Former boxer Brian Mitchell, who plays the ringmaster in the play, with Bernard Jay, CEO of the Civic Theatre

RELATED LINKS: Packed theatre line-up for holidays JOZI'S theatres are buzzing with entertainment, laughter, music and dance this festive season. Read more Soweto Arts Festival in full swing KICKING off the last fortnight before Christmas, the Soweto Arts Festival is chock-full of art, music, film and dance. Read more School's out for summer IT'S December and the summer holidays stretch out ahead of us. To keep the children from boredom, there is a feast of holiday programmes on the cards. Read more Bob wants his job back BOB is an angry man - he has lost his girlfriend and now the culprit who stole her has pinched his lead role in the new play. Bob wants revenge, and in Ssh … Bob he gets it. Read more

Honeyman puts on another winner WITH Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Janice Honeyman has cemented her position as the leading lady of panto. Long may she reign. December 14, 2005 By Sally-Ann Niven IN Goldilocks and the Three Bears Janice Honeyman has put together yet another outstanding example of how a pantomime should be produced. Her characters, ranging from the elderly (Tobie Cronje, again in the lead, as the dame Gertie Grosbolletje) to the young (energetic Backstage heart-throb Carlo McFarlane) are spot on. Marc Lottering as the villain Malicio Malgat is hilarious, playing the character as a green-tinged Elvis Presley-type character whose jokes are geared for both young and old. Goldilocks is played by Natasha Staples of Chicago fame. And although we never see the actors inside the singing and dancing bear costumes, they enchant. The addition of Brian Mitchell, the pint-sized welterweight, as the ringmaster is charming and works well considering he is the only non-professional on the stage. This year Honeyman has weaved a circus theme into the classic fairytale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, creating a two-hour performance out of a rather thin story. She added trapeze artists and acrobats, four-wheelers and lasers, which are fascinating for today's techno kids. True to panto nature, the audience is encouraged - forced really - to "boo" the baddie, support the good guys and pat your neighbour's bottom during the singalong, to the huge amusement of children and adults alike. The costumes and set changes are perfectly timed to keep the pace moving along smoothly and keep the attention of all ages in the audience. Honeyman's pantomime have become a regular fixture on Joburg's annual calendar and after this year's offering we hope she continues the tradition. Goldilocks and the Three Bears is on at the Nelson Mandela Theatre in the Civic Theatre complex, in Braamfontein. Tickets are available from the box office on 011 877 8655 and at Computicket for R110 to R145. The final show is on 31 December. The shows are at 7.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; at 12pm and 4pm on Friday and Sunday; and on Saturday at 11am, 3pm and 7.30pm. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za