Theatre to present pantomime

Bongani Maseko

Joburg Theatre is set to present the show from 6 November to 24 December at the Nelson Man dela Theatre stage.

The presentation is five pantomimes in one, Beauty, Aladdin, Snow White, Jack Beanstalk and Peter Pan Joburg Theatre CEO Xoliswa NduneniNgema says the festive season pantomime production is a major staple of Joburg City Theatres’ programming.

“While planning Joburg Theatre’s 60th Anniversary celebrations for 2022, it was the perfect time for us to produce a Panto of all Pantos, constituting the finale of our anniversary season,” she says.

Writer and director Janice Honey man says: “We’ll take you on a dar ing and dangerous quest to retrieve the long-lost, sneakily-stolen Golden Goblet of Goodness. It’s goodies versus baddies, heroes versus villains, the happies versus the horrids, and you’ll be there with us to conquer greed and recapture the glow of goodness in Pantoland.”

The show’s producer Bernard Jay says: “We possibly have the finest and most diverse company of South African actors ever assembled for our annual pantomime.” last time it showcased in 2014.

The cast will feature Dylan Du Plessis, David Arnold Johnson, Didintle Khunou, Ilse Klink, Hlengiwe Lushaba Madlala, Carmen Pretorius, Brenda Sakellarides, Justin Swartz, Grant Towers and Ben Voss.

Dancing, singing and playing every other role in the panto ensemble will be triple-threat performers Louise Duhain, Tarryn Heard, Elsje Lourens, Gareth Meijsen, Katlego Nche, René Setlhako, Thandaza Silwane, Jordan Soares, Logan Timbre, Kensiwe Tshabalala, Stephan Van Der Walt and Donovan Yaards.

Coming together again from Joburg Theatre’s 2021 pantomime Cinderella, the creative team for the show includes production designer Andrew Timm, choreographer Nicol Sheraton, musical director Dale-Ray Scheepers, costume co-ordinator Bronwen Lovegrove and lighting designer Johan Ferreira.

For more visit www.joburgtheatre.com.

The movie is at SKT cinema complexes including Newtown, Rosebank Nouveau in Joburg, Musgrave in Durban, Sterland at Brooklyn Nouveau in Pretoria, Baywest in Gqeberha, Broardwalk in Port Elizabeth and also at Tygervalley in Cape Town.

UJ Arts and Culture and co-producer Madevu Entertainment recently won the Best Public Performance award for their virtual concert The Sounds of Hlakanyana that took place in 2021.

Head of UJ Arts and Culture Pieter Jacobs said they look forward to invite audiences to full theatre experience in May.

“While The Sounds of Hlakanyana was intended to offer a taste of what is to come in 2022 when the full musical will be presented, and to test some of the material, the online concert was created as animated virtual experience in its own right and we are delighted that it has resonated with audiences,” he said.

Directed by Janice Honeyman and co-produced by Madevu Entertainment, the musical casts a spotlight on Hlakanyana, one of the bestknown characters in African folklore.

A cunning, unethical creature, depicted in animal or human form, Hlakanyana is the long-awaited son of the chief of a village, but instead of being a uniting force he leaves devastation in his wake.

The cast for the run at the UJ Arts Centre in May includes Sandisile Dlangalala, Dolly Louw, MoMo Matsunyane, Sibusiso Mxosana, Manakomba Ndimande, Siphiwe Nkabinde, Mphumzi Nontshinga and Kensiwe Mathebula Tshabalala.

Hlakanyana is produced as part of the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture’s award-winning interdisciplinary theatre programme that challenges second-year students from across the faculty to design selected aspects of a professional theatre production. The musical was commissioned by UJ Arts and Culture in 2020 and since then the development of the project attracted support of the Arts and Culture

Trust

The creation process included MoMo Matsunyane as head writer in collaboration with actors Khutjo Green, Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri and Lebo Borole, and dancer/choreographer Khaya Ndlovu.

As the workshopping, script development and musical score conception adapted to new digital mediums, the process took on different forms and allowed the artists to explore new avenues of creativity and unexpected synergies.

In September 2020, the creative team of Zolani Shangase and Michael Wallace of Madevu Entertainment, composer/musical director, Sne Dladla and lyricist Dionne Song were able to create and perform the music with singers Lebo Borole, Mthokozisi Khanyile, MoMo Matsunyane, Neo Motaung, Tshepo Ncokoane, Senzo Radebe, Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri, Zolani Shangase, award-winning playwright and poet Napo Masheane as the narrator, and the Viwe Mkizwana Ensemble, collaborated on voice and sound.

The music was recorded by recording engineer Clifford Machingaifa and final mix and master by industry stalwart Mark Cheyne.

Visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Zwi-zqOvijg to listen to five of the songs to feature in the musical. These and more will be in the Hlakanyana stage production from 25 May at the UJ Arts Centre’s Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre until 4 June.

For more visit https://arts.uj.ac.za.