Out mag 15 issuu

Issue 15, Winter 2013

THE STATE OF PRIDE

MADONNA OF THE TOWNSHIPS BRENDAN VAN RHYN ON THE SLAB 9 772304 859004

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FROM THE EDITOR

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his issue has inadvertently turned out to be largely devoted to Gay Pride and how it is celebrated in South Arica. The shenanigans surrounding Joburg Pride and questions surrounding the legitimacy of Cape Town Pride have stirred up a lot of debate and left a bitter taste in the mouths of many. This has led us to examine the sorry state of Pride in these two cities. Some people think that the controversial stance taken by some of the organisers of the various Prides are polarising rather than uniting an already divided community. It seems that sometimes we are our own worst enemy. It is time that Political Correctness and Common Sense were introduced to one another. It is time for less ego and more community spirit. It’s not all bad news. though. We have positive stories about Pride in Durban, Polokwane and Pretoria, as well as a report on the Pink Lourie Mardi Gras in Knysna.

This issue’s cover was photographed by the NOH8 campaign on a recent visit to South Africa and we find out more about this arresting photographic protest. We take a look at the life of Brenda Fassie, a true African Gay Icon if ever there was one. Daniel Dercksen goes up to the lab with Brendan van Rhyn to see what’s on the slab. John French takes a very Over the Top hike and John Henry is still looking for the ultimate party. The Belgian city of Antwerp’s annual Pride event will be coinciding with the World Outgames and the Mr Gay World Contest, and we take a look at all three events. And as always we have all the buzz on the latest in books, food, fashion, fitness, music, theatre, parties, just to name a few things to help you get more OUT of life!

Evan Tsouroulis

Cover Credit Jason Rogers was photographed by Adam Bouska of the NOH8 Campaign. See Story on page 5.

MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 ISSN 2304-859X published by: Patterson Publications P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Tel/Fax: 021 418 3039 E-mail: outmagafrica@telkomsa.net evan@outafricamag.co.za Advertising Sales: Robert Simpson 072 266 7051 Evan Tsouroulis 072 905 8489 Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358

Contributors: Daniel Dercksen John French John Henry Gary Hopkins, Riaan Norval Genevieve le Coq Charl van den Berg Additional Photography: Basil Brady Danie Nicky Bornman Manhunt Barry Reid Printed by ABC Press, Cape Town

Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners.

All rights are reserved. No materials may be copied, modified, published or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine.

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinionsof OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE INTERVIEWS

4 TISHAAN VONARMBERG: 10 fascinating facts 24 SWEET TRANSVESTITE: A frank chat with Brendan van Rhyn about Rocky Horror and more.

REVIEWS

39 WORD PERFECT 44 OUT TO LUNCH: Eating out with Gary Hopkins 45 OUT ON DVD: With Daniel Dercksen 46 OUT ON FILM: With Daniel Dercksen 47 MUSIC MOVES: By Gary Hopkins 48 ON STAGE: With Daniel Dercksen

24

FASHION 12 - 13 The Coolest Gymwear

SCENE OUT

28 - 32 Who’s been spotted out and about on the party scene...

FEATURES 1 EDITORS COMMENT: 3 THE PINK LIFESTYLE EXPO 4 IF IT’S TUESDAY, IT MUST BE BELGIUM: The World Out Games, Antwerp Pride & Mr Gay World 5 NOH8 CAMPAIGN - Cover boy Jason Rogers joins up 6 GEARING UP FOR MR GAY SA 6 CEE SMOOTH’S TOP 10 DANCE TRACKS 7 LIMPOPO PRIDE 2013 8 THE BUZZ: News, snippets & gossip 10 STAYING HOT IN WINTER: Keeping motivated to stay fit in the cold weather 16 THE OTT-er TRAIL: John French goes hiking 18 BRENDA FASSIE: Madonna of the townships 20 PRIDE MARCHES ON: Up-coming Pride days in Durban & Pretoria 21 THE 2013 EVH PINK AWARDS 21 SUBSCRIBE TO OUT AFRICA MAG 22 THE 2013 PINK LOERIE MARDI GRAS: Genevieve le Coq reports back 26 THE ART OF FINDING A GOOD PARTY: John Henry hunts out the best 35 SEXY SAPPHIC SISTERS ARE DOING IT 37 TWISTED DISCO: Jo’burg’s newest party vibe 37 BONNIE TYLER IN SA 38 HOMO-EROTICA: When men were men 40 MEN’S HEALTH ISSUES: H4M Mpumulanga we’re coming!

42 THE SORRY STATE OF PRIDE 43 BOY MEETS BOY: New play at the Artscape

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WIN 3 SOUL CANDI CD’s 24 ROCKY HORROR THEATRE TICKETS 36 TICKETS TO TWIST ON SOLSTICE PARTY

26 Mag 1

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TISHAARN VONARMBERG

Tisharn Vonamberg, a 22 year old hairstylist and dancing teacher from Ocean View, was crowned Miss Cape Town Pride at a glamorous event at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone in February. This was a defining moment, after being first runner-up at Miss Gay Western Cape in November. Tisharn said: “It was always my dream not only to win this prestige title, but also to represent my gay community at large and finally my time has arrived!”

1.

Tisharn discovered her inner drag when she was seven years of age. “I always loved playing dress-up with my mom’s clothes instead of dad’s, lol!” Obviously she loves heels and has multiple pairs in different colours. She is not a big fan of wigs and prefers wearing hair extensions or appearing in her own hair. She nevertheless likes to explore a variety of colours and new looks.

2. As a dancer and a teacher in that medium, dance is Tisharn’s means of exercising and keeping her lithe body in shape.

This is coupled with strict diet: “I do not eat any oily food from Mondays to Thursdays, and remember girls, if you want a healthy body, you’ll have to detox all the time…hehe!”

3. Tisharn is a very driven and focussed person: “I always keep a positive mind-set”.

4. For someone who is often in the limelight, Tisharn is not that much of an outgoing person, although she loves socialising 5. Tisharn loves to read and it is a favourite pastime which she believes has shaped her into the person she is today: “I believe reading empowers the mind and when you empower the mind, you educate yourself to become a better person and in my case, a better leader and a better Queen!”

6. Beyoncé is a role model and a great source of inspiration because she always gives her best.

7. Tisharn has a nose fetish. She says: “A man’s nose is his most attractive feature to me. I do not know why but it’s one of the most stimulating things in my opinion”.

8. Tisharn’s ideal man is respectable and supportive. And sorry to disappoint all the guys out there, Tisharn does have a man in her life and he is Sebastian Heradien. “Like every little girl I also dream of my wedding day, so yes, I am the marrying kind’, she admits.

9. When asked what her best quality was, Tisharn said “it is my appreciation for the little things in life. It really opens my eyes to look at things in a different light”.

10. As to what Miss Cape Town Pride can do to improve the lives of gay people in South Africa, Tisharn had this to say: “I can teach them the importance of working together as one unit to improve the issues we face in society today. It begins with respect for yourself and believe me, the rest will follow. I want to use this platform to tell all gay people that it does not matter where you come from, what’s important its where you headed in life. Aim high and strive to be better” PS: So what does a Pageant Queen keep in her handbag?

“You will find a lot of lipstick, my purse, my phone and my sweets. I have a craving for something sweet often. And most importantly, my pepper spray ...what can I say? A girl must have protection!”

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PINK LIVING

COMPETITION Two fabulous CDs released by Soul Candi are up for grabs.

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t comes as no surprise that South Africa’s first Pink Lifestyle Show will be happening in Cape Town, Africa’s Gay Capital. It’s a wonder that nobody has thought about putting on a gay lifestyle show before, given that Cape Town remains in the Top Ten of International gay destinations. The aim of the expo is to expose an affluent and brand loyal sector of the market to a wide range of goods, services and entertainment with a decidedly rose-tinted hue. The four day expo will include an array of fabulousness that is bound to make it different from the run of the mill expos: Think Decorex meets Sexpo but for moffies, and with great food, drink, live entertainment and walking eyecandy. Visitors will find everything they will ever need to complete a fabulous lifestyle including cars, décor, fitness and wellness, food and wine, professional services such as banking and legal, adult entertainment, pets, leisure, sports, travel as well as everything you might need for your wedding.

Highlights of the three day event will include fashion shows, live entertainment, food and wine tasting and cookery demonstrations.

A Million Sprockets is C.9ine’s third CD release. Katlehong’s Soulful House Live Duo discovered their shared love of the good groove and have since made dents in the dance floors with tracks such as Heaven is Here and Wonder. These talented local boys have worked with some of the best and biggest house heads in the world.

MuzArt, a five piece musical collective, exploded on to the scene with their sensational single Jukebox making it to No 1 on the YFM Chart. Even before the release of their debut album, the band has shared the stage with some of South Africa’s biggest stars including AKA, The Muffinz and Dr Malinga. Layers of jazz, pop, house, gospel and soul fuse to forge their unique sound.

The SA Pink Lifestyle Expo will be held at the Sea Point Civic Centre on the corner of Main and Glengariff Roads.

Hours: Friday 26 July Noon till 21h00; Saturday 27 July 10h00 till 19h00 and Sunday 28 July 10h00 till 17h00.

Entrance fee: R30.00 per person includes an Exhibitors Guide and a goodie bag on arrival.

CAPE TOWN

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198 Oxford Road, Illovo joburg@beefcakes.co.za | Tel: 011 447 5266

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Sexy Barman! www.beefcakes.co.za booking encouraged Mag 3

2013/02/15 4:15 PM

IF IT’S TUESDAY IT MUST BE BELGIUM It seems as if the gay universe will be descending on Belgium in August for three major queer events. Antwerp Pride and World Outgames join forces in a 12-day festival of human rights, sports, culture and parties, closely followed by the fifth annual Mr Gay World Contest.

World Outgames

Antwerp Pride

Antwerp, the capital of Flanders, has long been a European gay and cultural hotspot. Having been the venue for the 2007 EuroGames as well as being a former Olympic host city, Antwerp knows what it takes to host the third edition of the World Outgames. For 12 days, from 31 July to 11 August, Antwerp will be offering a multi-sports programme made to measure for gay and lesbian athletes, whether they be recreational or professional. Apart from competition in more mainstream, traditional sports, participants in these Games can also compete in Bridge tournaments, Country Western Dancing, Yoga and so on. Like the Olympic Games the essence is not to win, but to take part. There will be a massive international cultural programme concurrent with the Games.

This international multi-media Festival of the Arts, running in conjunction with the Summer of Antwerp Festival, will include film, poetry, literature, Theatre and music. The “Love United” Rainbow Village will be the epicentre of all live performance art.

There will also be a Human Rights Conference in the city from 31 July to 2 August. The theme of the conference is “From Safe Harbours to Equality”.

The 12 day gay sports jamboree culminates with Antwerp Pride, a four-day Festival leading up to the Parade on Saturday 10 August. It comes as no surprise that this year’s Pride has a sporting theme. The Parade will end at the venue of the free WAVE Festival, an open-air event featuring top international DJs. “Supergays” is the name of the official Pride After Party in the evening. Entertainers performing during Antwerp Pride include winner of Eurovision 2012 Swedish idol Loreen, Boy George (DJing not singing), Alcazar & the Vengaboys See www.antwerppride.com for more info.

For more info: www.woga2013.org Cape Town’s Dave Nel winner of 5 gold medals

Mr Gay World This year’s Mr Gay World (MGW), an annual contest for gay men seeking to become ambassadors for gay and human rights, will be happening in Antwerp from 1 to 4 August. Delegates from 35 countries will be competing in a variety of categories including leadership, sports, swimwear modelling and knowledge of gay world affairs. The MGW organisation Mag 4

NOH8 CAMPAIGN aims to unite the gay community all over the world in a strong common cause. It also hopes to create a more positive image for gay people, particularly gay men, to make a ‘difference’ and be accepted as human beings with equal importance and rights as straight people. It is also committed itself to giving its full support to the fight against HIV/Aids. Furthermore MGW also seeks to fight discrimination and stigma within the gay community, empowering and raising the visibility of optimistic gay men as well as breaking down barriers created by discriminative individuals and groups.

Co-founder of the World Outgames Antwerp 2013, Jerko Bozikovic, stated “We are extremely proud to join forces with MGW since both organizations share similar values and therefore it seemed only logical for us to collaborate in creating a high-standard, life-changing and fun event. We look forward welcoming everyone to Antwerp in August 2013.”

Mr Gay World 2013 will be crowned at the glittering Grand Finale on Sunday 4 August at the Elckerlijc Theatre, to be followed by a party at D-Club. South Africans have done well in the contest in the past, with Charl van den Berg and Francois Nel both having won the title, while Lance Weyer came second at the Final held in South Africa last year.

Steve Williams will be representing South Africa at the Mr Gay World Contest in August. He will be replacing Jason Rogers who is unable to travel to Antwerp, and who has relinquished the Mr GSA title.

The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8 in California on November 4, 2008, amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar Kim Kardashian legislation around the world, with “NOH8” painted on one cheek in protest. Initially, the project started with portraits of everyday gay and gay-supporting Californians who supported same-sex marriage. It soon began to highlight celebrities who also supported the cause.

They include Cher, the Kardashian sisters, Ricky Martin, Amanda Lepore, Larry King, Deepak Chopra, Lady Gaga, Debi Mazar, Mariah Carey, Isaiah Washington, Chad Michaels, Steve-O, Fran Drescher, Ricky Martin and most recently Liza Minnelli Lady Gaga whose portrait was featured on the cover of The Advocate. The NOH8 Campaign’s mission is to promote marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest. The focus has since expanded to encompass discrimination against the gay community and bullying of all kinds.

Four years since its inception, the NOH8 Campaign has grown to nearly 30,000 faces and continues to grow at an exponential rate. With this in mind, NOH8 campaign came to Cape Town in March during the Cape Town Pride Festival, where South Africans of all persuasions were photographed. One of them was the former Mr Gay South Africa Jason Rogers who graces the cover of this issue.

For more information and to view the thousands of photos visit www. noh8campaign.com

Liza Minnelli Mag 5

GEARING UP FOR

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few months ago the Mr Gay South Africa Competition once again underwent a change of ownership and directorship with the resignation of Coenie Kukkuk, John-Louis O’ Niel and Karen Sephton. New owners Emil Faber and Ricus Wessels took over the reins from them with the purpose of becoming more socially relevant and appealing to a broader spectrum of the community as well as taking the competition to greater heights and adding to a brand that has already established itself in the gay community. They began their charm offensive by bringing the former Mr GSA Jason Rogers to Cape Town in March during the city’s Pride festivities. Whilst in the Mother City, Jason assisted Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille cut the ribbon at the start of the Pride Parade, before taking pride of place in the OUT Africa Magazine convertible sponsored by Audi Claremont. His entourage also visited The Pride Shelter, Heath4Men and the Ivan Toms Centre for Men’s Health, as well as making appearances at various venues in the gay village.

