YOUNG production company, Blunt Productions, are hitting the stage running with their first production of the year, Decadence.
For their third theatre production the company have opted to go with a burlesque show, set in the 1940s with a dash of Gatsby and dollop of modern dance added to the mix just to spice up things a bit.
Writer and producer, Mikhale Singh, said the show is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Cabaret. The music is set in the end of the burlesque era.
“The show follows Anastasia, a passionate young dancer who has always enjoyed playing the line between being a good girl and giving into her naughtier side. This all changes when Anastasia, caught up in a challenge between two dance legends, is forced into choosing a side, a decision that will further the evolution dance, in one way or another.
“Her journey is fraught with temptations ranging from freedom to inebriation to seduction to settling down and starting a family. Follow Anastasia down the rabbit hole, as we see which side she picks and the far-reaching consequences of her actions,” he explained.
Director Preven Reddy said Anastasia’s character needed to be someone who had innocence to them but also a vulnerability and that’s why they cast Sarah Thompson.
“The reason I wanted her particularly is because I did work with her in Legally Blonde (directed by Themi Venturas) and when Mikhale sent me the first draft of the script and I read the character of Anastasia, I knew it had to be Sarah. She’s young and has that vulnerability and that innocence we were looking for in this character.”
Decadence features Thompson and Shannon Newton (who have both starred in numerous Rainbow Young Performers productions), Nqobile Mahlambi, ex-Idols contestant Nidaal Hassim, and introduces Jason Jefferys and Kyle Trytsman.
The ensemble includes Shannyn Zorab, Andile Dube, Jessica-Paige Smith, Naomie Sishi, Rio Notra, Tarryn Trollip, Toks Mahlambi and Veronique Ellis.
Commenting on the choreography in the show, Reddy said what has been achieved is nothing short of amazing.
“Veronique Ellis did our choreography. She is a trained dancer who has done multiple burlesque shows of her own. The most important thing was to tap into and research what burlesque was all about. It wasn’t just about moving and shaking. It was sexy, it was teasing and it was something that the girls weren’t used to, but had to learn.”
Decadence runs at the Seabrooke’s Theatre from Friday to February 25 at 7pm, with an additional show at 2pm on Saturday.
Tickets cost R100. Tickets for the press night on Thursday cost R50. Book through Webtickets.