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Bianca Amato is currently in Cape Town rehearsing ‘LUNGS’ ahead of its run at Pieter Toerien’s Theatre On The Bay from 7 – 24 February, 2024.

‘LUNGS’ is a funny, off-kilter love story, that explores the debate around the environmental impact of having children in today’s world, a world that is becoming more and more focussed on sustainable living.

Dean Roberts.

30 January, 2024.

South African actress and director, Bianca Amato. Images: biancaamato.com

DR: You last appeared on our stages in Pieter Toerien’s 2001 production of ‘Proof’, starring Michael Atkinson. Since then you have worked extensively overseas – how does it feel to be home again?

BA: Shew! Such a wild mix of emotions! I returned for family life and that has been very special. The process of building up a similar work life to the one I experienced in the US has begun and I feel very excited by it. It hasn’t come easy, what with having a baby and then COVID in the middle of it all. But the challenges that I’ve had make it all the sweeter now, as it gains momentum.

Bianca Amato and Michael Atkinson in ‘Proof’, July 2001 at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre. Image: Pieter Toerien Productions / Instagram.

DR: A performing highlight that you wish to share?

BA: Do I have to pick just one? Working with Jack O’ Brien and Tom Stoppard in the Coast of Utopia trilogy at Lincoln Centre. All the Shakespeare I got to do in NYC. The Importance of Being Earnest directed by Sir Peter Hall.

Bianca Amato with Christine Baranski and Matt Czuchry in The Good Wife (2009). Image: IMDb.

Playing Amanda in Private Lives directed by Maria Aitken. Playing Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice and Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion at the wonderful Guthrie Theatre. Playing opposite Bill Irwin, sharing a stage with Billy Crudup, Ethan Hawke, Martha Plimpton, David Harbour, Lynn Redgrave, Miriam Margolyes. Being directed by Athol Fugard in NYC. I have been beyond lucky.

Sahr Ngaujah, Caleb McLaughlin, Bianca Amato and Leon Addison Brown at the opening of Athol Fugard’s ‘The Painted Rocks At Revolver Creek’ (Off-Broadway 2015). Image: Monica Simoes.

DR: A production that posed unique challenges, and how you overcame them?

BA: Ha! I had to play a ballerina in Mr.Fox: a Rumination. A play by Bill Irwin about a famous clown in 19th century New York City. I played the clown’s wife and I had to learn ballet in 3 weeks. Faking it obviously, not on pointe at all. I had to work VERY HARD to become a little bit graceful. 

DR: South African audiences will of course remember you as Philippa De Villiers in Isidingo, which do you prefer stage or screen?

BA: Stage. I won’t say no to screen, but ja, Stage.

Characters Derek Nyathi (Hlomla Dandala) and Phillipa de Villiers (Bianca Amato) get married on Isidingo – The Need, in 2001. Image: Facebook

DR: Can you tell me about ‘LUNGS’, and how you came across the play?

BA: ‘LUNGS’ is really a peek into a private conversation that spans 40 years. It is both a love story and a searing look at where we are now, us little humans. It is brave, probing, funny, and achingly poignant. It is a play that has come into its time a decade after it was written – it’s actually quite unsettling to see how much more relevant it is now, given the current climate crisis. I read it in 2018. It spoke to me. I could hear it. Duncan Macmillan writes in a very particular way and I feel very connected to it.

British playwright Duncan Macmillan. Image: Evening Standard.

[LINK] Read more on Playwright Duncan Macmillan and how ‘LUNGS’ came to be.

DR: What attracts you to this project?

BA: The style of it – it’s vital and smart and potent and demands virtuosity from its performers. The humanity of it. The humor. The joy of it! It’s a rollercoaster ride, and it’s such a great piece for two young actors to revel in. Jazzara and Sanda are just extraordinary – I cannot wait for people to fall in love with them.

Jazzara Jaslyn and Sanda Shandu, star in Duncan Macmillan’s ‘LUNGS’, on at Theatre On The Bay from 7 February, 2024. Image: Claude Barnardo.

DR: How do you approach casting a play – this play in particular?

BA: Very carefully! I saw many people, many lovely performers, but I was looking for two people who have an instinct about the essence of the characters, as well as an understanding of what is needed from them stylistically. And most importantly, they need to have chemistry with each other. The piece is very intimate and asks for vulnerability and connection.

DR: How do you collaborate with actors, to bring about their best performances?