The new management have big plans for this year’s Mr GSA Competition and entries have opened already and will be accepted until end of July so as to give potential candidates enough time to register. Regional finals take place nationwide in August right after Mr Gay World in Antwerp, Belgium. Prizes this year include a R50 000 cash prize, a trip to the Mr Gay World 2014 competition and Tuned In Publicity will offer a public relations campaign worth R60 000 for the period of 12 months from when the winner is announced, to when he hands over his crown to his successor. This will involve maximising his exposure through media and other channels.

Currently, Steve Williams and the Mr GSA team are hard at work in preparing for the Mr Gay World 2013 Competition in Antwerp, Belgium, with the hopes of bringing the coveted title

Cee Smooth’s Top 10 Winter Dance Floor Scorchers Mag 6

Mr

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Jason with A Cape Town

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Jason with Executive M ayor Patricia de Lille CT Pri de

back to SA…where it belongs! Mr GSA also hopes to have the opportunity of hosting Mr Gay World for a second time in SA in the near future after the great success of the 2012 competition.

Anyone who thinks what he has what it takes to be the next Mr GSA can download an entry form at www.mrgsa.co.za and send it to either Ricus at ricus@mrgsa.co.za or Charl at charl@mrgsa. co.za. Also keep a look out for Mr GSA scouts who will be in and around your city searching for potential contestants.

Cape Town Based DJ/Producer, Cee Smooth has been setting Cape Town dance floors ablaze since 2010. Originally from Johannesburg, he has held residencies at clubs such as Ramp Divas and Risqué in Gauteng, Crew Bar and Beaulah Bar in Cape Town, to mention but a few, as well as spinning at big gay events such as Cape Town Pride.

Cee Smooth’s sound comprises of Big Bass Lines, served with a nice side serving of uplifting melodies, and always topped off with a GENOUROUS amount of Old School. Standing out above the rest, it’s a sure fire thing when people say that he truly is a unique DJ, they mean it!!!

1.

A S y a G

Donkie Punch – One Day (Original Mix) 2. Chris James - Bring Me

Down (Original Mix) 3. Rachel Row - Follow the Step (Justin Martin Remix) 4. Shadow Child - The Verdict (Original Mix) 5. Beataphonics – Party Time (Cee Smooth’s Remix) 6. Bdot & Lorenzo - When Doves Cry (Original Mix) 7. Hannah Wants – None A Them (Original Mix) 8. Chase & Status - Time (Matt Cox Remix) 9. Western Deep - Bounce (Afroboogie & J_Hazzrd Remix) 10. Justin Martin – The Fugitive (Kyle Watson Rebuff) You can catch Cee Smooth every Friday & alternate Saturday at Beaulah Bar. For bookings contact him on 071 396 6858 or distortedfunk@gmail.com.

Listen to him at http://www.soundcloud.com/cee-smooth

LIMPOPO PRIDE 2013

By Charl van den Berg

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aturday 11th of May 2013 is most certainly a day to remember! Early that morning the Mr GSA Team took on the 3 hour trip to Polokwane where the 2nd Limpopo Pride took place! Now for anyone that knows Polokwane, this is not exactly the place you usually walk down the streets saying you are proudly gay. In a town where you can lose your business or work and yes, your life, for being gay, it is a small miracle that members of the LGBTI were able and allowed to march for a second time for their right to be who they are.

Upon arrival we could sense a bit of tension in the air as protesters bravely shouted mantras such as ‘PRIDE BELONGS TO US’ and ‘Go Lokile Go Lekane-Enough is Enough’ while police and traffic officers, not to mention passers-by stood along the pavements watching. It took our team mere seconds to grab our proudly gay flag and join the march in support for our brothers and sisters. In other parts of the country where Gay Pride is more a party than a statement, we understood that to the people of Polokwane this was no party.

This was advocacy at its core, and to us at Mr GSA, this is what WE were here for, the reason for our existence!

It took a bit of time, well spent time, to move from the park in front of the SABC buildings as we started our parade through

help notice the presence of the DA who joined in the march and were very vocal about our rights as LGBTI in a country that PROUDLY calls itself the RAINBOW nation.

inner-city Polokwane. Walking along the very strategic route, passing major government buildings, we knew that the people of Polokwane meant business.

An actual comment from one of the local journalists was ‘enjoy the march, hope you don’t get stones thrown at you’ with my apt reply being ‘let them throw…. I can throw back if I have to…’

We proceeded along the route with more and more people, both gay and straight joining in the march. Members of the LGBTI community came dressed up, carrying banners and posters and singing and dancing as we made our way to the cricket stadium, our final destination where Deputy Mr GSA, Steve Williams, was given the platform, along with other organizations to speak a few words of encouragement to Polokwane. We couldn’t

Sadly we came to hear that one or two sponsors pulled out of the Pride event…for which ever reason?! Once again the outright homophobia was visible in this. It took the organizing team of Limpopo Pride to sell their own belongings, laptops and the like, the day before the parade, to come up with enough money to pay for the venue where we all gathered in the end; an act which we, and I’m sure the rest of South Africa can surely learn from!

Cindy Molefe and the organizers of Limpopo Pride must be thanked and congratulated for the amazing and difficult job they did in ensuring every person’s safety, and for planning and successfully executing a Pride Parade which in my own opinion rivals many others. The final words belong to Cindy Molefe “Limpopo Pride was a success and it is growing.

The support we received from various organizations and Mr Gay South Africa and the team was overwhelming. It was better than last year although we are still not funded and members have to make sacrifices for logistics, it was worth it and we are happy with the turn out and looking forward to next year’s Pride on the 10th of May 2014.”

Mag 7

THE BUZZ

AGNETHA WITH AN A

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR STRUTTING...

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o what happens when you take Grammy Award-winning pop icon and honorary drag queen Cyndi Lauper and put her in a creative marriage with four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein, of Torch Song Trilogy and Hairspray fame? You end up with Kinky Boots, the hottest, campest ticket on Broadway! This exhilarating new musical is based on the English film of the same name, adapted for stage by Fierstein, with music written by Lauper. For those unfamiliar with the film, the story revolves around Charlie Price who suddenly inherits his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to save his

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MINCE AT THE VILLA

he bitches are back! After a three year hiatus, and 17 years after first getting together to transform the face of drag with spot-on lip-synching, amazing costumes, flawless makeup and rapier sharp repartee, Lilly Slaptsilli and Kieron Legacy are back with a vengeance…and a new show – Mince at the Villa! These vivacious vixens will be performing their Pradas to pieces in a volcanic variety of their favourite songs at a brand new venue: the Villa Supper Theatre at the Cape Sun Hotel in Strand Street in Cape Town. They are returning to their roots, and while fans tuck into the fabulous buffet, the girls are busy tucking backstage, hiding some jewels away while others go on public display. One word of advice…don’t sit too close to the stage because you might get picked on or worse, brought up on to the stage and have the contents of your man bag revealed in public.

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family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a flamboyant drag entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. It turns out that Lola is the one person who can help Charlie become the man he’s meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible… and discover that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world. Featuring a sensational new score, knockout dancing and a spectacularly uplifting story, Kinky Boots, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, is the must-see new musical that proves that sometimes, the best way to fit in is to stand out! It is not surprising that Cyndi Lauper, a favourite of the gay community which she champions through her True Colors Foundation, is involved in a project like Kinky Boots. “Everything that I do is an illusion of how I’d like to look—not how I actually look. That’s why I get along with drag queens, because I am one.” On hearing the news that her musical had received 13 Tony nominations, including one for her music and lyrics, Lauper retorted “Thirteen is my lucky number!”

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gnetha Fältskog, one of the A’s that made up Swedish supertrooper-dooper band ABBA, has one of the all-time great pop voices: crystal clear, delicate and equally at home channelling the euphoric disco and sublime heartbreak that became Abba’s stock-in trade throughout their extraordinary heyday. Hardly surprising, then, that news of her first new album release in nine years – and her first of original material since 1987 – has caused something of a media frenzy. Like David Bowie and Kate Bush, Fältskog has attained almost mystical status through her extended absence. The new album is simply called A, and features ten tracks including the single When You Really Loved Someone, as well as duet with Take That’s Gary Barlow. A notorious recluse, Agnetha did not make an appearance with her former band mates at the opening of the ABBA museum in Stockholm in May. Fans will just have to make do with the new album.

I The girls will be mincing it up every Sunday in June and July. Tickets are R300 each and include dinner and show.

Carvery opens from 7.00pm till 8:15pm.

The show begins at 8:30 sharp. Bookings can be made through www.webtickets.co.za

ELECTRIC DREAMS

f Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe had any inkling that they would still be so famous 30 years after starting their now legendary electro-synthpop outfit, they probably would have thought twice about calling themselves the Pet Shop Boys! Yet here they are in the second decade of the new century with their 12th studio album Electric, which has been described as “Pet Shop Boys doing Daft Punk doing Pet Shop Boys doing retro Italo-Disco.” What

KEEPING YOUR OPTIONS OPEN

suburban gay resident by living up to its motto: “Come a Little Closer to Home”.

Options new home is at My Bar, corner of Castor & Pollux Roads, Lansdowne.

Doors open at 9.00pm and there is aR20 cover charge. Join Options Party Cape Town Facebook group for regular updates.

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here is gay life beyond the confines of the gaybourhood. In Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs it comes in the guise of Options, a regular social club night aimed at gay and gay friendly party-goers. These party nights have been hosted once a month since their inception in November 2011 and have recently found a new home in Lansdowne after the venue in the Ottery that previously hosted them for a year closed down. One of the reasons for the success of Options is the friendly party

THE MIGHTY REAL QUEEN OF DISCO atmosphere, as well as attracting the talents of local celebrity DJs. Other guests on stage have included the ever fabulous drag divas, 3D. Options hopes to continue offering more entertainment options for the

ONE NIGHT ONLY

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iss Gay Western Cape 2010 Kat Gilardi is once again hosting her Divas - One Night Only drag cabaret show in aid of Charity.

This is the third such extravaganza that Kat is putting on and if last year was anything to go by, it’s going to be fabulous! Some of Cape Town’s most sensational Drag Divas, including Vida Fantabisher, Samantha Knight, Angel Lalamore and Manila von Teez, to name just a few, will be joining Kat on stage. The sensational dance troupe, the Ragdollz, will also be performing.

Songstress Salome Damon will also be making a special guest appearance. Proceeds from last year’s event went to a Soup Kitchen in Sir Lowry’s Passwhere the finalists of the Miss Gay Western Cape Pageant donned aprons and fed the needy. Beauty with a purpose indeed! The show is on 6th July at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are

T Photo: Courtesy Errol Stroebel

R50 and can be purchased at Compticket.

Ticketholders get free access to the After Party at the Black Pearl later.

more could Pet Heads ever possibly ask for? Produced by hit-maker Stuart Price, who has worked with everyone from Madonna to Scissor Sisters to Take That to The Killers, this is their first album on a new label, after being with Parlophone for 18 years. The Boys have already embarked on a world Electric tour, starting in South America, then moving on to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

“Electric is very much set on the dance floor,” said the legendary duo. “Our latest album often evolves as a response to our previous album and, whereas Elysium had a reflective mood, Electric is pretty banging!” Out July 15, the album will feature eight new songs, plus a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s The Last to Die.

wenty-five years after his untimely death at the age of 41, the music of Sylvester still soars with the release of Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits, due out in June. This collection celebrates the life and music of the Queen of Disco who danced his way into the hearts and minds of the disco and gay communities, often one and the same.

A gay icon, Sylvester was not only one of the first openly gay disco stars, and bravely crossed beyond the boundaries of race, gender and sexuality to become a star and a torch bearer of the early gay liberation movement. A Los Angeles native, Sylvester found his home in the vibrant subcultural scenes of San Francisco in the late 1960s. As the community around him became devastated with AIDS, Sylvester’s music took on a sort of weary determination, becoming a call to live, to keep dancing and to keep loving. Sylvester was an unlikely star: an androgynous, cross-dressing, openly gay, African-American, falsettosinging, unapologetically flaming mandiva influenced primarily by gospel and blues singers, drag queens and hippies.

Sylvester rode his marginality right into the mainstream. This collection is be available on CD as well on double pink vinyl and features a number of original album tracks and rare 12” mixes, as well as a brand new remix of the iconic You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) Mag 9

STAYING HOT IN THE WINTER

So for those of you dreading the weather shift and all that comes along with the change of seasons, stay motivated to exercise and maintain your outdoor routine. Believe it or not, exercise can actually help clear away those winter blues and chances are you’ll be in tip top shape once the weather warms up again. Be creative and don’t stop just because the mercury has fallen.

Keep your eye on the ball As we all know, a fit and healthy body doesn't happen overnight.

A lot of people see the colder weather as an excuse to cover up with bulky clothing and as a chance to hibernate in the warm comfort of their homes. However, you didn't get your killer abs sitting on the couch or looking at yourself in turtlenecks and oversized track pants. Over-sized jackets and scarves covering every inch of your flesh, whilst great for staying warm, don't serve as any motivation.

Rather keep on wearing your flesh-hugging fitted clothes to remind you of why you worked out so hard getting that rocking beach body during the summer months.

He an re a d k re du eep a fe rin th w t g t e b ips he od t co y y o st a ld o wi u lo y m o nt er ve in tiva m on sha ted th pe s:

For most of us, the transition from summer to winter is never easy especially if you happen to be one of the Clifton 3 beach boys. You look back at those hot summer days and balmy summer nights and the very idea of seeing a temperature below your age is reason enough to stay in bed. Those of you who stay on the Natal coast or the far northern Limpopo Province don’t have to worry about the cold winter nights that the rest of the country has to endure; so you hotties just carry on as before.

Control those calories Winter is a challenging time of year to stay slim and trim. Surveys show that people typically gain 3 to 5 kilos during the cold months.

Yikes!!! And to get it off again is a bitch!

There are several factors to blame. Cold temperatures combined with shorter days make exercise outdoors less appealing and further our inclination to hibernate. Add cold-weather comfort foods to the mix and it’s no wonder so many of us gain weight over the winter. Sticking to a healthy diet is key. Substitute ostrich meat for beef in your Shepherd’s Pie and use sweet potatoes instead of its calorie-packed alternative. Vegetable soups are wonderful healthy winterwarmers, packed with goodness and they and keep calories to a minimum. Chow down on salads and fresh fruit and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to keep your weight in control.

Focus on all the effort you put in beforehand and how good you felt when you were exercising. This will not only increase your energy level, but you'll find that you will also sleep better, and that’s always a plus. Keep focused on what warmer weather brings with it: pool and beach parties, vacations and the fact that looking good is what summer is all about. Staying in shape and working up a sweat will take the pressure off losing the winter weight. Most importantly, remember why you worked so hard in the first place getting in shape, and realise that a healthier, happier, fitter you is something that takes around the clock work and dedication.

