Stage and Screen Stage and Screen is an online publication offering the latest Entertainment news of Productions on Stage, and on Screens.

A Piece of Paradise in the middle of the City. by Louw Mulder Sometimes, you are fortunate enough to discover something special, like a peaceful, tranquil little gem, in the middle of the buzzing city. This time, the luck was on my side, when I got to discover The Garden Venue Boutique Hotel in Northriding. A little paradise, where the sounds and nature-noises muffle the ...

Bennie Boekfilms en Bouwer Bosch Films bring die Film van die Jaar! deur Louw Mulder Verbeel jou ‘n eg-Afrikaanse produksie, gevul met komedie, aksie, en van ons land se top name in een film, en jy sal vining wakker word, met wat ek van mening is, een van die beste Suid-Afrikaanse vollengte speelfilms van hierdie jaar is. Nie net omdat dit met vyf toekennings by die 2017 Silwerskermfees weggeloop ...

Scrooge comes Alive on Stage this Christmas by Louw Mulder The age old tale of the miserable Scrooge in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, is evergreen and familiar to theatre goers worldwide especially with the silly season in full swing! For the first time ever, the tale of goodwill and cheer, has been adapted for the stage by Elizma Badenhorst, with the aim to entertain ...

Very Funny, Somewhat Dirty, but Let’s Rock! by Louw Mulder There are only a few things better in life than to leave a theatre production where you have hit the epiphany of sheer entertainment. Taking nothing away from all the other brilliant theatre productions that stunned audiences this year, but with reference to Rock of Ages, now showing at the Lyric theatre in Gold Reef ...

Reawakening the magic of an age-old fable by David Simmons I am always in awe of the Joburg theatre, especially how year after year, when the silly season snakes its way through the city, we are treated to another enchanting piece of Pantomime magic! The 2017 offering brings a nostalgic and somewhat meaningful story to life, where we get to experience a rollicking ride of ...

A Tale Twisted, Sheer Entertainment. by Louw Mulder I often hear all the whines and the moans from Cape Townians and Durbanites who complain about top shows only coming to Johannesburg. However, lately I am constantly seeing marketing and promotional material of quality productions staged in Cape Town, which never get to see the backstage of a Johannesburg theatre. At this moment, I am referring ...

Powerful Classic brought to life by Vibrant Modern Cast By Louw Mulder After 39 years, when the Original London Cast took to the stage for the inaugural performance of Evita, I was honoured to attend the opening performance of the same production at the Teatro in Montecasino, by Pieter Toerien Productions and David Ian Productions. Knowing the music very well, but with very little knowledge ...

The refined sound of a sibling trio bursts onto the SA Music Scene. By Jaco Lotriet It takes hard work, dedication, focus and an almost uninhibited passion, to compose, arrange and record an album, for any aspiring recording artist. In the cut-throat, make-or-break world that is the music industry, finding your niche is probably one of the most difficult tasks one could possibly hope to ...

A New Age Homage to an Age-Old Classic! By David Simmons The Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the naïve princess who falls into the trap of the evil queen comes to life in the 2017 Joburg Ballet production of Snow White. If you’re waiting for the part where those 7 quirky Dwarves are mentioned, think again, as this Ballet is a total reimagining for a ...

Greenpoint gets Enchanted in the Spiegeltent by Jaco du Plessis It’s a cold and windy evening in the Mother City but that didn’t stop the magic from happening at the Circus. This however isn’t your normal circus, it’s an Enchanted one! The magic takes place in the moonlight shadow of Green Point stadium in what is called the Spiegeltent. For those of you that paid ...

Ek is perfek, want God maak nie Foute nie. Deur Louw Mulder Vroeg in die openingstoneel, ontmoet die kyker die ‘n asemrowende mooi sonsopkoms oor die Namakwalandse berge, maar so raak hierdie natuurskoon vinnig bitter-soet as dit die agtergrond skep vir ‘n ma wat lewe gee aan haar baba, en diè net daar los. Die kyker kom aandagtig tot die idee van die tema geroep, ...

A reawakening of South Africa’s rich history by David Simmons Let’s reflect for a few moments and take a brisk walk down memory lane. It’s 1959 Johannesburg. Sophiatown is a melting pot of culture, vibrancy and not forgetting the impenetrable sounds of Jazz. People come and go, the streets are bustling in true 1950’s style and the gossip at the local bus station imbues a ...

South African Talent delivers Superb Original Musical by Louw Mulder The Nelson Mandela Stage at the Joburg Theatre made history when it staged the World Premiere of Calling Me Home, presented by Shy Music. This production, 100% local, is one of the finest gems ever produced on an SA Stage. It weaves different cultures, different musical genres, into one classical masterpiece. Based on her own ...

Ballet meets its Modern Match By Jaco Lotriet A lot has been said recently about collaborations and the effect it can have on the power of the final product. This theory has yet again been proven on the Mandela Stage of the Joburg Theatre when Joburg Ballet collaborated with Vuyani Dance Theatre and Moving Into Dance Mphatong to create the energetic, vibrant and commanding dance ...

A Little Bit of India, In My Life… By Jaco Lotriet The name Ashoka hails from an ancient Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost the entire Indian sub-continent around 250 BC. Throughout his reign, his utterances rang of frankness and sincerity. In this spirit, a new Indian restaurant opened its doors at Time Square in Pretoria, embracing the Indian culture in all its ...

