Wizard of Oz
DIRECTOR: Darren King
CAST: Donnagh Roberts, Jacobus van Heerden, Marc Kay, Thomie Holtzhausen, Daisy Spencer, Anthony Stonier
VENUE: Suncoast Sunzone
UNTIL: January 13
RATING: ***
THE festive revelry at Suncoast Sunzone is already in full swing with this year’s adult pantomime, The Wizard of Oz.
This classic – with an adult panto twist – sees Dorothy (but you can call her Dotty) fleeing a murder scene and in search of the Wizards of Oz (Australia) whom she hopes can give her a passport to allow her entry into the country.
Along the way she meets a host of characters who add to the hilarity and join her on her quest to enter Oz.
Donnagh Roberts plays Dorothy. The Cowardly Lion, The Tin Man and The Scarecrow are played by Jacobus van Heerden, Marc Kay and Thomie Holtzhausen, respectively. Daisy Spencer is the Good Witch and doubles as the narrator, with Anthony Stonier in the role of the Wicked Witch.
The cast keep the laughs coming with their side-splitting antics. Roberts is a hit as Dorothy who, in this version of the story, is modelled on a plaasmeisie who grew up in Umkomaas. She is hilarious and loveable as she scrambles to explain that she “dirren mean” to commit the murder. Her singing is a pleasure to listen to.
Van Heerden is a scream in his role as Moffie the Lion; Scarecrow (Holtzhausen), with his inability to focus when in close proximity to Dorothy’s breasts, is a laugh; Spencer is hilarious; and Stonier, of course, shines in his role. His wicked antics provide a barrel of laughs and his rapport with the audience makes the show all the more enjoyable.
Kay as The Tin Man is also quite funny, however his accent, which is supposed to be based on the stereotypical coloured guy from Wentworth in Durban, misses the mark and instead comes across as a Cape coloured’s Afrikaans accent. Perhaps the character should be from the Cape Flats instead of Wentworth.
Spencer’s choreography added additional frill to this musical. Kevin Ellis and Gareth Greaves have created some of the most beautiful costumes, which complement the characters very well.
A clever set design by Darren King, Greg King and Bryan Hiles sees the production with a yellow brick road that leads out into the audience, which is quite a lot of fun for the those in attendance.
Scriptwriter and director King has again delivered a laugh-a-minute piece of panto. However, a bit of a warning: this year’s script contains a few jokes and sexual innuendo which, although done in the context of an adult panto, can be seen to cross the line and for some – including me – it was a bit hard to swallow… ja, it was that kind of humour.
Of course, your reaction will depend entirely on your sense of humour.
l Catch The Wizard of Oz (PG16) from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7.30pm and on Sundays at 2pm. Doors open 90 minutes before the show for diners. Drinks are available at the bar. Tickets cost between R110 and R130 at Computicket: (083 915 8000 or www.computicket. com) and seating is tables of eight. Show runs until January 13.