BA: Every actor is unique, and their process is too. Respecting this is very important to me. But the most important thing, especially when you have a good play on your hands, is to honor the text. To really investigate together, to be exacting and specific. If we can do that together, find each other in the investigation, put the text first, and play, play, play, while always staying true to the intentions of the writer, we’ll be on our way.

DR: What do you wish the audiences to take away from this experience?

BA: I hope they feel that they have been given a gift, that they have been allowed to eavesdrop on two people’s lives, and that they feel richer for it. I want them to have a good laugh and a good cry. And perhaps, who knows, maybe they will feel galvanised to help tackle the climate crisis in some personal way? At the very least, recycle! 

DR: You have formed your new production company, The Quickening Theatre Company. How did this come about, and what sort of projects are you looking at producing in future?

BA: In South Africa you can’t just wait for the phone to ring. We as artists have to forge ahead and make our own work. I have been circling around the idea of creating my own theatre company for a few years now, but the thought of doing it alone was daunting. I met Kensiwe Tshabalala last year, and we quickly realized we could make a really great team. The Quickening is dedicated to producing contemporary plays that excite South African audiences, and to revitalizing Shakespeare and other classical playwrights in productions that resonate with us all and reflect the here and now. We are hugely excited to see what lies ahead!

BOOK HERE!

DR: What do you consider the most rewarding aspect of being a theatre director?

BA: Getting to craft stories. To help birth something. Getting to work with others to weave magic from words. I love language and I love people and I love moments.

DR: What do you believe are the key qualities of a successful theatre director?

BA: I’m learning as I go, but I would think listening, being patient, trusting the process, trusting your instincts, and not taking yourself too seriously. Knowing when to speak and when to shut up (still very much learning!) Having vision, but being flexible. Leaning into the humor in the room. Not being too precious. Letting people breathe. Having fun. But always looking to honor the work, to be exacting, to not settle for surface choices, to keep digging, keep honing, keep divining the truth. Also, inspiring and motivating people! Making them feel energised and lucky to be doing this work. My favorite director and role model, Jack O’Brien, would give such gorgeous, rousing speeches about the work that we would feel like we would do anything for him. I can only dream of capturing a casts heart and imagination the way he does.

Jazzara Jaslyn and Sanda Shandu, star in Duncan Macmillan’s ‘LUNGS’, on at Theatre On The Bay from 7 February, 2024. Image: Claude Barnardo.

Presented by The Quickening Theatre company and Gloucester Productions, ‘LUNGS’ by Duncan MacMillan runs at Theatre On The Bay from 7 – 24 February, 2024.

Performances from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7:30pm, with Saturday matinees at 3pm.

Tickets available from Webtickets, or the Theatre On The Bay box-office on (021) 438-3301.

Age restriction: 13

For more information on Bianca Amato, visit http://www.biancaamato.com/.

BOOK HERE!

 

 

You’ll ‘Feel The Earth Move‘! An exciting show is heading to Cape Town and Johannesburg, promising to deliver a fantastic theatrical experience, filled with heart and soul.

VR Theatrical’s Jaco Van Rensburg, and show director Elizma Badenhorst, sat down with Dean Roberts to talk about the exciting new tribute show that will be hitting Pieter Toerien’s Cape Town and Johannesburg theatres in October and November this year.

DR: Following up on the success of ‘Here’s To You – The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook’, what made Carole King’s catalogue so attractive to you?

JVR: Apart from her world-famous Tapestry album, Carole King is a fascinating artist who not only made songs famous herself, but who wrote or co-wrote very many hits that nobody knows was her. Remember Kylie Minogue’s Loco-motion? I bet you didn’t know that that was a Carole King song!

What ultimately drew us to her work, was the fact that her songs are story-songs. They are all like one-act plays that takes the listener on a journey of discovery, making it the perfect music for a theatrical event. 

VR Theatrical producer, Jaco Van Rensburg.

“Our diverse cast is not only excellent, but also lovely humans! It has been an absolute pleasure to create this production around their specific talents.”

DR: Carole King wrote more than 400 songs, 100 of which have hit the Billboard singles chart, how do you go about choosing the songs for the show? 

JVR: I am very lucky to not have to make the final decision here. I leave that to the creative team, although I may have had some opinions and made some suggestions.

EB: Growing up, I loved music from the 60s and 70s. I had no idea who wrote them, I just knew I loved them, later in life I learned that Ms. King wrote many of my favourites. Going through her body of work was equally challenging, as it was a familiar stroll down memory lane. Choosing the songs was, indeed, a delightfully difficult task of mammoth proportions. But I must say, the concept took shape pretty quickly, and once we knew we were ‘up on a roof’ overlooking a city, the songs metaphorically ‘put up their hands’.