Eight Characters, Two Actors… and Irma Vep… By Louw Mulder You see the posters, two of South African Theatre giants in drag. You get convinced to go see this show, just because of VR Theatrical’s reputation. Half way through the first act, you think, “What am I watching”. At the end, when the actors take their final bow, you are saying: “I have to come ...

Omvou in ‘n Winter Wonderland van Loutere Luistergenot deur Jaco Lotriet Sommige aspekte van die Afrikaande musiekbefryf het die laaste paar dekades ‘n afwaartse neiging vanuit ‘n produksie, en musikale oogpunt beleef, wat gekenmerk word deur oorweldigende vier-maat ritmes, lirieke wat skrams en herhalend in die snitte beperk word, asook die menige danstemas wat nietemin enorme aanklank by die luister publiek gevind het. Ter verduideliking, ...

Mr Uys, F@k is spelt with an F not a V! by Jaco du Plessis If there is something we South African’s know how to do, it is to laugh at ourselves. We always see the funny side of this rainbow nation of ours, and one man has been a leading force behind some of the best, yet sometimes controversial laughs. Pieter-Dirk Uys stands like ...

Peter gives Wendy a house at Canal Walk By Jaco du Plessis Ask every young boy what superpower he desires and the answer you will most likely get, is to fly! We all know of a young boy who can do just that, Peter Pan. This classic, originally created by author J.M. Barrie in 1904, gets a revival from Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer, just ...

Die Oog van die Storm sien Muller se Tweede Album. Deur Jaco Lotriet Miskien lê die vreugde van die lewe daarin om al die verskillende seisoene van die lewe te aanvaar. Om die geleenthede wat elke seisoen bied, te vier. Dit is juis hierdie tema wat deurgans op Len Muller se nuwe album na vore gebring word. Met hierdie blymoedige mantra het die onverskrokke oud-inwoner ...

War cannot break Love… By Jaco du Plessis In a world where war and violence have become a daily feature, from the news to our social media, one has to ask if we really need to take this subject matter to the stage. My answer is a definite YES! Yes, because of a show like Cheers to Sarajevo, co-written by Aimee Mica Goldsmith and Lidija Marelic, ...

Jong Talent in Nuwe Film is nie Niks nie… deur Louw Mulder. Die afgelope paar jaar, is Afrikaanse Suid-Afrikaanse gehore vermaak met jeugflieks. Ons kyk na Agent 2000, Hollywood in my Huis, Jou Romeo, maar dit is eers nou waar ‘n tema van ‘n diep storie, die onverwagte traan van meegevoel en medelye, saamgesnoer word met die jong talent, om ‘n nuwe fase van jeugfilms in ...

A tuneful peek into the inner workings of a gentle soul. By Jaco Lotriet Stepping out of one’s comfort zone to embrace a larger view of the world, can be a daunting experience. Songstress and musician Stella, did just that, by immersing herself in the world of solo artistry. Having been a member of Duis:Lig, the Ghoema and Tempo awarded gospel band, she fearlessly braved ...

Special New Album By Daniel Baron by Louw Mulder ‘Special’ – Google defines the word special as “Better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual”. With a blossoming South African music Industry, it will really take something extraordinary to be better, greater, and different than the ones before. On the 13th of June, Daniel Baron launched his new album, “Weekend of Mass Destruction” at ...

Fabulous Funny Fanny at the Fugard by Louw Mulder It is not the first time I have had the privilege to review a Fugard Theatre Production, but it is the first time I am writing about a production performed at the Fugard Theatre. Being in Cape Town is always an experience for a Gautenger like me, and to see a professional musical like Funny Girl  ...

“Met elke album, groei my musiek saam my” deur Louw Mulder As ek ooit wou weet hoe die trots van ‘n pa voel as sy seun goed presteer en naam vir homself maak, was daardie aand amper so. Ek het Willem Botha ontmoet op sy reis tot tweede plek in die Idols op Kyknet kompetisie in 2006, en hierdie week, het ek toegekyk hoe hy ...

The Legend of King Arthur meets Saturday Night Fever, in a zany highschool pantomime By Jaco Lotriet Stage and Screen has had the pleasure of reviewing many great stage productions over the last 10 years. When Hoёrskool Randburg invited us to their pantomime production, Ar-Fur, I couldn’t resist. Not knowing what to expect, I nestled comfortably into my seat at the Roodepoort Theatre. What was ...

Priscilla, Phenomenal Fabulous Fun!! by Louw Mulder. After a sold-out season in Cape Town, with raving and praising reviews, it was time for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to embark on its Johannesburg journey. Its run at the Artscape Theatre set the standard very high, and after the opening night in Johannesburg, Priscilla, the Musical, matched all expectations. Over the years, the South African Theatre ...

The Lumineers Wowed crowd of 13 000 in South Africa. by Louw Mulder   When you are attending a Big Concerts production, you can be sure to have a very entertaining experience, no matter who or what you see. This was just yet again the case on Friday night when I got to see The Lumineers live during their second visit to the RSA. A ...

RSA and USA collaboration to hit SA Big Screens by Coen Jacobs   As stated in the 2017 film Love by Chance “Everyone has something special inside of themselves”. This special something is the ingredient of our dreams, but it is yet to be discovered, developed, brought to life and matured to reach its full potential. Even more than that, it has to survive the ...