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Claremont Chat – June 2016

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Claremont Chat

Claremont Dramatic Society Newsletter
The Hok, Thicket Street, Claremont, 7708 
email: claremontdramatic@gmail.com
www.claremontdramatic.wordpress.com
June 2016 – Number 157

Hi everyone!

Apologies that the Chat is a bit late this month – I have only just got back from America and am still trying to remind myself about my life!

Top Girls at the Masque

CDS’s first production for the year, Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls, directed by Jenny Brandt, is currently showing at the Masque. The feedback from audiences and reviewers has been astounding. You do not want to miss this one!

Here are some extracts from the reviews:

Theatre should make one think long after the curtain falls. This production achieves this. Hats off to Jenny Brandt for her courage in directing a play which needs the audience’s full concentration and is understandably confusing (for some) at interval. But do not let that deter you, it tests one’s brain (and we all need that). After interval it becomes clearer and by the end one is left with a feeling of having attended a very well-written play with excellent performances.

…

Congratulations to all involved for an intelligent and thought provoking production. Do see this interesting production for a really different experience.

– Celia Musikanth, The False Bay Echo

This is a challenging piece of theatre for an audience who want their theatre fare dished up on a plate (linear with a distinct story line), but it held my attention throughout.

…

There were some great performances from new young talent and the director Jenny Brandt (a new and promising director) tackled the piece with obvious passion and commitment.

…

The director Jenny Brandt is to be applauded for great casting and fostering an obvious love for the piece by her cast. It comes across and one cannot help but be engaged by this unconventional and clever theatre offering.

– Coleen van Staden, FMR

You have three more opportunities to catch this wonderful play:

Friday 17 June 20h00

Saturday 18 June 14h30

Saturday 18 June 18h30 (closing night)

Book now through Masque Theatre bookings (contact details, as if you didn’t know them already, are 021 788 1898 or bookings@masquetheatre.co.za).

Director’s tickets and 2017 productions

We need new directors for our CDS productions. If you are interested in directing, we’d love to have you! All you need to do is stage a short play or play extract at a members evening to get your director’s ticket. For more information or to propose a play, contact our members evening convenor Matt Roy (contact details at the end of this newsletter).

Speaking of directing, do you have a show that you would like to put on at the Masque in 2017? The committee is currently putting together a list of proposed production for submission to the Masque at the end of this month. If you have a show you would like considered, please get hold of a committee member (contact details at the end of this newsletter).

Cast list: Silly Cow

Silly Cow by Ben Elton is to be directed by Faeron Wheeler for Claremont Dramatic Society in October. The audition took place earlier this month and the play has been cast:

Doris – Kim R²
Sidney – Trad Nogueira-Godsey
Peggy – Santie du Toit
Douglas – Matt Roy
Eduardo – Justin Wyatt-Smith

Keep an eye out for updates as this hilarious play moves into rehearsals.

AUDITION NOTICE: Pa, Maak Vir My’n Vlieer Pa

Date: Saturday 18 June

Time: 13h30 for 14h00

Venue: Milnerton Playhouse

Veteran director Mari Mocke will direct Milnerton Theatre Players’ first Afrikaans production, a play by prize-winning dramatist Chris Barnard (not the heart surgeon). Written in the 1960s in the genre of Theatre of the Absurd, it draws on emotions that move the heart and embrace universal problems.

The literal meaning of this title is Dad, Make me a Kite, Dad. The play has been translated into English by Antony Dowes and his translated title, Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, captures the emotional state of the three characters who are actually not coping with their uncertain existence, because they are searching and hoping to find a true and happy, loving identity. We will be performing the Afrikaans version of the work.

The action concerns three characters: a middle-aged man, Org, his elderly, ill mother, who is also mentally unstable at times and a young man in his early twenties, who is hoping to be accepted by his totally estranged father during this first visit. Org and his mother are expecting a visit from a man, but they do not know who he is. His identity becomes apparent as the story unfolds.

It takes place in the cramped, untidy space where Org and his mother live, and is packed with emotional dialogue revealing their efforts to find answers to their problematic existence, which eventually reveals the answer to a basically happy life – to belong lovingly to someone dear to you, in this case a son wanting his father to know and to love him. – If only they could fly a kite together …

The parts are large and challenging, requiring sensitive understanding of the deep emotional background of each character to be revealed in the portrayals.

