January 4, 2006
By Tammy O'Reilly
IF you're in search of entertainment with a difference this year, then look no further than the Johannesburg Civic Theatre. The 2006 shows are set to pleasantly rock, mock and shock you.
This year's line-up includes a tribute to music heavyweights Queen, the return of the hilarious Chilli Boy that had audiences' mouths agape last year, and the tragedy Shakespeare tells of in Macbeth.
The Merry Widow
Setting the tone for the rest of the year is Franz Lehar's operetta,
The Merry Widow, performed and directed by Britain's famed Carl Rosa Opera Company.
With a 50-year absence from the South African stage, the company has stopped at nothing to make sure to put on a memorable show on its return.
Some of the UK's most popular opera and theatre stars make up the cast, and the sets and costumes have been designed by one of the industry's masters in design, Hugh Durrant.
Directed by Peter Mulloy, the operetta tells the story of the glamorous widow Hanna, who tires of mourning and goes in search of new companionship. In her quest to find a new beau, she gets tangled in a dangerous dating game that opens old wounds and lays bare her true character.
The Merry Widow is on the Nelson Mandela stage from Tuesday 8 February to Friday 4 March.
Tickets, from R140 excluding the booking fee, can be purchased online at Computicket, or telephonically on 083 915 8000. Special discounts for groups of 10 or more are available from the Civic Theatre's VIP Ticketing service on 011 877 6854.
Macbeth
No theatre line-up would be complete without a sprinkling of Shakespeare and this year a full-scale production is one of the most popular.
Macbeth, presented by the Actor's Centre, will be performed by the largest cast Gauteng has ever seen on stage in a drama. The cast consists of seasoned performers as well as amateurs who are currently being taken through a rigorous six-week training and rehearsal process in preparation for the show.
The shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies, Macbeth is a stirring tale of love destroyed by the lust for power. Under the directorship of Mark Graham, the actors will bring to the fore the themes of witchcraft and ghostly manifestations that have fascinated audiences, directors and actors for centuries.
The production, at the Tesson Theatre, is on from Wednesday 15 February until Saturday 11 March. Performances are from Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm. All tickets are R60 and can be booked at Computicket.
Tango Fire
Come 7 March, the hottest young tango company from Buenos Aires will set the Nelson Mandela stage alight with its thrilling new show,
Tango Fire. Ten nimble dancers and a quartet of young musicians will take audiences on a journey of the history of the world's most alluring dance.
Born in the red light districts of Buenos Aires at the turn of the 20th century, tango was the dance of fugitives, pimps and immigrants and at one stage was banned by the Cardinals of Rome for its erotic power.
The show has already played to audiences in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America and for two weeks will grace the theatre's stage.
Tango Fire will be performed from 7 to 19 March. Performances are from Tuesday to Thursday at 8pm, Friday at 6pm and 9pm, Saturday at 5pm and 8pm, and on Sundays at 3pm.
Tickets from R140 are already on sale at Computicket.
Chilli Boy
Chilli Boy, a play about an Indian woman who dies and is reincarnated as a racist white gangster from Boksburg is the theatre's comedy highlight for the year.
Mathew Ribnick brings to life this wacky character who, after having flashbacks of his previous life, begins behaving more like a timid housewife instead of the fighter and brawler he is.
All tickets are R70 and are available from Computicket. The play is on at the Tesson Theatre from 22 March to 16 April.
Rock a Tutu
The South African Ballet Theatre presents
Rock A Tutu from 24 March to 9 April at the Nelson Mandela Theatre.
With the help of an unlikely score of pop music, this ballet takes timeless fairy tales, turns them upside down and gives them new life.
Tickets are R65 including booking fees and are available at Computicket.
Soweto Gospel Choir
Following their astounding success on the international stage, a performance at Carnegie hall that was sold out six months in advance, and a phenomenal US tour, the Soweto Gospel Choir returns to the Civic Theatre for a limited concert series.
The 26-strong choir comprises the best talent from churches in Soweto, and with their powerful voices and harmonising prowess, the singers share their joy of faith and worship. Add to this energetic dancing, vibrant costumes and a four-piece band and the show becomes an evocative experience.
Tickets are from R75, excluding booking fees. This show begins 15 April.
The Woman In Black
It's been some time since a theatrical thriller was seen on the Johannesburg stage, and in celebration of its return, the Tesson Theatre is set to be the scene of one of the world's most celebrated thrillers -
The Woman In Black.
The play recalls the events at an eerie house in rural England when, as a junior solicitor, Arthur Kipps is asked to attend the funeral of the only occupant of the house.
At first he is oblivious to the secrets hidden behind the shutters, but the sight of a young woman at the funeral and the ensuing events instils a sense of unease in him that never leaves.
Years later, Kipps recalls these events to an actor friend. The play unfolds around the conversation of these two characters as they act out his experiences all those years ago.
The Woman In Black runs at the Tesson Theatre from May 4. All tickets are R120, excluding Computicket fees.
We Will Rock You
Originally a unique collaboration between rock legends Queen and one of the UK's most successful writers Ben Elton,
We Will Rock You is set in a time when live music is banned on earth and when those in control feed the population a diet of synthesised pop music. Enter the young Galileo Figaro who helps them rediscover themselves and live music.
This show will feature an all South African cast, with set designs created by Mark Fisher and Willie Williams who have designed stages for the likes of U2, Janet Jackson, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones.
The musical has won countless awards and has been seen by over four million people.
We Will Rock You opens on Tuesday 9 May. Performances are on Tuesday to Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm and 6pm.
Tickets are available from R100 at Computicket.
Hoot
Matthew Ribnick, of
Chilli Boy, has his second stint at the Tesson Theatre as he produces and stars in
Hoot. This one-man play sees him bring a cast of over 20 characters to life as he tells the story of a white man who loses everything and has no alternative but to become a taxi driver.
Hoot is on from Tuesday to Friday at 8 pm, Saturdays at 6pm and 8:30pm, and Sunday at 3pm.
All tickets are R70, excluding Computicket fees. Parental guidance is advised and the show runs for 75 minutes with no interval.
Aladdin
And finally, the theatre continues with its tradition of putting on a festive pantomime as the last show for the year. This year is no different and Joburgers can look forward to another Janice Honeyman special - this time it's
Aladdin, complete with flying carpet and the glittering Cave of Jewels.
The cast is yet to be announced but Honeyman promises a star studded cast and one international celebrity.
Aladdin is on at the Nelson Mandela Theatre from 1 November.
Booking at Computicket has already opened and tickets for previews range from R65 to R125. Prices for all other performances range from R115 to R175, excluding booking fees.
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