RETURNING to the Playhouse after 20 years is the talented comedian, Aaron McIlroy (pictured) and he brings along his new one-man comedy show, The Ranga.
Presented by MacBob Productions, the musical comedy takes a tongue-in-cheek look at prejudice as seen through the eyes of a man tormented by pigmentation issues.
Written and performed by McIlroy, the word “ranga” is derived from “orangutang” and is a term used to describe people with varying shades of red hair.
In the production, McIlory takes the scalpel to the preconceived ideas around “ranga-ism”, highlighting how this recessive gene is the primary cause of most the world’s woes! Inspired by the Australian sitcom Summer Heights High, and the YouTube sensation Rage of the Redhead, McIlroy descends into the gritty underbelly of ginger prejudice with hilarious results.
In an interview with Tonight, the comedian explains his inspiration: “I’m a ranga so I have been living with the reality for more than 40 years. Not sure if that qualifies for rehearsal, but it is certainly a real motivation to tell a story. I came up with the name about a year ago and let it stew for nine months, but only started rehearsing it officially three months ago and then opened the show in October,” he reveals.
Since the production centres on issues such as prejudice which often can be tricky in a comedy piece, I ask McIlory how he has struck a balance between comedy and crossing the line: “Well, let me start by saying that I don’t really create comedy by thinking about balance or not crossing lines. I tend to ask myself, ‘is it funny? Would I like to sit in an audience and see it?’ and after that I make sure I’m challenging the audience and myself. There obviously is a line, but it is different for each performer which depends a lot on their style. My general rule is the audience should at least be glad they made the effort to come to the show,” he says.
Originally directed by Steven Stead for this year’s Hilton Arts Festival, McIlroy says he was extremely happy with his opening at the arts fest and is hoping to have audiences rolling in the aisles and laughing at themselves during the shows at the Playhouse next month
On roping in Stead as the director, McIlory says: “Steven is a very talented director, writer and performer. Having him on board is always a real privilege. He keeps all the lemmings running in the right direction. Away from the cliff.”
Shedding light on his return to the Playhouse Company after 20 years, the actor says: “I started my career working in and for the Playhouse as a member of the Loft Theatre Company so I owe a lot to the Playhouse for allowing me to work and grow as a performer.
“I have been wanting to perform here again for a long time now but have not been able to get my ducks in a row with scheduling until now.
“I am so excited to be working in the drama theatre which is just beautiful and I am very grateful to the Playhouse for making a plan and giving me this slot over the festive season.”
• The Ranga runs in the Playhouse Drama from December 3 to 14. R150 from Computicket or the box office at 031 369 9540