Keeping it up If you're a person who loves to exercise outdoors, use the change of weather as a time to try something new and change your workout plan.

Map out a new routine at the start of each season and find a different way to stay in shape - there are thousands of ways to stay active. You can keep up the motivation during the winter months by buying a package at the local yoga studio or purchase some personal training sessions at the gym – and the eye candy is an added bonus. You could also take the opportunity to try something new, sign up for a boot camp for example – not for everyone, but a great challenge and you will thank yourself come the spring. Plan a trip to the tropical Kwazulu Natal seaside to show off your hot winter abs – that’ll keep you motivated!!

Mag 10

If you're used to exercising after work or in the evening, try to make adjustments and workout in the morning. At the end of the day, you're more likely to opt out of exercising if you're tired and stuck in

traffic because of bad weather. Exercising in the morning gets your workout out of the way so you relax at night and get warm and cosy on the couch.

Layer up If you're that person who loves to run outside, whether rain or shine, then it's important to be prepared for the winter worst. For many people, cold air can trigger chest pain or trouble breathing.

If you have any medical conditions or concerns about exercising outside check with your doctor beforehand.

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Dress in layers of sweat resistant materials that are easy to put on and take off. Drenched clothes mixed with a wind chill is a recipe for spending the next few days sick in bed, so wear the proper attire. We all love to look good as we work out. Remember, you didn’t spend all that time in closet without checking out the fabrics – after all isn’t that why gay men are so stylish?

The Highveld days are blissful and warm so it is important to still use sunscreen if you plan to stay active outdoors. For those poor Capetonians, be prepared for the wind and rain, but remember that your nights are positively warm compared to those being suffered by Free-Staters and Gautengers.

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Show off your profile!

Swap photos and videos!

Chat, message, free downloads & lots more!

Feel the burn For those of you who don’t like a gym, an exercise DVD makes it easier to exercise at any time and any season. But home exercise does require more effort and dedication, so find a friend or family member you can work-out with – you will be amazed at how much you will motivate each other! If you have a limited space, try a Yoga or Pilates DVD as they involve a lot of mat work, which is great if you live in an apartment. If you have more space and more friends, what about a Zumba fitness DVD, or even a full body workout that incorporates strength training and plyometrics (jump-training)?

The point is: find what type of workout works for you, in the space that you have available, as long as you feel the burn.

Stay fighting fit Fact: The fitter you are, the less likely you are to get sick during the winter. It's no surprise that colder weather brings runny noses and winter coughs. Keep yourself moving, put the right foods into your body and make sure you continue your healthy lifestyle to prevent you from contracting any illness. Now is a perfect time to chuck the smoking habit as well. So get out and burn those calories, even if they seem frozen. And remember – exercise will keep you warm and come summer you will thank yourself for maintaining that great body.

That healthy glow Maintaining your fitness regimen throughout the winter months will keep you in that perfect shape you achieved during the Summer. You will sustain that healthy demeanour. And so what if you do get a little paler, there are ways around that as well.

The discerning gay man is no stranger to the tan-can and if that’s not your cup of tea then a spray-on or instant tan will help you maintain that healthy glow.

Keep healthy, fit and fabulous this winter.

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Mag 11

THE COOLEST Looking good at the gym is not just about having a great body, it’s also about looking good in the lastest, trendiest gym wear

Feel the burn Mag Mag1212

in Dolce & G

abbana’s Sp

ring/Summ

er Collectio

n 2013 - Men

’s Gymwear

GYMWEAR

T

he long & short of looking great at the gym...

What you wear on your bottom half should be both efficient and stylish while working out. Shorts should be no longer than a few inches below the knee, while short shorts - well lets hope you have great legs to show them off are making a come back but are generally a no, no.

The ultimate sweatpants - Emporio Armani’s Fall 2013 collection (right) - clothing that is at once tailored and stylish, yet light, comfortable and durable.

If you choose sweatpants for the gym, make sure they reach your ankles. Both shorts and sweatpants should be loose enough to allow a full range of movement but should never be too baggy. Shorter, thigh hugging, package-bulging shorts are coming back! But unless you have good, shapely legs (and a great crotch) keep them longer...

Unless you are a serious body builder, stay away from those tiny-strapped muscle tanks and rather opt for a sleeveless or cut-away T, fleece hoodie or regular T - shirt. (see Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer Collection 2013 - pictured right)

Right: Rufskin Vintage cut sports shorts

No self-respecting gym-bunnie is comfortable without a set of ear/headphones. A current essential, and here tastes vary.

Choose headsets from JVC, Sony, Grado and there’s the Koss Portapro which is supreme - but you may have to go online to get them. Earphones are easy to wear and more practical especially when you are doing your lunges and the like, choose from Sennheiser, Meelectronics, or the Etymotic ER-4PT which after at least 15-years in the game is still the best! - but at a price...

A good pair of gym shoes should have a split heel and flex grooves. The flex grooves are the horizontal grooves that are located in the forefoot of the outsoles of your shoes. As their name suggests, these grooves help the forefoot flex. A split help helps increase the efficiency of heel to toe running. Most importantly they should fit...too tight and you will get blisters and hamper your workout. If you are the type who likes to make a statement at the gym the easiest way is with your footwear. Here there is a seemingly endless range of really great styles and colours, ranging from the easily-affordable to off-the-planet; choose from the tried and tested, Adidas and Nike to those fashion icons, and pocket-breaking, breathtaking looks from Dolce Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani and the like.

Adidas adiPURE Trainer Barefoot Men’s Running Shoes

trainers

Nike tra

iners

The gym bag is another essential for the discerning MuscleMary. Pictured below is Louis Vuitton’s Shower Bag, an essential luxury that makes you look good both arriving and leaving the gym. Complete your look with a trendy pair of sunglasses from Thom Browne, Oliver Goldsmith, D & G, Prada, Ray Ban, Oliver Peoples, Oakley, or Gucci Aviators - all are great looks and prevent those crow’s-feet from marching across your face!

Looking good is half way to feeling good, combine that with the great feeling after a good workout too.

Adidas

Louis V

uitton trainers

Thom B ro trimme wne’s round-fr d titaniu a m sung med, meshlasses Louis Vuitton sh

ower bag

Dolce G

abbana

eyewear

Mag 13

NOURISHING DRY SKIN

FROM THE INSIDE Lutein supplementation increases skin hydration and elasticity, as well as the level of lipids on the skin surface. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis and Vitamin E protects cell membrane components from free radical damage.

Use Revite Dry Skin, the unique combination of these ingredients provides moisture to the skin from within.

Skin moisturization is important for the skin’s barrier function, and is essential for healthy, youthful-looking skin.

Each capsule contains Vitamin E Vitamin C Lutein

15 mg / 22 IU 30 mg 6 mg

NRV* 100 33 100

* Nutrient Reference Values South Africa

Why FloraGLOÂŽ Lutein?

Not all lutein is the same! Look for genuine FloraGLO Lutein in leading supplement brands. Why? FloraGLO Lutein is patented. Its purification process is unique and innovative enough to have earned patent protection in the United States, Canada and other countries.

FloraGLO Lutein is used in more clinical trials than any other lutein

TRIALS WITH EXCELLENT RESULTS Mag 14 Mag 14

2013

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Mag 15

By John French

The

OTT-er TRAIL

12 gay guys, 5 days of hiking and 42,5 kilometres of mountainous terrain ahead of them. No phone reception, no hot water, no electricity. Everything needed to survive the 5 days is carried on your back … this surely sounds enough to scare even the butchest lesbian?

T

his wondrous challenge is more than worth it. If you have the stamina to make it, you are going to spend 5 days walking through heaven.

The Otter Trail is widely regarded as one of the finest hikes in the world and stretches from Storms River Mouth in the east to Nature’s Valley in the west.

The distance is 26 km long as the crow flies and 42,5 km as you navigate the endless valleys and powerful peaks that make up this natural obstacle course.

The hike is located entirely within the Tsitsikamma National Park which safeguards an 80 km long strip of unparalleled beautiful coastal mountains, forests and beaches.

The trail is named after the elusive Cape Clawless Otter which lives in this region. Vegetation along the hike consists of either fynbos, dense gallery forest or spectacular open rocky sections near the sea with an abundance of wild flowers and fauna. Expect to spot dolphins, whales, bushbuck and an Mag 16

abundance of bird life along the way.

Remember, you are right in the centre of nature.

Great friends of ours, David and Dylan had booked the hike a year in advance. One needs to do this because of the hike’s immense popularity. The year had slipped by quickly and before we knew it we were borrowing hiking equipment and learning about what the novice hiker needs to get by. It was great fun getting our gear together and friends who had done the trail before advised us about what to take and provided very professional hiking lists and equipment.

On setting out, my ruck sack weighed in at about 16 kilos, a fair weight I am told considering we had packed all our food, sleeping gear and even body bags to put our worldly possessions in since we had a raging river crossing to navigate.

We all drove up to Cradle of Mankind where we spent the night in large wooden cabins before we

set off. What normally happens on these gay excursions? Our 12th hiker apparently fell down a manhole a few days before the hike and then we were down to 11. Manhole …?!??? Then quite unexpectedly, poor David who had spent a year organising our manly escapade, put his back out literally half an hour before we had to set off. What bad luck!

David was in so much pain he could not move, and he and his partner Dylan had to spend the week at the rest camp while all their friends headed out.

The helm was then taken over by ‘Mrs Futter’, the intrepid leader and founder of our Homolulu Hiking Society.

Behind ‘Mrs Futter’ marched our band of super-fit, wannabe fit and not-so-fit hikers.

Nothing can really prepare you for the hike as very little of it is on level ground.

You are either climbing a mountain or descending one, and there is always another mountain ahead of you. You don’t get fit for The Otter Trail. You get fit ON it.

The trail is definitely not for sissies.

When it goes up, it is certainly not shy. Most of the inclines are steeply “staired” with wooden beams. Carrying your heavy rucksack they seem cruelly unending and we often cursed them.

But once we made it to the top we miraculously forgot the recent hardship and the views were our esteemed prize. This happened every single time. When the trail plummets, it also does so mercilessly. Our poor knees!

The downhills were steep and pretty daunting, and usually the next uphill greeted us on arrival. But, oh the beaulah views!

When you reach each summit, some of the most beautiful views in the world lie before you. The scenery is breathtaking, exhilarating and healing at a very wholesome and deep level. One of the greatest joys is getting back to basics, revelling in how simple life can actually be, and connecting with great friends and nature. The hiking challenges your mind as you set your goal to climb the next peak and you certainly reap the rewards at each summit.

All four nights are spent in cute wooden huts with superb views of the bays in front of them. I found that the bays increased in beauty as we went along the way. Two sets of triple decker bunk beds are provided in each hut (they need to install Sealy Orthopaedics!) – you provide your own blankets/pillows/ sleeping bags etc. The couples slept in one hut and ‘all the single ladies’ shared the other. We were not surprised why they were all still single when we heard the thunderous snoring coming out of the single shack!

We were advised to be aware of the dates and the times of the high and low tides prior to hiking The Otter Trail. This is very important for crossing the bigger

rivers such as the Elandsbos and the Bloukrans Rivers. These rivers can be very dangerous at high tide with hikers battling to swim across the wide, deep and strong tide river mouths and then having to abseil up the rough cliffs on the other side.

The treacherous Bloukrans River crossing is on the 4th day of the Otter Trail. It is approximately 10 km from Oakhurst Hut that takes about four and half hours to reach. We were excitedly up at 4am to make it to the river mouth for low tide. We all had horror visions of drowning. After weeks of worrying about this formidable river crossing, it ironically turned out to be the only easy part of the holiday: the river ended up being a metre-wide trickle through the sand! What a relief and our body bags got turfed sans us in them!

Herman, Brian, Garth, Andy, Mark, John, Frans, Dave and Hough

The final glorious morning is spent hiking along the top of a striking coastal mountainous ridge covered in Western Cape fynbos. You then make the final arduous descent down to Nature’s Valley beach where you and the guys triumphantly trek along the beach with nearly empty rucksacks and hearts full of memories.

OTTer Trail tips

The Otter Trail is something I shall never forget. It’s a great escape from our modern urban lifestyle, a return to all that is wholesome and natural. You truly experience being free. It’s a place to discover yourself, great friendships and your place in the world. Forget the yellow brick road. Us guys painted a pink trail through some really superbly breath-taking and challenging terrain and created many special memories we shall never forget.

2. Get a stick – I used to think that sticks were for grannies. The Otter Trail has taught me that trekking poles are for geniuses! The millions of downward stairs with a heavy rucksack kill your knees. Sticks help to balance you and minimise the jarring on your joints as you come down.

Otter Trail booking For more information on the Otter Trail and prices check out the SanParks website: www.sanparks.org

1. Get fit –The Otter Trail is not a walk. It’s a climb! Make sure you do lots of incline and decline practice sessions before you attempt to conquer The Otter.

3. Cable ties and duct tape can fix anything – Throw these items in your rucksack first. They can fix anything from hiking boots to holes in waterproof bags and much more.

Wet wipes are also a Godsend.

4. Pack treats – You need little rewards along the way. Biltong, berries, biscuits and boerewors are all blerrie nice to snack on along the way! Put alcohol in toiletry air travel plastic bottles. Clover makes 250 ml box milk perfect for breakfast and the long coffee/cappuccino sachets will make everyone envious.

5. Choose your friends wisely – The people you choose to hike with will either make or break this trip. Like-minded souls who are fun, adventurous and fit will become friends for life after sharing this wondrous experience.

Mag 17

BRENDA FASSIE AFRICAN GAY ICON

MADONNA OF THE TOWNSHIPS The Brenda Fassie sculpture, created by artist Angus Taylor, is a life-size bronze that stands outside the Bassline music venue in Newtown, Johannesburg. Installed in March 2006, it was the first of 40 sculptures commissioned by the Sunday Times newspaper in celebration of its 100th birthday.

The sculpture features Brenda sitting on a stool behind a microphone. The text superimposed on Fassie’s body is made up of quotes by the artist on her relationship with the media. The empty stool by her side invites passers-by to take a seat next to this music legend.

Photo: © Axel Bührmann

O

ur home grown gay icons are few and far between in South Africa. There are hardly any larger than life than MaBrr was. Her story is so extraordinary that you couldn’t have made it up. Brenda Fassie, dubbed as the Madonna of the Townships

by Time Magazine in 1991, was no paragon of virtue; what with her notoriously abusive relationships, her addictions, she was certainly not the ideal gay role model.

But she was an African woman who often and publicly celebrated her sexuality. She was an out African lesbian celebrity who wasn’t afraid to say it. She was our Judy Garland, our Billie Holiday, our Madonna.

