If winding down means your latest book reaches the top of many local bestseller lists, launching a complete new lifestyle (foods and non-foods) range in one of the largest grocery chains in the country and performing your end-of-year festive celebrations in Pretoria followed by Oude Libertas in Stellenbosch with both almost sold out and a re-run in Pretoria in late January, it has to be showman Nataniël who hardly ever stops to catch his breath. Diane de Beer looks at the three tiers.
TALKING BOOKS
150 Stories is a collection of writing that has all been done for shows of the past 20 years. Many who know his work regard Nataniël as one of the best short story writers in the country, but he has never regarded himself as a writer.
“It started as links to songs.”
That’s also why the stories of two of his earlier shows, Dancing with John and Excuse Me have not been included: “They don’t have endings,” he says. “They were written as links”.
He loves the fact that he can point to a body of work and the thickness of the book is encouraging because that’s what he wants a future novel to look like. But most of the time when he wrote, especially in the earlier years, it was always for the stage. It was about writing stories for an audience that would probably elicit a laugh. But through the years, his writing has evolved.
“I was much more of a risk taker in the early years,” he says. “I would never swear or say some of the explicit things I said back then.”
He thinks it might have to do with the audience he has built up.
“Those were strange times, the early ’90s, and I think I also had a certain arrogance.”
Bit these are tough times, he believes, and people want to be taken to a place that’s flighty and fanciful: “Back then whatever you said would upset both the far right and left in equal measure and that was my selling point.”
Now he doesn’t want to make life tougher than it already is. For fans, this “body of work” is a bonus and for those who don’t know his work, the book is already in its third reprint even though it only launched in September and is part of the coveted Exclusive Books Christmas List.
Humour has always been a selling point for him and he wrote with the hope of not being embarrassed in the future: “People are looking for hope and inspiration and not tragedy in a world that’s already tragic. It’s already broken, so basically I’m asking: how nice is it in your bubble?”
SINGING STORIES
His biggest gift to fans is his festive concert which runs at the Centurion Theatre from December 1 to 6, travels to the Oude Libertas from December 11 to 13 and then starts his new year from January 27 to February 21.
Jeoffrey and the Cold Feet is an evening of new songs and stories, all about unrequited love, secret passions, horrific weddings, lonely birthdays, candlelit break-ups and missing partners.
“It’s really about feet because they are a body part used in so many idioms, “ he says.
He also theorises that your foot-steps say everything about you.
With a script in English and Afrikaans, his regular musicians Charl du Plessis (piano), Werner Spies (bass) and Hugo Radyn (drums) and a wardrobe by Floris Louw, he’s ready to go.
He doesn’t want to look too far ahead in the future, his cookery show is still on KykNET, but he has many projects lined up for next year.
“Time flies so quickly, I find myself saying farewell to everyone I meet!”
But for those who appreciate this artist’s impact, let’s hope those feet will still do much walking.
LIFESTYLE BANTER
With the Checkers Nataniël Collection which launches in stores this week, he is excited by the concept. “They can buy it as Christmas gifts,” he says.
It’s about kitchen essentials, foods and non-foods. It means that if you’re getting married, the collection will stock everything you need.
“And it will be beautiful,” says the master of style. Shopping has always been one of his best things and with his own cookery show, Nataniël Se Tafel, he understands what people want. The things he looks at, for example, is a dinner plate with a slightly raised edge so that it doesn’t mess or spill easily.
“They did a blind selection with me for the crockery from around the world and I was thrilled when the one I chose was locally produced.”
Serviettes are the old-fashioned starched kind, utensils are lime green with bamboo handles on which his name has been embossed.
“If you hold the pan long enough and carry it far enough, my name will be stuck on your hand!”
He also loves the wine glasses, classy crystal champagne glasses and one glass for red or white wine.
“We don’t need that large collection of wine glasses anymore.”
On the food side it’s grapeseed oil, something he always recommends, a Porterville (“where I grew up”) olive oil, a recycled pepper mill and pink salt flavoured with hints of smoked garlic and chilli as well as other Nataniël staples like bottled green figs, berry jam and bulging vanilla pods.
He has also chosen exquisite packaging which means most of the collection is ready to go as gifts.