FULL OF SHIP
DIRECTOR: Kumseela Naidoo
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Ravi Subramoney
CAST: Henry Ramkissoon, Ravi Subramoney, Pamela Naidoo, Melvyn Davids, Senzo Mthethwa and Koobeshen Naidoo
VENUE: The Catalina Theatre
UNTIL: September 15
RATING: ***
AGE RESTICTION: 16 (adult comedy)
FROM the outset, the tone of Dingalings Productions’ latest show, Full of Ship, points to a night of nostalgia.
As you wait for the show to start, a host of old-school hits play in the background; from Jimmy Cliff and Eddy Grant to The Temptations, Bill Haley and more. By the time the show begins, you’re ready to be enter- tained, and in true Dingalings style, the cast ensure that’s just what happens.
In the show, a group of buddies have secured a gig on a cruise ship, but can they survive this cruise? Or more aptly, can this cruise survive the crazy antics of the Dingalings?
The friends are headed for misadventure with forgotten passports, an effort to smuggle alcohol on board and a “pretty young thang” (Pamela Naidoo) who is quite a talented young woman ready to give them a run for their money.
Yugan Naidoo, who conceived Full of Ship, proves his versa- tility as a writer. In his last work, Quarter Beans Bru!, we saw a more provocative side to the writer with his reflections on South African history, par- ticularly with regard to the Indian community.
In Full of Ship, Naidoo shows comic and nostalgic flair that really draw in the audience.
I also appreciated the link between the last show that focused on this group of friends, Busts(s), and Full of Ship, which marks another chapter in the misadventures of this crew.
Kudos to director Kumseela Naidoo and the cast for bringing out the best in these characters. They have you rolling in the aisles with their antics.
The addition of live music covers from the Eighties as the crew rehearse for their set on the cruise, mainly in the second half of the show, is a treat and a great way to wrap up a highly entertaining evening.
• Take advantage of the Dingalings’ patrons’ discount at John Dory’s at Wilson’s Wharf, where select meals are just R60. Show tickets are R100 and carry a 16 age restriction. Show and dinner tickets are R160. Book at Computicket or Checkers/ Shoprite or call 031 837 5999.