Liz and Nicholas Ellenbogen gained a lot of experience handling dinner shows at some of their previous theatres. Enough to know it is hard work and not something they want to tackle from scratch again.
“It’s so stressful to deal with the food and the show,” said Liz ruefully.
Yet, they were keen to try the idea again, when the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel approached them about mounting a dinner show at the Cape Town hotel. Nicholas persuaded Alexander McCall Smith to help with the script and rehearsals are under way.
“They’re trying to bring more patrons into The Planet Restaurant, especially going into the winter season,” explained Liz.
The hotel will try this production out for the next five weeks, every Tuesday from tonight until June 9.
Nicholas is directing Summer of 46, while Liz keeps matters ticking over at the Rosebank Theatre.
McCall Smith has adapted three of his stories – one is an Australian Outback story, another is about a circus clown and the third is about the “fishing fleet” ladies who couldn’t find husbands in England, so they got on to a boat to India – into a play about people trying to find their way home via Cape Town
“So, it’s a three-story show, with music. The actors act out the stories, and sing songs afterwards,” said Liz.
In real life, back in 1946, the end of WWII greatly increased the number of visitors to the Cape Town as the shipping lanes were again safe to travel, so it is not inconceivable that these people could really have stayed at the hotel.
McCall Smith suggested a few stories and he and Nicholas figured out which would work best for the actors they will use – David VIviers, Emma Kotze, Jojo Hawkins, Cameron Robertson and Hilda Cronje.
Each of the stories is between 20 and 25 minutes, and Liz isn’t sure how they will incorporate the three-course dinner into the show, this could change from week to week, depending on what works.
Patrons arrive at 6.30pm to champagne and canapes, proceed into restaurant and then move back to an alcove to watch the show.
The Ellenbogens have first-hand knowledge of how popular the works of McCall Smith have proved to be – when they officially opened the Rosebank Theatre last December with an appearance by the author, they sold out in two days and had to put on an extra show.
Their experience has also taught them what works well in dinner theatre: “There won’t be great sets, costumes and props to distract the audience and since people have to move from the dining room table to see the show, they have to be persuaded to get up. It has to be light, well-acted and well-sung. They need to really rehearse their songs and music well. And, it needs to be attractive,” said Liz.
• Summer of 46, Tues, Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, 6.30pm. R450 with three-course meal.