‘Up On The Roof – The Carole King Songbook’ director, Elizma Badenhorst.

“Storytelling. These women have a gift of telling stories through their music that any human can relate to in such an authentic way. The human condition addressed, but with exquisite melodies and harmonies to boot.”

DR: Artists such as Adele, Amy Winehouse and Taylor Swift have all credited Carole King as being one of their biggest influences… can you hazard a guess as to what the through line is with these fine artists music? 

JVR: A good narrative. There are shoo-bee-doo-bee pop-songs and there are songs with lyrics like:

“When this old world starts getting me down

And people are just too much for me to face

I climb way up to the top of the stairs

And all my cares just drift right into space”

They’re relatable and timeless songs.

EB: Storytelling. These women have a gift of telling stories through their music that any human can relate to in such an authentic way. The human condition addressed, but with exquisite melodies and harmonies to boot. 

DR: Your promotional material highlights an all-woman cast of singer-musicians who all work together to create these magical soundscapes, what was the casting process like?

JVR: Casting an original production is always strange and wonderful. Because there is no script, we could mould and shape the production around the specific personality and talents that we find – and boy-oh-boy are these ladies talented! Six gorgeous proudly South African women who deliver these timeless songs with excellence!

EB: The casting process of an original piece such as ‘Up on the Roof’ is always interesting to say the least, because the show doesn’t exist yet; you’re not casting a performer for a specific character. But there are so many things to consider. Their skills, their musicianship, their personalities, how will all of them work together; it’s a very intricate puzzle, and I must say, we have built an exquisite cast with our six phenomenal cast members.

DR: Carole King has been called THE greatest songwriter of all time, and being responsible for penning the soundtrack to our lives. Why do you think these well-written songs have stood the test of time? 

JVR: She’s a great story-teller with an ear for writing a ‘hook’ – you know, that little bit of a song that gets stuck in your mind and that you can’t get out of your head.

Her themes are universal and timeless (often about falling in or out of love) and have emotional depth. While this all sounds very cerebral, her melodies are also catchy! I think the combination of all of these things make her music timeless.

EB: Ms. King has the ability to put words and melodies to universal feelings of love and loss, the ups and downs of life. We all know exactly what she’s addressing in her songs and most importantly, it then makes us not feel alone. 

DR: The music of Carole King is especially comforting, and with themes of love, relationships, and the idyllic notion of what ‘home means… how have you considered these themes when selecting the numbers as well as the ensemble cast? 

JVR: Our brilliant director, Elizma Badenhorst has come up with a clear concept that drives the overall narrative of the show. We did not want it to be ‘just another tribute show’ but rather to be thematically linked. Our musical director, Wessel Odendaal created original arrangements that emphasise the emotional impact of the songs.

Once the concept was established, i.e. a group of friends meet for a glass of wine on a ‘New York type’ rooftop and sing songs about their lives, the material sort of chose itself.

Our diverse cast is not only excellent, but also lovely humans! It has been an absolute pleasure to create this production around their specific talents. 

This production features a cast of six multi-talented female performers including Ashley Butcher (bass, guitar, ukulele), Louise Duhain (piano/keyboards), Angelica Hattingh (guitar), Sanli Jooste (cello), Neo Motaung (percussion) and Tiisetso Sefatsa (percussion).

DR: Could we perhaps argue that Carole King is the perfect everywoman figure: an alto singer (too low for soprano voice and too high for a tenor), the perfect mix for soul music? 

JVR: Yes! Unique is our Carole. Not only a brilliant songwriter, but also an exquisite vocalist in her own right, solidifying the singer/songwriter category in pop music history. 

DR: How are you aiming to marry the sublime sounds of Carole King’s catalogue, with the staging of such a dynamic ensemble presentation? 

JVR: The fact that we don’t have one person impersonating Carole King gives us scope to play with dynamic staging, interesting choreography and incredible vocal arrangements – all necessary to create an interesting piece of theatre.

Add to that a boho-chic inspired rooftop setting and theatrical lighting and you have a magic recipe for harmonic heavenliness!

EB: When the concept came to me, it all fell into place so seamlessly: six girl friends meeting up on a roof overlooking the city observing some people down below and commenting through Ms. King’s songs on what they possibly could go through, realising we’re all pretty much the same. 

DR: ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Women’ is a song that emphasises the route of self-discovery, of a woman’s natural inner beauty. How do you want the audience to leave the theatre ‘feeling’? 