She was our own African gay icon and she didn’t give a fuck. The Sowetan called her a “Diva with a messy, hectic life” whilst the Citizen described her as “Our very own material girl” The youngest of nine children, Fassie was born in Langa, Cape Town in 1964.

MaBrr became one of our greatest stars Mag 18

with her melding of African vocals with a slick international pop sound. She had her greatest success in the 1980’s and continued to record into the ensuing decades, but became a celebrity known more for her off-stage antics than her on-stage work. She came from a musical family and began singing early, forming her first singing group at the age of four. Her precocious talent brought her to the attention of talent scouts from Johannesburg, one of whom eventually took the young teenager to the city to kick-start her career. After singing background vocals for Joy, Fassie broke out with the group Brenda & the Big Dudes with whom she recorded her biggest hit in 1986’s Weekend Special.

She went on to a solo career soon after and working with producer Sello “Chicco” Twala. Fassie had continued success at the end of the ‘80’s with the hits Too Late for Mama and the controversial Black President, which was banned in apartheid-era South Africa.

Then things started to unravel. She was involved in several highly publicised affairs with both men and women and had also begun a costly and destructive cocaine addiction. She became notorious for missing concert dates. The myth of Rock Star lifestyle was shattered in 1994 when she was found in a drugged state in Hillbrow’s seedy Quirinal Hotel beside the body of her drug-overdosed lover, Poppie Sihlahla. The horror of the event was enough to shock her out of her spiralling decline. Her next album, Memeza, was released in 1998 and was the most focused and accomplished album she had released in nearly a decade. Memeza went on to become the best-selling album of the year in South Africa. If there had previously been any doubt, the album’s success cemented Fassie’s role as a superstar of Afro-pop. Her success continued with subsequent albums Now is the Time and Nomakanjani and, for a time, nothing seemed impossible for the township hero.

But on the morning of 26 April 2004, Fassie was admitted to hospital. The press were told that she had suffered cardiac arrest, but later reported that she had slipped into a coma brought on by an asthma attack. She in fact had overdosed on cocaine and this was the cause of her coma. Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, and Thabo Mbeki visited in hospital, and her condition was front-page news in South African papers.

She died aged 39 on 9 May 2004 after her life support machines were turned off.

Somehow this kind of tragic story always resonates with gays. While many put her on a pedestal, she remained among the people, which was part of her appeal.

As rich as she was, with a mansion in Fleurhof, she likes hanging out in a flat she owned in Century Plaza, a happening Hillbrow hotspot in the late 1980’s. The Plaza attracted musicians, artists, freshout-of-the-closet black gays and township intellectuals. It became an epicentre of style, free expression and Jozi’s black gays.

Jenny Mkhize, a denizen of Hillbrow at the time told the Sunday Times Heritage Project: “It was a combination of 1970’s Soweto and designer-obsessed Paris, right in Africa. The exhibitionist gay brigade dripped charm, ruled the style wars, partied hard and ventured deep into the unknown. There was a lot of incestuous bonking going on, y’know? Wine, big guys, cross-gender orgies and more orgies.

At the same time, there was a beautiful sisterhood there, shared dreams, bashed dreams… We were all connected by that inexplicable glue: the artists’ desire to live freely, as if every day is the last. Lesbians were bedding gay boys, gay boys were stealing each other’s partners. Through it all, I remember Fassie as the rock goddess: the loudest and most stylish of the bunch.

Even if we didn’t see eye to eye, I admired how selfless she was. She was many things in one — a very possessive lover and a giving person. At the time, she was seeing my friend Victoria Sihlahla (Poppy), the most beautiful woman in the gang”

own Runner and 800 meter record breaker, Caster Semenya, was almost stripped of her title and dreams of being an athlete because she was accused of being a man, running as a woman.”

Fassie’s appeal transcended our borders.

A fan from Ghana said that Brenda Fassie is an icon for many African gay men and lesbians and gives an African perspective to her popularity: “When Time Magazine described Brenda Fassie as the Madonna of the Townships in a 2001 article, I for one thought they got it completely wrong.

Brenda Fassie was not the Madonna of the Townships. Madonna was the Brenda Fassie of America.”

A lot have things have happened in South Africa since MaBrr’s untimely death. Fassie was never one to mince her words and one can only deliciously speculate what she might have made of today’s media circus, being no stranger to the hullabaloo.

Jedi Rampalapa remembers and muses: “So later on in her career Brenda Fassie released another hit song Indaba ya’m i straight – ayifun’irula (My story is straight it doesn’t need a ruler). It was a response to media accusations, if I am correct, about her sexuality or sexual orientation and activities. She was often rumoured to keep multiple partners - male and female.

I think she was mostly seeing women at the time of her untimely death. I think about that song and wonder what Mabrr would have to say to the state of the nation today, when women are being raped and assaulted on a daily basis, others only because they are gay – to ‘correct’ them. Or what she would have to say, that our very

Performance artist Odidi Mfenyana, better known as drag diva Odidiva, who often performs Fassie’s songs, says that MaBrr was “my earliest vocal influence. At the age of seven, I convinced my mother to buy me Weekend Special by Brenda Fassie & the Big Dudes and used to sing it from A to B side. I still have the LP.” When asked whether she is a gay icon, Odidi says: “Brenda Fassie is a complete African Gay Icon. Her very outrageous style, her outspokenness and often confrontational sound bites are classics in African Pop Culture. She was like a mash-up of Grace Jones, Shirley Bassey and Madonna. One of her most famous moments was her full on fight with celebrity writer Lesley Mofokeng (now co-author of Khanyi Mbau’s autobiography), exclaiming that she made him famous because all he ever did was write about her. She went further and even tried to manhandle him.

Another famous moment was when she had a Kanye West moment at the SAMA awards when Steve Hofmeyer or Mandoza was voted artist of the year. She jumped up on stage and told everyone in the room she was still the best selling artist of all time!

Songs like Indaba ya’m i straight dealt with Jack-Rolling, girls in townships being hijacked by gangsters and gang raped.

Her Black President album was unbanned

by PW Botha regime afraid it would cause more violence in the townships if it was not, such was her popularity. Every Kwaito producer from Joe Nina to Arthur Mofokate worked with her and made their careers through her. President Thabo Mbeki gave her a State Funeral in Langa, which was delayed due to announcement of South Africa being the host of the 2010 World Cup.” Almost a decade after her death, Brenda Fassie’s music is still hugely popular. The Diva remains a legend and an icon.

Mag 19

PRIDE MARCHES ON Twenty three years after Africa’s first Gay Pride March happened in Johannesburg, most major South African cities have their own Pride celebrations.

My Pride, My Right

Durban Pride Saturday 22 –Sunday 30 June 2013

D

urban Pride 2013 raises the International Rainbow Flag at the end of June for a week-long celebration of diverse identities, cultures and histories. Last year 2500 people attended the Main Event, with an estimated 5000 attending events over the week long calendar of events. The organisers hope this year’s celebration will attract even more people as gays in KZN become more confident. This year’s Durban Pride will run concurrently with the Durban Gay and Lesbian Film Festival hosted by the KZN Gay and Lesbian Tourism Association. An exciting array of festival movies will be screened at the KZNSA Art Gallery in Glenwood.

The week-long schedule kicks off with Miss Gay Durban on Saturday 22 June at The Lounge. Other events during the week include Pride Church Services; the Teddy Bear Picnic in Mitchell’s Park; a Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony on the steps of City Hall; an evening Boat Cruise; a Poetry night and a Karaoke Night. There will be an Official Pre-Pride Party at the Plush Ultra Lounge on Friday 28 June.

Of course the Main Event happens on Saturday 29 June, starting with the Gay Pride Parade starting at 11am. This will be followed by a fabulous open-air party at Amphitheatre Beach (opposite Elangeni Hotel), featuring various live acts, a fashion showcase, Drag Racing, Tug a Twink, and DJs from The Lounge, Angelo’s, Bent and Origin, to name but a few. The Official After-Party will be happening later that night at The Lounge. For those with any energy left, Sunday 30 June will see Durban’s first ever Pink Games.

The Durban Lesbian and Gay Community and Health Centre and the Mosaic Men’s Clinic, with the support of partners from the KZN Gay and Lesbian Tourism Association, the Durban Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Lounge, the Deo Gloria Family Church and individuals host Durban Pride as both an advocacy tool and a fundraising event for Human Rights education, sensitisation and advocacy work it implements throughout Durban and KZN. The Durban Centre is focussed on providing a safe space, sexual health services (including HIV & STI screening and counselling), support and training for the gay community.

For more detailed information on Durban Pride Events visit www.durbanpride.org of Durban Pride on Facebook. For Film Festival schedule visit www.dglff.org.za

Gay by Nature, Proud by Choice Pretoria Gay Pride 7 September

T

he nation’s capital will be hosting its first Gay Pride Event on 7 September. This was decided at a meeting of various interested parties in March where the Pretoria Gay Pride Committee was formed – quite some time before the news of the dissolution of Joburg Pride. Not too many details are available at this stage apart from the date of the Parade, and that it will be happening around the Centurion Mall area in Pretoria South.

Chairman of the Pretoria Gay Pride Committee Wayne Botha says.

“More exact details of the route will be announced as soon as final approval from the Tshwane Municipality is received”. A stalwart of the Pretoria gay scene and advisor to the pride committee Bruce Walker says “The Pretoria Gay Pride is expected to be just as, if not, more spectacular, extravagant and entertaining than any other Gay Pride event in South Africa. The event is also aiming at keeping the focus on what gay pride is truly about – our history of continued fighting for gay rights, protection from (so called) ‘homophobic’ people and to commemorate those who gave up their lives for gay rights around the world”.

Visit Pretoria Gay Pride on Facebook for more detailed information Mag 20

2013 EVH PINK AWARDS

E

nigma von Hamburg, a former Miss Gay Western Cape, is more than just a pretty face. Just over a year ago, she initiated the EVH Pink Awards, where recognition is given to people within the gay community achieved outstanding success in their chosen field; broken new ground, overcome barriers or been an agent for change; participated actively as a volunteer; made significant contributions to the community; performed as a leader or served as a positive role model.

There are 18 categories for the EVH PINK Awards 2013 including best Cabaret Artist, Designer, Human Right Activist, Community Builder, Entrepreneur, as well as Hunk, Drama Queen and Couple of the Year. The awards will be presented at a Gala Event on Friday 5 July 2013 at Club West End. Tickets are R50 and dress formal. Entertainment includes performance by Angel Lalamore, winner of Best Cabaret Entertainer in 2012. A portion of the funds raised will be contributed towards the iThemba School Capricorn that is a non-profit organization to improve the level of education of children in Cape Town.

For more information contact Enigma at evhpinkawards@gmail.com or join the Facebook Group: EVH Pink Awards.

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Mag 21

2013 Pink Loerie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival – Wicked Wonderland Images by Danie Nickey Bornman

By Genevieve Le Coq

Lola Fine, Mr Gay World Andreas Derleth and Genevieve Le Coq adding a bit of colour to the parade

B

irds of feather flock together, or so they say. Come the start of May every year and its Pink Loerie time when the colourful and vibrant queer folk flock to the small Garden Route town of Knysna to celebrate their uniqueness. The Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival took foot (or rather the proverbial high heel) in 2000 and has cemented itself as a fun festival on the LGBTI social calendar. Knysna and the Garden Route do have a gay community but the festival attracts people from all over: Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Johannesburg making the crowds diverse in an almost reunion style break away before winter sets in.

To clarify the question I heard asked several times: “What is the difference between the Mardi Gras and the Arts Festival?” Well the Arts Festival focuses Mag 22

mostly around events in the day from shows, art exhibitions, a charity drive, the VIP Dinner and the Parade, whereas the Mardi Gras represents the vibrant nightlife and parties. Organizers paid attention to offer festival goers a variety of events and activities to suit most tastes but I suppose a Loerie can always lay an egg about what she’d like to see. A new addition was the Flea Market with yummy foods at very reasonable prices and retailers offering anything from clothing to home wares.

The notorious Miss Lola Fine and I were the brand ambassadors for Manhunt.net and we managed to create rumours and scandals within the first night involving a golf cart on the Pezula course at 2am.

Our crew also included leather men, bears, a twink, DJ Cee Smooth to keep the tunes pumping, and last but not least the awesome Mr. Manhunt himself, Gareth

Dallas heading up the team. It was great meeting old friends from all over the country and meeting many fabulous new ones there.

The Pink Loerie offered several competitions with great prizes and saw contestants eagerly competing for the titles which included: Miss. & Me. Mardi Gras (the legendary Deborah De Donner), Mr. Mardi Gras and the saucy Mr. Manhunt Hot pants (sexy JJ Mainstay). As with any drag pageant emotions ran high and it ended in what I called “the night of the flying tiara”.

It finally landed on the well deserving head of Cape Town’s much loved Manila von Teez crowning her as Miss Mardi Gras. Wellington hottie Werner De Waal strutted his stuff and claimed the title as Mr. Mardi Gras. Davanna Wine Bar also played host to two titles that

were up for grabs: Miss Butch (Liesel Bezuidenhout) and Miss Femme (Romanique Nakita Cronje).

Despite the crowning of the various new title holders, we were also graced by the presence of our current Mr. Gay SA, the stunning Jason Lee Rogers, his predecessor Lance Weyers (in top shape) as well as our own Mr. Gay World 2010, the much adored Charl van den Berg. We were also fortunate to have the current reigning Mr. Gay World, German- New Zealander Andreas Derleth present.

It was great to have met him, he has an engaging, friendly personality and it was lovely to have him experience a part of our culture.

So on to the main attraction that saw crowds both straight and queer venture onto Knysna’s sidewalks to be amazed by the vivid Parade. The weather was perfect! There were so many stunning costumes, better than I’ve seen in a few years, making the experience true to its name: Wicked Wonderland. The bystanders loved every moment, cheering the procession on and cameras snapping photos from everywhere. Knysna’s mayor Georlene Wolmarans also attended. It was good to see the local municipality being so supportive. A best dressed award was also up for grabs: a very camp pink Jonway/ Gomoto scooter. It was a tight run as the entrants all looked amazing but there can only be one winner, or in my and Miss Fine’s case, two! Cape Town represented once again and our sisterly duo did so proudly claiming our scooter as prize. Management at Pezula Estate is said to have diminished stress levels now that we don’t need a golf cart anymore!

made with decor and lighting to give it a more festive look and feel.

The line up of DJ’s kept the dance floor full like local DJ Dr. Katz, Stuart Hillary, 5fm’s Catherine and Kevin Grenfell from EMI/ Virgin.

Of course a patsy can’t just end after clubbing so various house parties kept it going like Monique Walker’s Mansion and our Manhunt house giving birth to the twitter hash tag. It was at one such party that Miss.