See you at the theatre!

Calendar

7–18 Jun	One Night Stand by Candice Michelle	Kalk Bay Theatre
10–18 Jun	Top Girls presented by Claremont Dramatic Society	Masque Theatre
15–30 Jun	The Wizard of Oz presented by Hottentots Holland Dramatic Society	Somerset West Playhouse
16–19 Jun	Identirrhaging presented by Age of the Artist	Rosebank Theatre
16–25 Jun	The Bear and The Proposal presented by Gingerbreadman Collective	Galloway Theatre
17–18 Jun	Tswalo/Source directed by Mahlatsi Mokgonyana	Alexander Bar
20–21 Jun	The Bats	Theatre on the Bay
20–21 Jun	Pay Back the Curry! directed by Rob van Vuuren	Alexander Bar
20–22 Jun	The Plothole directed by Rob van Vuuren	Alexander Bar
21–22 Jun	Mpinga Mornings	Rosebank Theatre
21 Jun–2 Jul	The Yellow Wallpaper by Henri Landon	Kalk Bay Theatre
22 Jun	Winter Wonderland with Beverley Chiat and Violina Anguelov	Baxter Theatre
22–25 Jun	God of Carnage presented by Circle Productions	Masque Theatre
22–25 Jun	COCK directed by Paul Griffiths	Alexander Bar
23–24 Jun	Ebola by Hilda Cronje	Rosebank Theatre
23–25 Jun	Pulp presented by Underground Dance Theatre	Alexander Bar
23–25 Jun	André the Hilarious Hypnotist	Milnerton Playhouse
24–26 Jun	The Firebird presented by Janni Younge Productions	Artscape
25–26 Jun	Raiders, Spaced Out	Rosebank Theatre
25–26 Jun	Private Parts directed by Keenan Tyler Oliphant	Alexander Bar
26 Jun	Dragging 30 presented by Page to Stage Productions	Galloway Theatre
27 Jun–9 Jul	More Adventures of Noddy presented by Stagecraft Drama Studio	Artscape
27 Jun–16 Jul	The Emissary directed by Louis Viljoen	Alexander Bar
28–29 Jun	Actresses directed by Rachel Shull and Raven Scott	Alexander Bar
29 Jun–2 Jul	Jerry presented by Vulture Productions	Artscape
29 Jun–1 Jul	Die Stripshow presented by Lefra Produksies	Artscape
30 Jun–2 Jul	Dani and the Lion directed by Nicholas Spagnoletti	Alexander Bar
4–9 Jul	Pop-up Tales presented by Tangible Productions	Galloway Theatre
4–16 Jul	Court. directed by Richard Wright-Firth	Alexander Bar
5–9 Jul	André the Hilarious Hypnotist	Masque Theatre
5–9 Jul	Pieter-Dirk Uys on Stage presented by Hottentots Holland Dramatic Society	Somerset West Playhouse
11 Jul–7 Aug	Jive Cape Town Funny Festival	Baxter Theatre
12–15 Jul	Heart of the Jungle presented by AfriCan Children’s Theatre	Masque Theatre
12–15 Jul	Pieter Dirk Uys	Kalk Bay Theatre
12–16 Jul	Oom Schalk: From the Heart directed by Celia Musikanth	Somerset West Playhouse
12 Jul–13 Aug	The Inconvenience of Wings by Lara Foot	Baxter Theatre
13–17 Jul	Little Red Riding Hood presented by Hottentots Holland Dramatic Society	Somerset West Playhouse
16 Jul–7 Aug	My Fair Lady presented by Cape Town Gilbert & Sullivan Society	Artscape
20–23 Jul	Pulp presented by Underground Dance Theatre	Galloway Theatre
22–30 Jul	The Barretts of Wimpole Street presented by Fish Hoek Dramatic Society	Masque Theatre
24 Jul	Foyer session presented by Ulla Gosebrink	Masque Theatre foyer
2–6 Aug	The Real Inspector Hound presented by Constantiaberg Theatre Players	Masque Theatre foyer