JVR: Things are tough out there and people are tired. This production guarantees to make you forget your troubles for at least two hours, to fill you with hope, heart and optimism and will make you leave the theatre feeling happier than when you entered! I can only describe the experience as a warm, glowing ember that will ignite the fire we all carry within ourselves.

EB: Uplifted…. And I guarantee this is what audience members will feel. They are going to hum along, laugh, shed a few nostalgic tears, but will definitely leave feeling better about life.

DR: Who will enjoy this exciting piece of live theatre?

JVR: You do not have to know Carole King’s catalogue in order to enjoy this incredible production. There is so much to listen to, look at and appreciate, from the beautiful setting to the gorgeous harmonies and the amazingly talented performers onstage. If you are the kind of person who enjoys any kind of live entertainment, there will be something here for you! 

EB: This is one of the many things a love about Ms. King’s music. Whether you know her/her work, or not, you will enjoy her music. The range of styles this woman composed in is incredible: soul, folk, pop, rock, jazz, R&B and more. If you love music, you will enjoy this production.

‘Up On The Roof – The Carole king Songbook’ runs at Theatre On the Bay in Cape Town from 5 October and at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino theatre in Johannesburg from 1 November, 2023.

Direction & concept – Elizma Badenhorst

Musical direction & orchestration – Wessel Odendaal

Scenic design – Nadine Minnaar

Wardrobe co-ordination – Elizma Badenhorst

Lighting design – Kieran McGregor

Graphic design – Jaco Van Rensburg

Sound design – Christo Davis

Duration is approx’ 2-hours, including a 20-minute interval.

Age restriction: none.

Tickets are available from Webtickets or by dialling CPT (021) 438-3301 or JHB (011) 511-1988.

Booking link: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/search.aspx?search=up+on+the+roof

‘Up On The Roof – The Carole King Songbook’ brought to you by VR Theatrical.

 

VR Theatrical presents ‘Up On The Roof – The Carole King Songbook’

From the producers of the smash-hit show, ‘Here’s To You – The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook’ comes another magical theatrical event: UP ON THE ROOF – THE CAROLE KING SONGBOOK is a celebration of Carole King’s hit songs with fresh, new musical arrangements by our very own Wessel Odendaal.

Directed by Elizma Badenhorst and showcasing some of our industry’s most talented performers and instrumentalists.

With a canon of evergreen hits including ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and ‘I Feel The Earth Move’, Up On The Roof is sure to have you singing and dancing in your seats.

Theatre On The Bay from 5 to 21 October, 2023.

                                                               Cape Town Book Here!

Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre from 1 to 26 November, 2023.

                                                           Johannesburg Book Here!

WILLY RUSSELL’S CLASSIC COMEDY, EDUCATING RITA:

NOW ON STAGE AT THEATRE ON THE BAY UNTIL 15 JULY!

Willy Russell’s Educating Rita – now on stage at Theatre On The Bay.

Tally Ho! Productions is proud to present a new production of Willy Russell’s classic comedy, EDUCATING RITA.

Rita White, a young Liverpudlian hairdresser enrols in an Open University course to study literature to better herself and escape from her drab and dreary working-class world. Along the way, she meets her tutor, Frank Bryant, a jaded professor who quickly becomes fascinated by Rita’s offbeat take on the world of academia.

EDUCATING RITA was originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare company and opened to great acclaim in 1980.

The play was adapted in 1983 to a multi-award-winning film starring Michael Caine and Julie Waters, which would go on to become a cult-classic.

Featured in the titular role of Rita is Fleur du Cap and Naledi Theatre Award nominee, Zoë McLaughlin, last seen at Theatre On The Bay in the THE LAST FIVE YEARS as Cathy Hiatt.

Playing opposite her as Professor Frank Bryant is multi-award-winning actor Jason K. Ralph, last seen as Lord Wessex in the Fugard Theatre production of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.

This production of EDUCATING RITA features a brand-new score by internationally recognised composer Jonathan M. Blair and is directed Paul Griffiths.

With dialogue radiant with the wit and charm of 1980s England, EDUCATING RITA is an intimate, funny, and moving classic about two people trapped in their lives, who in meeting, offer one another an unexpected breath of fresh air.

EDUCATING RITA runs at Theatre On The Bay from 5 to 15 July, 2023.

Tickets range from R150 to R 250 at webtickets.co.za, at any P’nP, or by calling the Theatre On The Bay box-office on (021) 438 3300/1.