Lola Fine had a very rarefied moment when police came knocking to complain about noise levels and she unsuspecting said that she loved a man in uniform, asked for his music and wanted to direct the officer to his spot where to strip dance! #whathappensinknysna... Don’t. Even.

Ask. LOL

Various venues were involved in the festival but Zanzibar took prominence playing host to most of the Mardi Gras All round 2013 Pink Loerie was big fun making memories none of us events. Some variation could be welcome but effort was will forget. See you next year again!

Mag 23

H

SWEET

e first wowed audiences in Ladies Night, and then his life was hijacked by the dazzling Cathy Specific. Now Brendan van Rhyn returns to a role he was born to play, that of the wild and untamed transvestite Frank ‘n Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Daniel Dercksen shares a few exclusive words with the man behind the mask.

TRANSVESTITE

The Fugard Theatre’s production of The Rocky Horror Show is a great opportunity for you.

Tell me about this?

A great opportunity indeed! Ever since I took my final bow as Frank ‘n Furter in the 2008 Victory Theatre production in Johannesburg, I have wanted to play the part again. It is the first time Cape Town audiences will see me portray another character, other than my alter-ego, South Africa’s deliciously decadent ‘Queen of the Skies, Cathy Specific. This blonde bombshell is the ‘Madame’ of Zingara, the dinner cirque spectacular currently wowing audiences at The Waterfront. Of course, The Fugard is the perfect home for Rocky Horror and to be performing in this unbelievably special venue is a treat. As an artist, it is also wonderful and necessary to expose yourself to new theatre managements and artistic teams and I am so excited to be part of this incredible project, driven by these equally excited and dedicated individuals.

What does Rocky Horror mean to you?

It means I can now die happy! It’s another great chapter in my life and time in my career. It means once again, being part of an ensemble cast which is a great experience – sharing that stage with others, feeding off them and giving the audience exactly what they came to see – the world’s favourite and most-loved rock ‘n roll musical! This musical has such a cult following, with theatre-goers singing the songs, mouthing the words and waiting for all those unforgettable moments with antici…pation!!! It is a role I eat, sleep and drink when in the moment. It is going to bring back all those wonderful memories I cherished five years ago, yet with a new cast, new creative team, new theatre, new city, new audience there will be a new-found freshness and enthusiasm… in other words, it will be like starting from scratch and discovering him all over again…

Do you think you were born to play Frank?

There are roles in Musical Theatre that one is either suited to or not, simple, and this has a lot to do with varying factors, be it a look, vocal range and ability and in many instances ‘right place at the right time’.

Of course, it is also the one role that EVERY male performer wants to play…and how fortunate of me to be able to do it twice! Maybe this is an indication that Mag 24

I perhaps was born to play Frank! It also helps to want it badly enough…”Don’t dream it, be it”.

Are you a ‘wild and untamed thing’?

Hahahahaha…not in the slightest! I’m the sweetest transvestite! Hey, I’m the guy who gets pissed on Wine Gums…does that sound wild and untamed?

“Op sy plek” is a good description and one my mother would be proud of!

How do you identify with Frank?

Look, I can’t really say that “I’ve made a man with blonde hair and a tan”, although if he came along… well, I might have to “take him up to the lab and lay him on the slab’’! I maintain there’s a bit of Frank in all of us; this creature that ever so often wants to come out and play. There’s no doubt more of him in me than in others which is why I’m able to get to grips with the role. He’s very androgynous in a way, lusted over by both men and women. The way he carries himself, the assertiveness, his rawness, his uncensored way of being, his unapologetic manner and madness – these are just some of the many facets that make this character so desirable…it’s like “Look Ma, no hands!” Yet in all this, there is his vulnerability…the man we all love to hate and by the end of the show he has crawled under your skin and into your heart. He also needs to be very capable in heels – let’s just say I’ve had a lot of practice!

You were also great stripping in Ladies Night and now you are doing the stripping in Rocky Horror.

In Ladies Night it was down to nothing; this time round there’s just enough fabric to modestly protect the essentials – Frank really doesn’t wear much!

That’s one of the elements that the show is so renowned for – for pushing those sexual boundaries.

When the musical was first staged and when the film was released, the sight of a man in fishnet stockings pushed a few buttons, never mind boundaries!

Today, that is tame in comparison so things need to be spiced up – and I do love a bit of spice!

Show biz happened for you at the age of five when you started playing the piano. Tell me about this.

The rd a Fug re wi at The ing aw ts giv be f ticke o orr rs o pai cky H ll u Ro in, te an w To rend o. of B ter eg t al h ou c rea elkom t 2

“This is undoubtedly going to be the HOTTEST ticket in town!”

Photo: Lauren Wallett

ill 2 way r The s fo ow. h e or Se nam s ’ h us t Rhyn van ries to t a@ . En afric g y tma .net b a ms uly.

J 20

Photo: Jesse Kramer

I’ve always been very involved with classical music and from a young age decided that the piano would be my choice of instrument. I never wanted to be a concert pianist or study music or follow a career in the arts, but that first piano lesson was followed by another one and another one and another one until they just never stopped. In my twenties, priorities changed and the need for me to play and practice was not top of the list anymore. It is a skill I spent many years perfecting and could have continued doing so, but life takes one on other unexpected journeys. In my thirties, I have learnt not to fight this unexpectedness, but to embrace it whole-heartedly.

You were magnificent in the role of Frank in the Victory production …. How much has changed since then/within you as a performer and person?

Thank you! That production was most certainly a highlight in my career and having been nominated for a Naledi Award for Best Male Performance in a Musical must have been an indication that it was a job well done! Tim Curry’s shoes are hard to fill…but I do wear a size 13 heel!!! I have most certainly grown as a performer and a person; I’m also five years older and hopefully, wiser. Brendan is also 100% comfortable with who he is and this shines through in all his work.

There are also now so many boxes that still need to be ticked, but I’m ticking them one dream at a time.

Then Cathy hijacked your life….

Love the choice of words - she sort of did take over - a great girl who is loved by many! I am very fortunate to have this persona as she keeps me busy AND employed when I’m not doing mainstream theatre. Of course, Cathy didn’t just appear from a genie’s lamp or arrive on a silver spoon. She was in my head for many years before I dressed her up and showed her off to the world. As long as people want her, she’ll be around and I have a sneaky suspicion you’ll all be invited to her 70th! We manage very well to not step on each other’s toes and are incredibly supportive of each other. For now, she’s very happy to let Brendan steal the limelight for a while so once she takes a break from Madame Zingara and Brendan comes out to play, she’s delighted to put her feet up and continue working on new things for all her loyal fans and followers – the converted and not converted – for all the ladies and gentlemen…including those who have not yet decided!

Where were you when Rocky Horror hit the world in 1974?

On my parents to-do list! I was a very wanted baby…it just took Mom and Dad a little while to give my sister a brother – she’s twelve years older than me!

Who is the real Brendan?

He’s just a regular guy who adores the aged and loves to make people smile. He is often found in the Woolworths Food section or gladly pushing a trolley in Dischem! The real Brendan is focused, humble, determined, easy-going, thankful, honest, funny, never too serious, always on time (if not early), considerate,

genuine, spontaneous as much as he likes routine, simple and unaffected and not a label Queen! He likes to think of himself as a well-raised, balanced individual and has it on good authority, that he is the apple of his older and only sister’s eye!

What do you do when you are not on stage performing …?

I like to be low key, spend a lot of time on my own. Often I’m in a different city, so I do my best to make the most of my new surroundings.

Friends and family are important to me, so where possible, we enjoy each other’s company. A lot of the time is also spent sleeping. You know, performers are creatures of the night, tending towards living on parallel planes of existence with the rest of mankind. I sleep, you work - I work you sleep. This is a very demanding career I find myself in (and why I don’t use the word ‘chosen’ is because I never wanted to be a performer – I wanted to be a doctor!) both physically, emotionally and mentally. You need to take good care of yourself – no work, no pay!

What motivates and inspires you?

Various people I meet and come across, be it on-stage or off, have an influence on me and the tendency to motivate and inspire. The process of just being creative also does a lot to keep me going. The two sort of feed off each other – if I’m inspired, I’m also motivated. Healthy living and the ability to think clearly is also a huge factor.

I am also motivated by the mistakes I make and it’s amazing how a wrong choice or two can do wonders to kick-start you as a person.

Your views on how the freedom of sexual equality and expression has changed in South Africa?

We are getting there, slowly but surely. We still live in a very conservative country which follows in the footsteps of others that have paved the way. At least these footsteps are in a forward direction, the right one. Individuals can be cruel.

Society can be ruthless. To those who have made the mind shift and embraced sexual equality and expression, well done! To those who still in the 21st Century refuse to move with the times, shame.

Are you in a relationship and do you have that special someone in your life?

There are many special people in my life, but with regards to being in a relationship, I am very much single.

Any comments you would like to share about Rocky Horror?

This is undoubtedly going to be the HOTTEST ticket in town! Get your tickets now and “come give yourself over to absolute pleasure”.

The Rocky Horror Show opens at Cape Town’s Fugard Theatre on 10 July.

Visit www.thefugard.com to book Mag 25

The Art of Finding a Good Party

by John Henry

I

t is a well-known fact that all of the cool and beautiful people go into a very deep hibernation during the winter months. During this time anyone that closely resembles a model, socialite or general fun person either returns to their country of origin or enters a deep cocoon like state of self-preservation during which they prepare for the coming summer months (and try not to gain weight).

We only emerge from this state every now and then in an effort to maintain one’s name and standing in the social circle. It is much like Game of Thrones but just with more bloodshed should anyone try and claim your place in the empire. As December 31st naturally spurs fantasies of selfreform, winter months offer a chance to gather forces and prepare for the coming party season. It is thus of the highest importance to get your playbook right by choosing the right parties during the winter months in order to get much needed practice for the true battle that awaits.

The secret to choosing the right soiree is in fact being invited to enough to excise your choice. Political heavy weights such as Zuma have taught us this over and over – in order to navigate the joys of choice, you must in fact first have it. Only once you have defeated all and arrived at the top of the food chain can you proclaim “don’t call me, I’ll call you”, which if you are still reading this with attentive curiosity, is sadly not you.

The first point I feel compelled to raise and bring to the attention of the general public is the “trance party”. I will neither proclaim expertise in this field or any knowledge of when the next one is happening as they seem to be mostly restricted to outdoor events in the summer. Now, do not be fooled by the words “outdoor event in the summer” as it no way means a lovely Sunday brunch on your friend’s wine estate between Franschoek and Stellenbosch. No no, this is a little beyond the point of civilization on some remote area away from the knowing eyes of the general public.

I was surprised to be told on accepting an invitation to one of these that I best wear comfortable shoes and clothes that I do not want to wear again. Last time I heard this I was involved in a small slasher movie only intended for the Asian market.

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Needless to say, my interest was aroused.

Upon arrival, I found thousands of lumo-dressed freedom lovers in all states of mind. Some even had a “thumping stick” to enhance the beats of the deep trance music. Sadly, I was not allowed to get a thumping- stick as I was a first timer.

After accepting an odd looking headache tablet from my friend, I remember very little about this party. The pictures that were emailed to me the next Monday however, would suggest that I found my inner freedom, climbed into a tree looking for fairies, “just had to go swim in the magical pond” and also made myself head girl of the national trance dancing team. It must have been my sudden exposure to the clean country air that brought this on. One pair of ruined shoes later, I am hesitant to accept my thumping- stick badge of honour.

Back in the city, a few weeks ago I was invited by a social latch on/dependent on my wages/much younger friend to what can best be described as a student house party. With fear and hesitation I clicked “Join” on the Facebook Tweet invite to reveal a complex list of demands that had to be met before one

you can Drive with

Pride

•Weekend rates valid from 12h00 Fri - 12h00 Mon. •Rates include: 100kms, collision Damage Waiver, Theft Loss Waiver, Airport surcharge and Tourism Levy.

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086 101 6622

www.budget.co.za Mag 26

Out Magazine - Drive with pride - June 2013.indd 1

2013/06/04 02:27:05 PM

Joh

could join the party. Firstly it involved leaving the safe confines of the City and Atlantic Seaboard and venture into the dark and unknown world of the suburbs where no cab company would go. Secondly it would appear that shoes are optional, drinks are supplied by those joining and music will be dictated by whom ever gets their iPod connected first to the hipster box.

nH enr y

Obviously, as I am in my late 20’s, I was more than a decade older than almost everyone else, and subsequently may as well have been smeared head to toe with pus. People (I am informed by my editor that for legal reasons I cannot merely refer to them as “students”) regarded me with a combination of pity and disgust.

To complete the circuit, I spent the night wearing the expression of a man waking up to Christmas in a prison cell. More so, I refused to drink out of the punch bowl which in medical terms would be described as a communal cup of spit and STIs. After convincing some naïve youngster that I would get him an internship at my company in exchange for taking me back to the city, I joined one of my more glamorous friends for a quick public appearance (PA). Having paid my time in the waiting line in my younger years, I now know the value of a PA and can use it to my benefit. It is important to realize that a PA largely entails sitting around drinking free champagne and generally just “being there”.

Some will tell you that the socialite parties are just filled with people who had clearly spent far too long perfecting their appearance. They will continue to say that they used to feel intimidated by people like that; now seeing them as slaves to the perceived judgment of others.

Yet, unless you have the thunderous blood of the Irish pumping though your veins and can withstand any sort of pretence, you’d still secretly like to be them, of course. Secondly, I could not help but notice that these comments were made by the ill-advised hairstyle person to the slightly chunky friend in the waiting line.

Best play along then and ensure that you too take some time out to get in on the loads of self-photographing going on. Secret to this: very little dancing, just pouting and flashbulbs.

point in time, they are the coolest and most happening places and no one in their pre-apocalyptic time bubble wants to be the first to lay down your sword - it’s like being officially declared worthless by the state. So best muster a grin and go all out – the fun starts when you join the mob.

As much as they are cramped and overpriced furnaces with sticky walls and the latest pop theme tunes thumping through the humid air so loud you can’t hold a conversation, the combination of lust and alcohol can turn any location into heaven. With enough friends and potential-shags in the vicinity you could have the best night of your life squatting in a shed rolling corks across the floor.

As the evening progresses to the 1am mark, the last of your options consists of the few nightclubs in town that will still allow you access. At this stage of the evening it does not matter if it is the cheesiest downmarket sick-bucket or the coolest cuttingedge hark-at-us-poncehole – the sins of previous hours compel you to enjoy them in an ever-search for further enjoyment.

