The Ultimate Variety Show
CAST: Belinda Dolphin, Roland, Stansell, Derek Pearce, Greg Baptie, Charel Haasbroek and Trevor Gandy
VENUE: The Rhumbelow Theatre
RUNNING UNTIL: Sunday
RATING: ****
BRINGING you top notch entertainment in music, magic, comedy, drag, opera and dancing is The Ultimate Variety Show.
The Family Players and their friends feature in this one-of-a-kind show and they include Belinda Dolphin, Roland Stansell, Derek Pearce, Greg Baptie, Charel Haasbroek and Trevor Gandy.
The first act features tracks such as Pink’s Let’s Get This Party Started, Rihanna’s Diamonds and Josh Groban’s My Way. While the second half included Adele’s Skyfall, Whitney Houston’s One Moment in Time and the Chicago hit Razzle Dazzle.
From the moment the curtains rise, the show is highly entertaining and the cast do a great job on stage. Their synergy really comes across and they are all skilled and passionate performers.
Stansell is easy-going and as hilarious as ever. You can instantly tell that he is well-established on the comedy theatre circuit. The audience love him and it’s no surprise why. He is bubbly and charismatic.
During the first act, Stansell does magic tricks and interacts with the audience as the objects which were once in the palm of his hand miraculously appear in their possession. His performance of How the Hell Can I Believe You? stood out. Making use of two hats, he impersonated the male and female vocalists by very cleverly and quickly changing from one hat to the next. That took a lot of skill and he pulled it off marvellously.
Another performance that was quite memorable was Pearce and Gandy’s Tennesse Waltz. Here, the entertainers were disguised as two old women doing a sort of mime comedy because of fact that they had no teeth. On the night I attended, the audience were in stitches as they watched this amusing act.
Then there’s female vocalist, Dolphin. She captivated the audience with her powerful vocals and is a true performer. She received applause throughout the night for her skilled performances.
Another favourite of the audience was Haasbroek. He has a great voice and all the theatrical abilities needed for the stage.
Other performances that stood out were Pearce’s Sonbrolletjie, Haasbroek and Dolphin’s the Lady Loves Me, Baptie’s One Moment in Time and let’s not forget Stansell’s Teach Me Tiger in which he was dressed in a leopard-print attire.
The costumes were also spot on for the rest of the cast. From glitzy showbiz to hilarious outfits, it was a fine job. The entire crew should be commended on their performances in this production as they fitted well together.
Overall, The Ultimate Variety Show is a production for all ages. It has a bit of everything to keep you entertained throug out the evening.
• The shows runs from Friday to Sunday at The Rhumbelow. Tickets are R100 at Computicket or call 031 205 7602.