Booking link: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1528565315

Duration: Approximately 120-minutes with a 20-minute interval.

Age-restriction of PG (mild-language usage).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zoë McLaughlin as Rita White (Production images by Andrew Gorman).


Jason K. Ralph as Frank Bryant (Production images by Andrew Gorman).


Zoë McLaughlin (L) and Jason K. Ralph (R) (Production images by Andrew Gorman).

Jason K. Ralph (L) and Zoë McLaughlin (R) (Production images by Andrew Gorman).

Amazing savings

Pieter Toerien & RMB present

The MZANSI TENORS

21 – 25 June 2023

The Mzansi Tenors come to Montecasino this June, after a sold-out season at Theatre on The Bay. Photo by Gustav Klotz.

After triumphant appearances around the country, the Mzansi Tenors, hosted by Richard Cock and supported by Rand Merchant Bank, are coming to Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino theatre from 21 June – 25 June.

Only 6 performances!

Guest appearance by Nádine (Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Musiek Roulette), and introducing Sinesipho Mnyango.

Their dynamic Opera-style programme includes tenor arias, signature African pieces, Neapolitan favourites and musical theatre memories.

“They are a South African sensation,” says Rand Merchant Bank’s Carolynne Waterhouse. “They could hold their own anywhere in the world. RMB is enormously proud to be able to help in celebrating, rewarding and nurturing such phenomenal talent through the RMB Talent Unlocked programme.”

Watch RMB’s Carolynne Waterhouse and Mzansi Tenors founding member, Sipho Fubesi, chatting to Expresso’s Katlego Maboe about the origin of this incredible group.

“With the ten tenors performing in their signature Afro-opera style, you are sure to get shivers down your spine”, says Maestro Richard Cock.

Watch the Mzansi Tenors performing ‘‘Qaqamba Nyana Wam” live on SABC 3’s Expresso.

PERFORMANCES:

Wednesday 21 June at 7:30pm

Thursday 22 June at 7:30pm

Friday 23 June at 7:30pm

Saturday 24 June at 3pm

Saturday 24 June at 3pm

Sunday 25 June at 3pm

Tickets range from R135 – R300

BOOK HERE!

A proudly South African production, which will inspire everyone!

 

Pieter Toerien and RMB present the Mzansi Tenors at Theatre On The Bay from 25 – 28 January, 2023.

After triumphant appearances around the country, the Mzansi Tenors, hosted by Richard Cock and supported by Rand Merchant Bank, are coming to Theatre on the Bay for a short season, from 25 – 28 January 2023.

Their programme includes all your favourite tenor arias and South African hits, and with ten tenors performing in their signature Afro-opera style.

“You are sure to get shivers down your spine”, says Richard Cock.

This is a proudly South African performance which will inspire you for the year ahead.

Don’t miss the thrilling experience of ten tenors singing moving arias, signature African pieces,  Neopolitan favourites and musical theatre memories.

Tickets range from R150 – R275.

Bookings through  Webtickets.

In proud collaboration with Rand Merchant Bank.

‘The Trolley Dollies in The Triplets of Bellville’

Venue: Pieter Toerien’s Theatre On The Bay

Dates: 12 – 30 April 2022

The Trolley Dollies in The Triplets Of Bellville.

Who hasn’t heard of The Trolley Dollies™? Come on! During the course of the last 5 years, they’ve opened a theatre, produced 13 original productions, appeared in every magazine and newspaper this side of Uitenhage and peered down at you from any billboard that stood still long enough to be climbed by an arthritic, middle-aged drag queen! In short, from 2016 onwards, the Mother City was bombarded, terrorized and titivated by the self-proclaimed Queens of the Sky, and there appeared to be no stopping them.

And then, at the end of 2021, they mysteriously disappeared.

What in the name of Judy Garland happened to them?

The truth is, after all those years of being cooped up in a little theatre on Bree street, Cathy, Holly and Molly can barely stand to be in the same room anymore. These three sisters from different misters, like any other siblings, have many skeletons in their collective closet, and their day of reckoning has arrived.

The claws are out, the “T” is being spilled and the dirty laundry is being given a very public airing…

Chomping at the bit to get the DL on these XL size queens? Buy a ticket!

Blood may be thicker than water, but so is arsenic!

Ticket prices: R250 – R350 through Computicket or (021) 438-3300

Running time: Approx’ 75 minutes with no interval.

Note: Tickets sold in pairs.

PG16.

Booking link: https://tickets.computicket.com/event/the_trolley_dollies_in_the_triplets_of_bellville/7184022