As the bouncer ushers you out at closing time and you stumble towards the first respectable looking taxi with your friends or the person who’ve decided to spend your life (or next 6 hours with) from this point onward, a quick reminder of the past night’s debauchery will always reveal the gospel. Never again will you be this beautiful and free with messed up hair in smelly smokey clothes – and any other church elder doomsday prophet that declares otherwise, probably forgot to check their youth at the door before they passed out in the back of a taxi…as you are about to do.

Also, one dare not say that no one actually likes clubs and that you’d rather go home because it’s a conspiracy where we’ve been told they’re cool and fun. The truth of the matter is that in that

John Henry is forever looking for a better party and the best night of his life, but wishes that Cape Town had just one more spot at which he could continue his search.

With

Budget

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you can Drive with

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•Weekend rates valid from 12h00 Fri - 12h00 Mon. •Rates include: 100kms, collision Damage Waiver, Theft Loss Waiver, Airport surcharge and Tourism Levy.

•Block out periods and Terms and Conditions apply.

•Quote rate code 3D2 when booking.

086 101 6622

www.budget.co.za Out Magazine - Drive with pride - June 2013.indd 1

Mag 27

2013/06/04 02:27:05 PM

BABYLON BAR

THE LOUNGE

ETC

Emil, Jason

& Damien

See the MANHUNT boys on the main stage everyday at the show

Mag 33

SEXY SAPPHIC SISTERS ARE DOING IT!

T

here is something new and exciting happening on the pink social scene in Cape Town for ladies who love ladies. It’s M.I.S.S – Make It Sexy Sisters - a new concept, for women, by women who love women. M.I.S.S is more than just a party; it is an experience where dance party meets performance art. Recently wed Kerry and Tenille LindequeJoshua are the masterminds behind M.I.S.S. Kerry’s passion for sound and Tenille’s background in performance ensured that the launch party at the Sugarhut Club on Freedom Day was a roaring success!

The theme of the first party was Dapper Dolls and Femmes Fatale and all the girls who wanna have fun went all out to dress up.

The line-up of DJs and performers was enough to make any Daughter of Bilitis drool. Take Golden Delishas, for instance, a veritable vision of undraped burlesque loveliness. The DJ line-up was as mouth-watering. What about Captain Red’s 90s fuelled filthy electro pop for the bedroom dancer, or Tanith’s up- beat blend of gypsy dub swing with a hint of ska-reggae? Or J9’s New Fool Ol’ Skool house beats which unleashed a havoc unseen on the dance floor since Dorothy clicked her heels and ended up in the disco? Not to mention ThunderBunny’s mash up of 80’s, indie and electro or Dear Mrs Panda’s sonic vibrations that makes the hips hop, swing, shake, rattle and roll!

The success of the first party has ensured that these events will become regular occurrences. This is one woman-only party the girls do not want to M.I.S.S!

For more on future events visit www.facebook.com/MISSmakeitsexysisters or contact kerrymaejoshua@gmail.com All images by Helena Grier Rautenbach of Glitterati Boudoir Photography Mag 35

So it’s the dead of winter, the Highveld chill has set in.

You feel like having a party, but you can’t be bothered with the same old, same old. But relief is at hand. An exciting new concept is about to shake up the gay scene in Johannesburg: an elegantly stylish up-market theme party in the form of Twist on Solstice. And what better time to celebrate than the longest night of the year: Twist on Solstice will be taking place on Saturday 22 June to coincide with the Winter Solstice in the Tickets are avai Southern Hemisphere. lable through

DISCO T

www.webtickets .co.za.

Ticket categorie s are: -General admiss ion at R300.00 - VIP Express – R4 00.00 (includes swift exclusive ba r service) -VIP Privé Room s- R10 000 (Incu des full lounge set up , 3 premium bottl es of alcohol, Fiji w ater, private smok ing area, balcony an d own dedicated butler)

The VIP Privé ro oms can accomm SATURDAY JUNE 2013odate 10 people22 each.

SATURDAY 22 JUNE 2013

here is undoubtedly a need for such an event in Gauteng where options are currently limited, and where people crying out for mid-year excuse to dress up and go out. Why wait for Pride to party? This proudly elegant affair is being put together by Conceptspark, an event management, production and styling company that conceptualises and manages creative and truly memorable events. The theme is “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ and patrons are encouraged to dress up. The venue will certainly be dressed up: it will be a veritable feast for the eyes – from the exquisite décor, the hot bar staff, as well as the beautiful people playing in the garden.

Marc Hirschowitz from Conceptspark commented: ‘We are very excited to fill such an important gap in this sector.

We are proud to be associated with such a premium Gay event for the Gauteng region and look forward to hosting the Gay community in such elegant, sophisticated and edgy surrounds.” Marc told us to expect an MCQP-type experience on the Highveld! The venue for Twist of Solstice is the upper level of the Fourways Crossing Shopping Mall. At the moment it is an empty shell crying for something creative to happen. The doors open at 19h30 pm. The DJ line-up includes Emma Stevenson who rocked at Afrika Burns and DJ Goldenboy. Crystal Carrington will also be performing. Naturally there will be troupes of GoGo Boys and other surprise acts appearing throughout the night.

For further information please contact the Conceptspark office on info@ conceptspark or 011 447 7368. Please visit Conceptspark Facebook events page for line-ups and more details.

Mag 36

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Ikageng, an AIDS charity based in Soweto. For more information on Ikageng, please see www.ikageng.org.za

N! I W

d iste Tw s of a be ent ing can plim re giv st u o Y com who a to Twi ter s i il to ets S ark tsp le tick -ma t and p e e n c b e a a.n Con 5 dou Send ms of the y . o a e k c l e aw olsti @te em ty is.

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NANCY!

N BONNIE TYLER

W

elsh ’80s rock goddess and gay icon Bonnie Tyler will be performing in South Africa after a 20 year absence. Her recent Eurovision experience may have had her Lost in Malmo with nothing but a heartache, but the “female Rod Stewart” occupies a special place in the hearts of many South Africans. Fans

can expect a concert featuring hits such as “Holding Out For A Hero” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, as well as material from her new album. She will perform at the Centre Court at Emperors Palace on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 August, and at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September. Book @ Computicket.

ancy! is a new play that gracefully peers into the lives of six gay characters, their individual struggles with their internal as well as external worlds, but more so, their collective strength. Homosexuality is still a controversial topic in South Africa despite having a Constitution that ensures the gay community is protected. But on the street gay men and woman still feel the wrath of a hateful and murderous society, and have to protect their dignity and self-worth, because they dare to express an innate natural sexuality. The play is an Artscape workshop production directed by Abdurachman Adams.

Jill Levenberg and Peter Treurnicht (aka Roxy Le Roux) are the two co-writers who also take on the roles of central characters within the play. The cast is completed by Riaan Visman, Brian Robson, Eddie Newman and Isgak Stemmet. It will be performed at the Artscape Arena from 7 to 10 August as part of the Annual Women’s Festival.

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HOMO-EROTICA

IN THE DAYS WHEN MEN WERE MEN! With two World Wars defining the 20th Century, or certainly the first half, the bench-mark for what it took to be a real man - “a man’s man”, to use one of the phrases made popular during this era, was established. Yet in defining this “man’s man”, many adverts, comic strips and illustative art produced semi-naked HE-men who made every gay man’s heart skip a beat. Little did the rabid, homophobic straight male society of the time realise that they were satisfying every erotic fantasy that gay boys could dream of... feast your eyes and tell me these pictures are not homoerotic!

Companies advertising bath products regularly showed groups of naked men all getting wet together

For most of the 20th century, comic creators were strongly discouraged from depicting gay relationships in comic books, as comics were regarded as a medium for children. in fact. until 1989 the Comics Code Authority (CCA), which imposed de facto censorship on comics sold through newsstands in the United States, forbade any suggestion of homosexuality, but comics and book covers were a great source of those muscle-bound, ripped bodies of supposed “men’s-men”...and young gay boys feasted their eyes and imaginations....

Superman & Batman pledge is from an old issue of the World’s Finest comic book Mag 38

Poster from World War II urging military men to practice safe sex, and HOT sex!!!

WORD PERFECT Jack Holmes and his Friend Edmund White, 2013, Bloomsbury, R165 It is always a pleasure to come across any new writing from Edmund White, who must be one of the most elegant writers in the English language His latest novel, Jack Holmes and his Friend was published in the States last year, and the latest paperback edition is now available in South Africa. Edmund White is a novelist, essayist and biographer without parallel. His autobiographical novel A Boy’s Own Story is a landmark in gay literature. So any new work can only be met with excitement.

The questions whether a gay man and a straight man can be friends and whether their sexualities can comfortably coexist are at the heart of Jack Holmes and his Friend.

The novel begins in the 1960s, well before the Stonewall riots, and ends in the 80s, as Aids begins to devastate gay America.

Jack Holmes is a Midwesterner who like thousands of gay men before and after, finds refuge in New York. He eventually accepts his sexuality and becomes somewhat of a celebrity on account of his big dick. Jack meets Will Wright, avowedly straight, who becomes the unlikely object of Jack’s infatuation, a heart-breaking unrequited and unreciprocated love.

But they do become friends and their very different lives intertwine. Jack even introduces Will to his future wife. Jack gets over his infatuation but the friendship somehow remains on rocky ground. Will is appalled by Jack’s promiscuity, but is at the same time thrilled by it. Will is stuck in claustrophobic hetero-smothered suburbia until Jack introduces him to the voracious and voluptuous Pia who gives him an education in lust.

The novel has three parts. The first and last are written in the third person, and he middle section in Will’s voice. It seems like a strange thing to do, and is probably one of the novel’s weaknesses. But whatever device White employs, the language is always beautiful and evocative. Has anyone described a decade more succinctly than… ”the smell of the sixties: ass and incense”?

Has anyone described internalised homophobia so poignantly as “the demons

of loneliness and the dragons of self- hatred”? White remains cuttingly to the point: “Now everything has changed. Jack was no longer a faggot, he was gay. Befriending a gay was like knowing a Negro – you didn’t want too many, but one was chic”.

Some of the issues explored in the novel seem a bit dated in this day and age, but one has to look at it in the context of its time. It is difficult for those of us born in more permissive times to understand what it was like to be gay before Gay Lib. (Even that is a dated expression).

Nevertheless, White has written an urbane study of the geometry of gay-straight friendship with his usual lyricism. He writes about an age when gay love was often treated with either contempt or flippancy.

Though this might not be one of his best novels, it is still charming while managing to be erotic at the same time.

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MPUMULANGA WE’RE COMING!

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ealth4Men has initiated a process to ensure that gay and bisexual men living in Mpumalanga will be able to access competent sexual health care.

While Health4Men will continue to provide direct health services at their existing network of clinics in Gauteng and the Western Cape, the project will not be establishing specialised Health4Men clinics in Mpumalanga.

“Instead, we are providing both intensive training and mentoring to Department of Health staff working within existing public clinics to ensure that they are able to provide relevant and competent services to gay, bisexual and straight men who have sex with men”, explains Health4Men’s programme manager, Glenn de Swardt. “In future a gay man will be able to get competent medical services from any healthcare worker at specific sites, which have been selected in partnership with the Department of Health, and trained by Health4Men.” In order to roll out the services in Mpumalanga, two hubs are being established in the province, within existing Department of Health facilities in Ermelo and Nelspruit respectively. These two sites will serve as anchors for the training and mentoring of health workers in Mpumalanga.

Health4Men’s model for training staff at clinics has been revised following extensive testing and evaluation in various settings, including urban and rural clinics. In addition it was tested in Uganda, generally considered a ‘hostile’ environment due to that country’s outspokenly homo-prejudiced ethos.

The training model includes a full day of psychosexual content which addresses nurses’ attitudes towards gay men and towards anal sex in particular, and a second day of medical training. “The medical training is essential in order to develop competent services. For example, sexually transmitted infections often present different in gay men who could have symptoms in their throats (from oral sex) or anally. Adherence issues are also different when we work with gay men”, says Health4Men’s Dr Oscar Radebe.

An important aspect of the Health4Men training model focuses on ethical issues, such as maintaining confidentiality about

“The provision of health services, HIV prevention programmes and the promotion of sexual health go hand-in-hand.” men’s sexual identities and behaviours.

Says Dr Radebe: “It is crucial that men must be able to feel comfortable talking to health workers about sensitive issues.

In addition to teaching nurses how to talk comfortably about sex with gay and bisexual men, we place a large emphasis on patient confidentiality” Following training, nurses undergo additional mentoring by a specially trained nurse mentor. “While training provides necessary knowledge, mentoring provides healthcare workers with the necessary skills to ensure that gay men receive appropriate healthcare” explains de Swardt. “Mentoring needs to be an ongoing process to ensure a high standard of care.”

by Riaan Norval

Two nurse mentors are being appointed to mentor nurses in Mpumalanga.

While specific sites are being trained to provide gay-friendly competent services, the Health4Men model also emphasises the need to engage with gay and bisexual men living in local communities. “We need to ensure that local communities are kept informed of the available services at their local clinics, and gay and bisexual men need to know more about their own sexual health so that they will know when to request health services.

In addition to working with various informal networks of gay and bisexual men, we will also interact with relevant grass-roots organisations to ensure that men living in local communities have the best health outcomes”, explains de Swardt. “The provision of health services, HIV prevention programmes and the promotion of sexual health go hand-in-hand.”

De Swardt emphasised that the rollout of competent services is being done in partnership with the Mpumalanga Department of Health. “The department has been exceptionally supportive and they are driving this process very efficiently. We are also partnering with the department to host a one-day symposium on men who have sex with men (MSM) in the province during July. These are very exciting developments for gay and bisexual men living in Mpumalanga.”

Health4Men is a project of the Anova Health Institute and funded by PEPFAR/USAID. To stay informed of developments join the Health4Men team on Facebook or visit: www.health4men.co.za

JOHANN WOWS CHICAGO

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r SALM Johann Jooste did South Africa proud at International Mr Leather in Chicago at the end of May by coming 7th out of 52 mostly North American contestants. Of his achievement

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an ecstatic Johann exclaimed: “Neither the Oxford dictionary, nor Google has a word to describe this moment...!!!” South African contenders have consistently done well at IML, with Johann’s two predecessors Jaco Lourens and Gerrie

Vorster both making the Top 10. The winner of this year’s IML is Mr. San Francisco Leather 2013 Andy Cross.

Thib Guicherd-Callin Mr. Santa Clara County Leather 2012 came in second while Robert Miller, Mr. Leather Toronto 2013 was placed third.

FEEL THE HEAT JUNE diary Friday 7th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 14th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Sunday 16th – Youth Day Party – Free entry for youths · Friday 21st Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Sunday 23rd Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 28th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund JULY diary Friday 5th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 12th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 19th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Monday 22nd Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 26th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund AUGUST diary Friday 2nd Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Thursday 8th Women’s Day – Come take it like a man · Friday 9th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 16th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Wednesday 21st Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 23rd Fire Crotch Night – Free Entrance with Red Pubes · Friday 30th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund We have enough heaters to make you sweat!

