El Rincon Flamenco, the Johannesburg-based Spanish dance company, is to stage a glittering dance extravaganza, Esencia Flamenca, at The Lesedi (formerly known as The Fringe and Tesson Theatre), Joburg Theatre, from May 30th until June 2nd.

This heady cocktail of passion, drama and rhythmic tapas for the soul is guaranteed to lift the spirit and have you toe-tapping in your seat.

Esencia Flamenca means Essence of Flamenco in English and the spectacular show, directed by the celebrated Dame Hazel Acosta, who founded the El Rincon Company 30 years ago, encapsulates the pulsating spirit of the dance in its myriad of forms.

Dame Hazel is using the show to pay homage to the prolific Federico Garcia Lorca, the famous Spanish poet, playwright and theatre director of the 1930’s.

The first half of the show is inspired and based on the play, The House of Bernarda Alba. Set in a house in a Spanish village, the story uncovers the intertwined dynamics between a family’s matriarch and her daughters.

Joanne Bobrow and Rosana Maya, co-producers and choreographers, portray this renowned work in a contemporary, ambient setting with immense attention to detail.

Bernarda is adapted by Rosana Maya and she will be performing the title role of Bernarda.

The second half of the show is imbued with different, yet equally delicious flavours, and is mostly choreographed by Mireille Lenferna.

It has the power to entice its audience into savouring the quintessential cornerstones of authentic flamenco; live music, song, rhythm and of course, dance.

Adding style and glamour to the production are El Rincon’s talented crew of principal dancers, South Africa’s own guest stars, Durban guitarist Demi Fernandez and Cape Town dancer and percussionist, Ndumiso ‘Faya’ Tafeni. There will also be a troupe of exciting up-and-coming talent.

Since 2005, Esencia Flamenca marks the fourth major theatre production under the co-directorship of established dancers and former students of Dame Hazel Acosta, Joanne Bobrow and Mireille Lenferna.

The company boasts a dozen hand-picked dancers, most of whom are also creative souls within their own careers.

Tickets available from Joburg Theatre.

The post Esencia Flamenca appeared first on Stage and Screen.

By Jaco Lotriet

It never ceases to amaze me how an actor can walk onto a stage in a one-man show and manage to keep the audience enthralled for an hour or even longer, sticking to a script, perhaps ad-libbing on the odd occasion and never losing the audience’s attention. Critically acclaimed theatre actor and TV personality Mortimer Williams does exactly this and more during his performance of The Full Morty. The title in itself, is a parody of the film The Full Monty but obviously with a play on an abbreviated version of his own name. Williams reveals all, literally and figuratively, although it might not be the way you think… This candid production is guaranteed to have you reeling in your seat in a humour packed, side-splitting 70 minute presentation, centred on testosterone, as the main theme.

Almost immediately apparent from the onset, is the cleverly written script that encapsulates a devilish naughtiness. Thrown into this mix of cabaret-infused stand-up comedy, is Williams’ sharp wit, precisely executed comedic timing and onstage antics, creating a winning formula. His engaging delivery takes us into fascinating, uncharted territory, starting with adolescence and ending with parenthood, all the while dispensing great tips to the male members of the audience, in their encounters with their female counterparts. This by no means suggests that the ladies feel left out… On the contrary and much to my delight, I observed it was the female audience members who responded resoundingly to his questions! Williams encouraged truthful answers, in what he called ‘a safe space’ and rest assured, the answers were truthful, as one would expect in such a tongue-in-cheek production.

Being a first time attendee of this show and seeing Williams as an actor on stage, I was quite amazed by his talent and charisma, in all facets of his acting ability. One is hard-pressed to believe that Williams is actually delivering the vocals to the classic songs, rendered during the show. The magic of the music was enhanced with Williams’ energetic and spiced up dance moves, as well as his ability to effortlessly immerse himself in the different cultures and accents of South Africa. His strong deliverance and well thought out routines strung the audience members along as he illustrated his relatable stories, supported by those musical snippets.

Off the stage, on the small screen, Mortimer Williams is no stranger to anyone. His impressive resume attests to this and he is best known for his starring role as Ricci September in the TV series Erfsondes, and was also seen in 7de Laan and Isidingo, to name but a few. Theatre credits include Richard Lorings’ African Footprint, The Young Ones and That’ll Be The Day.

Complementing the production’s creativity, is AFDA graduate writer / director, Kristy Suttner. She is a singer and actress in her own right, performing in Fiddler on the Roof at The Joburg Theatre and also played lead in Andrew’s Sister and Cabaret. Suttner has most recently been seen alongside Williams in the highly successful Mix Tape, which has had three sell out runs at the National Arts Festival, as well as a season at The Auto and General Theatre on the Square.

The Full Morty is indeed a laughing matter, with Mortimer Williams at his best, leaving the audience entertained in a real naked, South African style of unadulterated humour. Catch this entertaining one-man adventure for six performances only, at The Fringe at Joburg Theatre from 31 May – 5 June 2016.

The post Review: The Full Morty appeared first on Stage and Screen.