Two weeks into 2017 – and most of us are back on the grind, but why not see a show in a theatre in this beautiful city? Most of the theatre on at the moment veers to the lighter side – so get out there.
Two Parrots and a Sandcastle is the delicious title of Megan Furniss’s show at Alexander Upstairs from Thursday to Saturday (January 19, 20, 21) at 7pm. It is a two-hander comedy improv show.
Each night, Furniss shares the stage with Tandi Buchan, Leon Clingman or Brett Anderson.
What does the title signify?
“(The words) are completely unrelated. It has very little meaning. It is the kind of thing that an audience will suggest if we are improvising. The idea for Two Parrots is that the improv that we are doing might be based on a few suggestions from the audience but instead of doing games and competitions it’s just the two of us making scenes up for an hour,” said Furniss.
In addition to her improv, this versatile theatre-maker dazzled us last year with her performing, writing and directing skills.
A shout-out to for her role as the Jewish mama in The Finkelsteins are coming to Dinner.
Next month in Joburg at The Theatre on The Square, she directs From Koesiestes to Kneidlach.
Chantal Stanfield performs in this one-person play, “about a coloured girl from Cape Town who falls in love with a Jewish boy from Joburg. It is based on a true story” (kneidlach are matzoh balls – Jewish dumplings). Hopefully we’ll see the play here soon.
Another show at Alexander Upstairs with a delicious title is Godfrey Johnson and Nicholas McDiarmid’s This is Not America... Hallelujah. It is on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7pm (January 17, 18). With one piano, humour and diversions – Johnson and McDiarmid will perform a mashup of Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Prince, maybe some George Michael and the much-anticipated Don’t Step on my Melania(Johnson’s big hit in Taiwan). See On the Boards for details of some of the other shows on at Alexander this month. It’s an amazing line-up.
The spirit of the silly season prevails at the Theatre on the Bay with Sherlock Holmes And The Curse Of The Queen’s Diamond – An Unrecorded Case, By Royal Request. This is not a title which lends itself to a hashtag. Written by Robert Fridjhon, it is performed by Fridjhon, Craig Jackson and Bronwyn Gottwald. Direction is by Alan Swerdlow.
“Pieter Toerien asked me to write an entertainment for the festive season,” he said.
“Sherlock Holmes is very popular at the moment, so the genre made sense. It is inherently ridiculous: three actors play out a complicated plot as well as 20-plus characters. The play takes us between London and Paris in 1892. Audiences are invited to switch off from the world’s tribulations and enjoy a ridiculous and magical piece of silly escapism.
“It is very, very silly and a lot of fun. The show has been sold out in Johannesburg. Audiences have loved it as much as we enjoy doing it.”
Looking ahead at The Theatre on the Bay, from February 1-11, Mark Banks taps into the beginning-of-the-year economic trauma (“oh no, we spent it all”) in his show, Banksrupt.
Marc Lottering is back at the Baxter from Monday (January 16) with his show Hashtag Lottering! He deals with many topics and he gives pointers on how “to successfully live in debt”. Good to know.
Book for Alexander Upstairs at https://alexanderbar.co.za or 021 300 1088. Book for the Baxter and Theatre on the Bay and the Baxter at Computicket.