met all 10 contestants, and learned about the cause for CANSA it supports, I thought it worth-while, to put the little bit of weight Stage and Screen has, behind this initiative.  You can contact us anytime if you so wish to support this Competition, as well as CANSA, should this charity be close to your heart as well.

If you like the Big Screen, and to top it all, a collaboration with South African magic and Hollywood’s reputation, you should already be aware of Leading Lady, starting in November. With the ever popular Brumilda van Rensburg from South Africa, playing opposite Hollywood’s Katie McGrath, for some better known as the Which Morgana from the Adventures of Merlin, it will be the Movie of the year, produced by Dark Matter Studios.

Also, with this new feature of me writing a monthly blog with my own comments and opinions (and not those implied by the other contributors to this website) comes the new feature where we will support South African musicians, with their newly released CD’s, or albums. We will always strive to support the talent, both established and newly on the scene, to promote the potential, which is far from being at its fullest in our country.  This SA Music section of Stage and Screen is brand new, therefore small, but I believe it will grow just as well as the rest of our site.

Your feedback is most welcome, so please get in touch. From us here at Stage and Screen, many congratulations to Buz Publicity, who were the publicists behind the 67 Blankets for Mandela initiative, who won the ANN7 Award, for Campaign of the year.  Keep surfing our site to find out ways you can contribute to this cause, by adding some knitting to your social activities…

Enjoy the entertainment, and let us know what your thoughts are… on anything!

 

Curtains up…

Louw Mulder