THE SORRY STATE OF PRIDE

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here was much consternation at the announcement from Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company in March that they were winding up their Section 21 Company which had put on Joburg Pride for the last seven years, citing various reasons. The announcement unleashed a flurry of debate, speculation and accusation on online media. Nobody is letting on the real reason for this decision, but laying part of the blame on the guerrilla tactics employed by the 1-in-9 Group at last year’s Pride smacks of scapegoating. In the end, both Joburg Pride and 9-in1 acted shamefully. There was much lamenting that this was the end of Pride as we know it, which perhaps is not such a bad thing at all. It created a vacuum and it did not take long for the scramble to fill it to begin. After a series of meetings between various interested parties it appears that there are now two competing factions holding two Prides in Johannesburg, one week apart, with one of them being held on the same day as Soweto Pride. It seems that there is a division between those who want Pride to be a celebration and those who think it should be a protest. In the meantime, one of the former directors of the now defunct Joburg Pride has announced that she is organising the Joburg Mardi Gras, subtitled the “next generation of Pride”, although no date has been announced yet. What a sorry state of affairs! It will be interesting to see what transpires.

Ultimately people will vote with their feet.

Two years ago we reported that Cape Town Pride of 2011 incurred a loss of around R100 000. The Festival Director at the time was left hanging in the wind while the Board washed their hands of him and refused to take any responsibility. Essentially Cape Town Pride Festival imploded. As a result, some interested parties emerged with the intention of rescuing or restructuring Pride from within but were scuppered by remnants of the old Board. The two people who took it upon themselves to organise CT Pride in 2012 had no mandate to do so but went ahead anyway.

The main event only happened after the intervention of the Village Team, comprising of gay venues in the lower Mag 42

gay village, who shouldered the risk. A profit was made, debts from the previous year cleared, and a donation of R15 000 was made to the Pride Shelter Trust, the official beneficiary of the Cape Town Pride Festival.

This year, Cape Town Pride was again run by people with good intentions, but no mandate and little ability to pull off ten days of events. At least one of these “Committee” members that nobody has elected emerges a few weeks before Pride every year to talk a lot but do very little, only to disappear again until the year after. Again, the Village Team was instrumental in the organisation of the events, and that little would have happened without their participation.

However it must be stressed that they were not the decision makers.

That honour belongs to the Phantom “Committee”, a source of anger and

For most gay people, Pride is a highlight of the year and something to look forward to frustration for anybody who had dealings with them (including I might add, the Village Team itself, this publication, other gay venues who felt that they were deliberately excluded, sponsors and performers who were treated with contempt…the list goes on). The inability to organise the proverbial piss-up in a brewery comes to mind. Despite this, the actual Pride Day Parade and Street Party were a critical success and did generate piles of money. Credit was accepted where it wasn’t due and there were still a lot of unhappy people around.

On 20 April the AGM that wasn’t an AGM happened. It was more of a reportback and mainly because it was finally publically admitted that the Section 21 Company known as the Cape Town Pride Festival is actually defunct. So a group

of people at the meeting volunteered to review the previous Constitution in order to produce a founding document for a new organisation that would organise Pride in the Mother City. A deadline as given and we anxiously await to hear results. An unaudited income and expenditure statement was read out and we eventually got our hands on a copy.

It appears it was a very good year, with a bank balance R128 301.76 as of 7 May, 2013. No wonder eyebrows were raised when only R10 000 was presented to The Pride Shelter Trust this year. When questioned about it, we were told that the Pride Shelter Trust is no longer the only beneficiary. R5000 was donated to the travel fund of Mr SA Leatherman who is representing South Africa at the International Mr Leather in Chicago. A further R10 000 was given as seed money for the Khumbalani Pride event held in Nyanga and Gugulethu on International Day against Homophobia. Another sorry state of affairs. Again we are closely watching what happens. Clearly new blood and new ideas are needed.

But situations like these were bound to happen sooner or later. In many ways, Pride in both Johannesburg and Cape Town are victims of their own success.

They have outgrown their original raison d’etre. An unbelievable amount of change has happened in the more than 20 years that have passed since Africa’s first Gay Pride March where some of the participants chose to wear paper bags over their heads for fear of recognition.

And it is almost 20 years since the first democratically elected government came to power, which eventually led to the negotiation of a new Constitution where equal right for all citizens, including gay ones, were enshrined. This is not the same country. Several South African cities now commemorate Pride. Far from being afraid, participants in today’s parades are out, loud and proud. While as a nation we still have far to go - gays still face homoprejudice, bullying, discrimination, sexual and other violence – these things are against the law. Whilst not everyone has equal access to the law, the fact that the law says that you cannot discriminate is a major progression. Change the law and society will eventually follow, even if it has

to be dragged kicking and screaming. As society has changed, it stands to reason that the nature of Pride has also changed from being purely a protest to one that is more celebratory. Clearly we do have a lot to celebrate. The main argument put forward by people who want Pride to be a protest is that the political aspect of Pride has been downplayed. But elevating the protest aspect to the detriment of the celebration does not a “People’s Pride” make. Surely there is a way meld both aspects.

The genesis of Gay Pride is undoubtedly political. The drag queens in Greenwich Village in June 1969 were not activists.

They were just pissed off at being constantly harassed and they had finally had enough. They had no idea that their actions would spawn a political movement. The first Gay Pride in South Africa in 1989 was also a calculated political act. Every time Pride is celebrated in any city of the world it is a political act, if only because being visibly out and proud in any society that is hostile is a political act. For many gay people, attending their first Gay Pride is often their first overtly political act.

Just being publically out and proud on the streets with likeminded people is incredibly exhilarating and liberating. Just because nobody makes a speech does not mean that Pride is apolitical. And Pride still does provide a platform for those who want to make a statement, from the religious fundamentalists protesting on the side-lines, to the many participants who carry placards and banners highlighting one issue or another.

For most gay people, Pride is a highlight of the year and something to look forward to. Every time there is a Pride there is always the discussion from some gay people who are offended by the sometimes bacchanalian exhibitions of gay abandon. But for many people it is their once a year opportunity to freely express themselves. Then there are those who question the need for Pride, arguing that we have our rights. That may be true, but surely we can celebrate the fact.

And while we do have rights on paper, those rights are still often denied. Democracy functions because of the vigilance of citizens.

Few people would deny that we need Pride. What people are questioning is how the various Prides are run. The concern is that many Prides are run arbitrarily and that there is little accountability or transparency. Most people feel that they have a stake or sense of ownership in Pride, not realising that Section 21 Non-profit organisations are accountable to nobody but their directors. They are not necessarily philanthropic or community based organisations. And here lies the rub. Often the directors of these NPOs are have limited experience in running events. Unpaid volunteers are few and far between and they certainly are not accountable. If for instance Cape Town Pride made such a large surplus this year, someone should be employed for some of the year to at least reply to e-mails. The large events should be tendered to professionals.

Cape Town Pride would not have made a surplus if the bar owners whose business it is to make money were not involved.

One has to admire anyone who does come forward to take the reins. It seems that Pride is somewhat of poisoned chalice.

But it’s not all bad news. The first Limpopo Pride has just been held in Polokwane. Pretoria is having its own Gay Pride in September. Durban Pride is flourishing. Port Elizabeth will be celebrating their third Nelson Mandela Bay Pride in November.

However, whoever is brave enough to organise Pride in whichever city needs to listen to what people want. And we also need to call a spade a spade and put the GAY back into Pride.

After all, we are supposed to be PROUD of who we are!

Boy Meets Boy Benefit

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he hilarious smash hit musical comedy Boy Meets Boy will be staged at the Artscape Arena from 27 June to 21 July. It is a light hearted work, with catchy songs and set in the 1930’s romantic style of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but between two good-looking butch gay young men and culminates in them getting married. The London Telegraph proclaimed: “Say it loud, say it proud, it’s a hit”. The performance on Wednesday 3 July will be a benefit in aid of the Pride Shelter Trust, so make a night of it by supporting a worthy cause. Cheaper tickets of R95 can be bought directly from the Shelter by e-mailing Matron Jan at matron@pridesheltertrust.co.za or call 021 429 2871/083 216 608. Tickets can be collected from the Shelter.

So have re t ’ n at do you e the h t lp o o he go t t t o t n wa e time still S th u M o S y ? ed but elter llow h o f S to the TER 215 0 HEL 4 S o d et ide wor nam e Pr r h u t o to by y R20 t. e t a Trus r e don t l She

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OUT TO LUNCH with Gary Hopkins

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MY BIG FAT FOODIE BLOG

apetonians are often accused of taking our city for granted. I recently got to play Tour Guide Barbie to my friend Paul from Cardiff on his second visit, and got to appreciate the Mother City again through new eyes. In Paris they scraped the ice off the wings of his plane so it seemed sensible to head straight for Caprice on Camps Bay golden mile for sunshine and cocktails. There’s nothing like a good dose of eye candy and lemon grass infused vodka to get you into a holiday mood. The cocktail culture has been slow to catch on in the country and for my money, Caprice is one of the few bars that make use of fresh ingredients over nasty syrups and pre-mixes. A quick stop at Mykonos Greek Taverna in Sea Point to soak up the alcohol and Paul was ready for an early night.

Come Saturday morning we hit the Hout Bay Market via a few wine farms on route. Constantia, just 15 minutes from the city, is often overlooked in favour of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Groot Constantia, at 328 years old, is our oldest wine farm and home to some exquisite reds. We opted for the quick tasting over the cellar tour. What our taster lacked in personality the wines made up for punch. Their wines are not cheap but worth every cent.

Just off the Constantia Neck circle you’ll find Beau Constantia. This boutique farm is one of the city’s best kept secrets. The tasting room is essentially a glass box that sticks out over the valley giving you exquisite panoramic views of the Southern Peninsular. You taste at communal tables and we struck up conversation with visiting Aussies Steve and Nicci (whom we immediately christened Stevie Nicks) and invited them to join us on a Lion’s Head Full Moon climb later in the week.

The trick I’ve found about the Hout Bay Market is to nab a spot at the tables as quickly as possible. You then take it in turns to do a food or drinks reccie and return with spoils to share. Some of my personal favourites are the fresh oysters, Mag 44

berry mojitos, Thai soup and the seared tuna. The only thing that spoils the experience is the annoying silver man who imitates your moves until you tip him. I long for the day someone gives him a P-klap and sends him on his way.

If you’ve never taken the train to Simonstown you’re doing yourself a disservice. Ignore the voice in your head telling you’ve be raped and murdered.

Pick a sunny day and join the students and school kids who use it daily. Once you leave suburbia the train hugs the ocean and Paul couldn’t help but get all trigger happy capturing the breath taking seascapes.

We chose to get off at Kalk Bay station.

Our eye caught a sign advertising Watermelon Margaritas at the Brass Bell but set out for Live Bait at the end of Kalk Bay. It was packed, with a waiting list of over 45 minutes, so we decided to head back to try the cocktails.

Big mistake. The Brass Bell is now a collection of eateries including Bikini Deck. The cocktails were overly sweet and contained no watermelon. The food was as dismal. Other than the view there is nothing to recommend this place.

By contrast we took a mid-week day trip to Hermanus. In the mood for fish, we settled at the Two Oceans Restaurant on the Village Square (028 313 1224). An unassuming place, it is everything the Brass Bell isn’t. There’s a great selection of line fish to choose from and we settled on the Cajun Dorado and Calamari. The fish was moist, succulent and delicious.

Well worth remembering when you head that way.

Stevie Nicks joined us for the Lion’s Head climb which somehow sparked a desire for peri-peri chicken. Who does a good peri-peri chicken in town? Sadly Dias

Tavern doesn’t. I have never understood why people rave about the cheap and cheerful eatery. The disappointment on the faces of our guests said it all and when I tasted the highly recommended Portuguese Steak I couldn’t help but think that if we chased the chefs from the kitchen and donated the plastic chairs to charity, the venue would make a great new home for Bronx to reopen.

The highlight of Paul’s trip was our visit to the winelands. We started at Glen Carlou which is hard to beat for a classy experience with magnificent views of the Paarl Valley. The lunch menu looks pretty good too. Visiting Babylonstoren next door however is like taking a trip with Alice down the rabbit hole. The first clue that you’re in for something special is their sign made from hay. Ten bucks gets you in and gives you access to their garden. Personally I’d give their wine a skip but their farm store is well worth a visit. It’s a treasure trove of cheeses, breads, charcuterie and preserves, but be warned they’re priced at a premium. The best way to describe the garden would be to imagine that it would have made it onto Noah’s Ark. It is it filled with every imaginable vegetable, herb and fruit tree and the layout is a visual treat. Who tends to this massive work of art is a mystery as we didn’t see anyone at work. At the very end of this Garden of Eden you’ll find the Green House, the informal restaurant that does not take bookings. They serve little more than salads and sandwiches but the presentation is pure magic. The food is wrapped in giant serviettes and the salads are served in jars. You also eat with plastic cutlery but nothing like the ones you have in your mind right now. Trust me this is one place you have to visit.

I always like to end as I began so to rub Paul’s nose in our glorious sunshine, we paid Caprice a second visit for a few final cocktails before bundling him back on the plane. And as I hit the N2 back to the city with Table Mountain lying ahead I could help but smile and say out loud “Damn we live in the most beautiful place on earth.”

OUT ON DVD LET’S WATCH DVD’S WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN True Blood Is there any TV series sexier and more shocking than True Blood? It really makes the Twilight series look like a Walt Disney fairytale. Created and produced by Alan Ball, True Blood is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris, in Bon Temps, a fictional town in Louisiana where vampires and humans co-exist. Vampires and other supernatural creatures have been living amongst humans for ever. The creation of synthetic blood (aka ‘Tru Blood’) by Japanese scientists allows vampires to come out of the coffin (a term coined as a play on “coming out of the closet”). They no longer need to feed on humans to survive. This so-called ‘Great Revelation’ has split the vampires of the world into two camps: those who wish to integrate into mainstream human society, and those who think that human-vampire co-existence is impossible because of the inherently violent nature of vampires.

Throughout the series, other supernatural creatures such as fairies, witches and maenads appear. The series’ heroine is Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a telepathic Human-Fairy hybrid known as a halfling. She is a waitress at a bar owned by Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell), a shape shifter. Other characters include Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), a handsome 173-year-old; Sookie’s womanizing brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten); a thoroughly sexy thousandyear-old vampire, Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård); and Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), a gay chef, drug dealer, road crew member and medium. Joe Manganiello, who plays the werewolf Alcide Herveaux, was voted “Favorite PopCulture Werewolf of All Time” by the readers of Entertainment Weekly.

The show explores several contemporary issues, such as the struggle for equal rights, discrimination and violence against minorities and homosexuals, the problems of drug addiction, the power of faith and religion, the control/influence of the media, the quest for identity, and the importance of family.

Fans will be pleased to know that True Blood had been renewed for a sixth season that will premiere on June 16. It is a must have series that you will definitely revisit every full moon.

Oz the Great and Powerful has everything wish for and much, much more. It gloriously affirms the power of storytelling and the artistry of filmmakers whose passion results in gripping and tense escapism, not forgetting a delicious sense of humour. You will undoubtedly be swept away to the land of Oz and at the end of the journey not only see the world differently, but have a different understanding of why the story has captured the imagination of the world for more than a century. It is not only a story about magic, witches and strange creatures, but a human story, showing that ordinary people can achieve greatness and that you don’t need to have real magical powers to become a great leader or become the king of your own universe. All you need is to believe in yourself and do things for the right reason and like our unlikely hero in Oz, you will find something that money and power cannot give you, true love and absolute friendship. Healing begins with small, unseen miracles.

Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away clearly shows why Cirque du Soleil is undoubtedly the world’s greatest fantasy maker. This immersive experience melds the best elements of seven Cirque du Soleil live shows into one film. Two young people, strap aerialists Igor Zaripov and former artist Erica Linz, journey through the astonishing and dreamlike worlds of Cirque du Soleil to find each other. The film is not only about fantasy and illusion; it captures the essence of passion and romance.

Embark on a journey into mythology and abstract realms, take a U-turn through the nostalgia of the Beatles and Elvis, and return to where the heart truly lies. This DVD is an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience which celebrates the artistry of the world’s most gifted artisans.

The temperate and evocative Afrikaans masterwork Verraaiers (Traitors) takes a nostalgic journey into the past. Although the story is focused on the tragic fate of Boer traitors during the Anglo Boer War, it an anthem for freedom fighters today and shows clearly that the conflicts and confrontations that divides families, society and a nation are reflections of historic wars and battles that formed the cornerstones and foundation of the New South Africa.

Visit Let’s watch DVDs on Facebook or visit www. writingstudio.co.za Mag 45

OUT ON FILM LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN Art on screen

mortifying Milton madness. Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill (Immortals, TV’s The Tudors) in the role of Clark Kent/Superman, under the direction of Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen).

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London, the Art on Screen series showcases the world’s greatest fine art exhibitions, uniquely created for discerning cinema audiences. Munch 150 (July 20) is co-hosted by Norway’s National Museum and Munch Museum in Oslo. The camera goes behind-the-scenes to show the process of putting a 220 painting exhibition.

Norwegian and international experts offer their insights and knowledge to host Tim Marlow.

Live Theatre on the Big Screen The National Theatre Live series continues with James Graham’s biting, energetic and criticallyacclaimed new play This House (June 22), stripping politics down to the practical realities behind the scenes within the Mother of all Parliaments. Graham McLaren’s production of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (July 12) was originally created for the Perth Theatre in 2005, and brings some of the most memorable characters ever created to life.

Helen Mirren reprises her Academy Award winning role as Queen Elizabeth II and reunites writer Peter Morgan in the highly-anticipated West End production of The Audience (August 3), directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours).

June releases In a celebration of music, family and selfdiscovery, four smart, gutsy young Australian Aboriginal women become unlikely stars in the most unlikely of places, with the most unlikely of allies, in the not-to-be-missed The Sapphires. Set in 1968 and inspired by a true story, the women seize the chance to launch a professional career singing for U.S. troops in Vietnam. Under the tutelage of an R&B-loving Irish musician, Dave Lovelace (Chris O’Dowd), the girls transform themselves into a sizzling soul act and make a name for themselves hundreds of miles from home. To the Wonder, written and directed by Terrence Malick, is a romantic drama that explores how love and its many phases and seasons – passion, sympathy, obligation, sorrow, indecision – can transform, destroy, and reinvent lives. Chris Pine stars in J.J. Abrams’ explosive action thriller Star Trek into Darkness, where the crew of The Enterprise is propelled into an epic chess game of life and death. Love is challenged, friendships torn apart, and sacrifices made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew. Approaching the ripe old age of fifteen and still with no signs of the much-anticipated ball-drop, Spud is coming to terms with the fact that he may well be a freak of nature and the new year seems to offer little except extreme embarrassment and more Mag 46

July releases

Henry Cavill Man of Steel Hugh Jackman Wolverine

Louw Venter Jimmiw in Pienk

Deon Meyer makes his debut as a film director of his own screenplay Die Laaste Tango, a suspense filled dramatic thriller with a romantic backbone set in the isolated town of Loxton in the middle of the Karoo. Louw Venter is a workaholic detective who meets a passionate and beautiful woman who is dying of cancer (Antoinette Louw), and whose dying wish is to dance one last tango before her life is over. Johnny Depp plays Native American warrior Tonto in The Lone Ranger, a thrilling adventure where John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law is transformed into a legend of justice. The two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption. Brad Pitt traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself in World War Z. In the epic action-adventure The Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, is pushed to his physical and emotional limits, confronting not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality.

August releases In Jimmie in Pienk, a conservative corn farmer (Louw Venter) is elated when his rich gay uncle offers him a way to save his farm from bankruptcy - only to find out he’ll have to bare his midriff and master the up-do. Uncle Fredrique tells Jimmy he can only have the money if he wins the Fredrique’s Next Super Stylist reality TV show. Naturally, being the manly man that he is, Jimmy has never set foot in hair salon. But if he wants to save the farm and his family he’ll have to do the unimaginable. From District 9 director Neil Blomkamp’s comes Elysium. Set in the year 2154, the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. Matt Damon plays the hero who takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds. In Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim, legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, start rising from the sea. A war begins that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end and two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)— stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Johnny Depp The Lone Ranger

Visit Let’s go to the Movies on Facebook or visit www.writingstudio.co.za

MUSIC MOVES

by Gary Hopkins

The Comeback Queens In our fickle world bands come and go. Some give in to failing popularity, others to some form of addiction but most to the non specific “musical differences” which usually mean egos are at play. OUT picked a mixed bag of artists on this year’s comeback trail.

Orchestral Manoeuvres Justin Timberlake – David Bowie – in the Dark – The 20/20 Experience The Next Day English Electric

What you need to know. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys formed OMD in 1978 and had their first big hit in 1980 with Enola Gay named after the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The continued to rule the airwaves with hits like If you Leave; Dreaming and Sailing on the Seven Seas. As electronic music gave way to Britpop the band was disbanded and the various members focused on side projects.

When was the last time we heard from them? Their last single Walking on the Milky Way was released in 2006 but Andy McCluskey’s big claim to fame is that he founded girl group Atomic Kitten and co-wrote their biggest hit Whole Again.

The new CD: Firstly, is it any good? Hell yes!

The album imagines a musical future that sounds a great deal like their past. It isn’t as poppy as their later releases and returns to the stripped back synth sounds of their earlier records. It thumps along in a very catchy way and McCluskey’s voice is in fine form. Interspersed with robotic announcements and sounds it is balanced by heavenly choirs so it is both stark yet charming at the same time, if that makes any sense. People forget just how influential their music was and it is to their credit that they are still able to find something fresh to say.

Hopefully it inspires Kraftwerk to attempt a similar venture.

The track to download: Metroland

What you need to know. Justin has been famous pretty much all his life from his days as a child star in the Mickey Mouse Club with Britney and Christina to heading up ‘N SYNC. The band came to an end in 2004 when he seamlessly transitioned into a solo career. By 2006 the acting bug had bitten and he was looking for a wife so music took a back seat.

What you need to know. The history of David Bowie could fill an encyclopedia so in a nutshell he has been recording for over four decades and in every single one of them he’s reinvented himself musically and visually in a way that involves some kind of sexual or gender blurring. He’s been a huge influence on GaGa.

Suede - Bloodsports

What you need to know. In the early 1990’s a small indie band called Suede started a musical movement that became known as Britpop. Blur and Oasis became famous by jumping on the band wagon. Suede rode the wave as long as they could and even with founding members leaving they managed to hold onto their unique sound throughout.

When was the last time we heard from them? For all intents and purposes Mr Bowie hasn’t released any new material for over a decade. Most people had assumed he had retired to live off the proceeds of his back catalogue.

When was the last time we heard from them? The band made the last appearance on a Graham Norton Show in 2003.

By then their music was only being released in Europe and it seemed fitting to call it a day.

The new CD: On his new CD Justin isn’t so much on a mission as he is on his own mission. His success means he is free to explore music his way. So he enlisted his mate Timbaland as producer and the result is very much a combined effort. In fact it is quite tricky to tell where Timbaland ends and Timberlake begins. Most tracks are laid back, soulful and way over 5 minutes long so anyone expecting something to bop along to will be sorely disappointed.

There is no denying that it is a classy affair but I couldn’t help but yearn for something less polished.

He’s due to release the second half of the CD later in the year so maybe he’s reserving the dance tracks for then.

The new CD: David Bowie wouldn’t have lasted as long if he didn’t know his stuff. He’s been bold and missed the mark on occasion throughout his career and although this CD has been embraced with open arms by critics and fans alike I fear this time around he’s missed the mark by being boring. He’s enlisted a tried and trusted producer who has the rock creds but zero cool factor. The result is solid but staid.

Critics are quick to point out how the CD references milestones throughout his career which is all fine and dandy unless you’re a 20 something who has only been interested in music for the tail end of it, in which case you may find it somewhat of a snooze fest.

The new CD: Suede has always been known for their strict quality control so this CD literally had me jumping up and down in excitement. From the cover artwork to the balls to the wall guitar feedback that made them famous this release is quintessential Suede. Because of their distinct sound they have never sounded like anything else on the radio so even though there has been a ten year break it really only feels like they paused to catch their breath and picked up where they left off. How their music will be received today is hard to say but fans of bands like Muse might be interested to discover where their roots lie.

Sometimes they do make ‘em like they used to.

The track to download: Suit & Tie

The track to download: Where Are We Now

The track to download: It Starts and Ends With You

When was the last time we heard from them? He brought SexyBack in 2006. He released a few singles into 2007 none of them particularly troubled the charts.

Mag 47

ON STAGE T

LETS GO TO THE THEATRE WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN

he artistic brainchild of composer Johnny Ray, Rockville 2069 is a brand new, totally original, futuristic rock musical set in a post-apocalyptic world and is embedded in the philosophies that characterise the rebellion of the sixties and the seventies, and those that are currently shaping our world. This fully orchestrated production boasts over 60 artists and musicians from a myriad of cultural and musical backgrounds. United in a message of peace, openness and cultural expression, this mighty tour de force is on stage for a strictly limited season: Pretoria from 27 - 30 June and Durban from 19 -21 July.

Cito (from WONDERboom fame) and Martin Rocka will be staging a special El Cantante for two nights only at the exquisite fine-dining venue, Bellgables Country Restaurant in Muldersdrift on August 2 and 3. Cito heads back to his Puerto Rican roots, performing his unique acoustic versions of the Spanish classics that he grew up listening to.

The rhythms and styles of bolero, tango, mambo, tejano, mariachi and traditional folklorica are included in the musical line-up, highlighting traditional favourites from countries including Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico and others. Bookings: 082 551 8855 In Red Cello, audiences are carried through a series of musical and visual landscapes that incorporate aspects of World Music and Ambient Electronica, featuring electric cellist Carol Thorns of Coda fame, at Mount Ceder in the Koue Bokkeveld on July 20.

Bookings: 023 3170848

CAPE TOWN The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra’s new season features internationally cellist Santiago Canon Valencia, a Beijing International Music Competition gold medallist in 2012, in Friedrich Gulda’s exciting Cello Concerto (June 13). Dynamic young Russian pianist Vassily Primakov plays Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor with Japanese maestro Yasuo Shinozaki conducting Four Sea Interludes by Britten and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D major (June 20). Italian Mag 48

Sexy Shaun V in Rockville

on his thrilling Don Juan adaptation. At the Kalk Bay Theatre you can see Christopher Weare’s production of the classic love story Same Time, Next Year (until June 22). It is followed by Neil Coppen’s Tin Bucket Drum (from Aug 14), a whimsical allegory which weaves together elements of magical realism, shadow puppetry, Kabuki theatre and live percussion.

JOZI

pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi, who had audiences riveted during his last visit to Cape Town, will perform two Rachmaninov concerti – No 1 and 2 (June 27).

The runaway worldwide smash hit musical Jersey Boys, is the real-life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Four kids from the wrong side of the tracks become one of the greatest successes in pop music history. On at Artscape from June 19. Fresh from its triumphant world tour, Mies Julie, which was named one of the Top 10 shows in New York in 2012, returns to the Baxter from June 19. Following its overwhelming success at the Baxter in 2011, Dame Janet Suzman and Khayalethu Anthony reprise their roles in Lara Foot’s award-winning play Solomon and Marion from July 10.

Richard O’Brien’s sensational cult musical The Rocky Horror Show will be on at the Fugard Theatre from 10 July, with Brendan Van Rhyn (aka Cathy Specific) as Dr. Frank-‘n-Furter. At the intimate Villa Pascal in Durbanville you can enjoy Daniele Pascal- the Songs of Edith Piaf from August 7. The Cape Town City Ballet’s classic Sleeping Beauty is on from August 10 and features Principal Dancers from the British Royal Ballet as guest artists. The CTO and the UCT Opera School continue their exploration of Mozart’s mature operas with Don Giovanni (from Aug 20), a theatrically daring take

At the Theatre on the Square, Sandton you can see Solomon and Marion until June 10. Don’t Shoot Me – I’m Only the Piano Player features Australian musician and comedian David Scheel (for one week from July2). Nothing Funny (from July 9) features Damon Berry and Joe Vaz in an ingenious, off the wall and sharp tragicomedy about friendship, meaning and underpants. Sonia Esgueira, star of the smash hit Porra trilogy, has created a new and utterly fabulous comedy on love, dating and everything in-between, Love and Prozac (from July 27). The wacky Those Indian Guys (from Aug 21) stars Sans Moonsamy and Kaseran Pillay.

From July 2 Janice Honeyman directs a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock musical, Starlight Express at the Joburg Theatre. It promises to be one of the highlights of 2013, with the cast performing the entire show on roller skates as they bring toy trains to life. The Mountaintop, a play that was crowned with the Olivier Award in 2010 for best new play on the London stage, comes to the Market Theatre from June 12. It features Sello Sebotsane and Mwenya Kabwe. One of the greatest hits of the South African stage, the multiaward-winning musical drama, Asinamali, is also on at the Market from July 16. Based on the Billy Wilder film, the musical version of Sunset Boulevard, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black, is on at the Montecasino Theatre from August 21, starring Angela Kilian as Norma Desmond.

For more information, visit Let’s go to the Theatre on Facebook or visit www.writingstudio.co.za

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