USEFUL STUFF
Featured Reviews Archive
REVIEW: HATS OFF!
Posted on 1:36 pm | 1 CommentWe often receive delighted emails from our competition winners. But last week not one but two winners went a step further and phoned to thank us for one of the...
LOOKING FORWARD: CAPE JAZZ FESTIVAL UNVEILS MUSICAL GEMS
Posted on 1:23 pm | No CommentsThis year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival will take on March 30 and 31. In its 13th year, the festival continues to titillate South African audiences with the finest in local and international performers at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The headliners reflect the festival's philosophy of broadening audience's perspectives of what is understood as 'jazz'.
UNWRAPPING OPERA
Posted on 11:13 am | No CommentsThanks to a lift with a mind of its own I’d managed to get a bit lost in the tangled maze of corridors behind the Opera House. It was fun to imagine them on an ordinary working day, filled with a buzz of scales and arpeggios, toe tapping and Kids from Fame-like shenanigans, love trysts and leg warmers. I stopped short of doing a little samba, á la Patrick Swayze, down the length of the deserted hallway... but it was tempting.
REVIEW: SHARK DIVING UNLIMITED
Posted on 10:24 am | No CommentsIt almost felt as if I was in an underwater aquarium. Seeing the sharks in their natural habitat, browsing around for food and utterly uninterested in me helped me to understand that these are mighty creatures who are vastly misunderstood by the general population.
REVIEW: CRISTINA ORTIZ (HUGO CONCERT SERIES)
Posted on 12:03 pm | No CommentsThe Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium was packed to the brim yet Ortiz, with her charismatic and grandiose personality, made it feel like the most intimate of concerts.
REVIEW: NUTCRACKER ON ICE
Posted on 11:26 am | No CommentsFollowing hot on the heels of the massively successful Phantom of the Opera, Pieter Toerien has brought the Russian Imperial Ice Stars back to the Artscape. Adding the suffix “on Ice” to any production makes it seem more impressive, much like having Ryan Gosling on a movie poster.
REVIEW: OBS HOLISTIC FAIR
Posted on 11:07 am | 1 CommentLet me tell you the story of the Observatory Holistic Lifestyle Fair as if we were sitting around a fire on a dark and stormy night. It began in 1997...
REVIEW: LANDSCAPE AT OUDE LIBERTAS
Posted on 12:54 pm | 1 CommentDespite the large crowds, there was an anticipatory stillness in the air, broken only by the occasional squawk of a hadeda. Then a loud boom sliced through the quiet evening air as a drummer announced the arrival of the 16 strong Male Vocal Ensemble, who gave a very impressive performance, which was improved still further by the accompaniment of James Grace. I’d heard of this award-winning guitarist, and I knew he was one of South Africa’s leading concert artists, but I hadn’t expected him to be so dashing! And his breathtaking playing gave a romantic Spanish overtone to the glorious African evening.
REVIEW: AFROBEAT DRUM CIRCLE
Posted on 10:16 am | No CommentsI bet you didn't know that a lion can roar with enough force to raise a cloud of dust.
REVIEW: MONEY’S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION
Posted on 1:20 pm | 1 CommentThis show definitely won’t lighten the load that money places on you, but it will lift the emotional burden associated with cash, even if just for a while. Ultimately, it will change your perspective on those little coins, notes and cards in your wallet. I’ll put my money on that.
REVIEW: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2011
Posted on 11:35 am | No CommentsNature, art and photography are wonderful hobbies to have and interests to share. Combine all three and you have one of the most breathtaking visual experiences offered at the prestigious Iziko South Africa Museum in Company Gardens.
REVIEW: GENEE INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION
Posted on 11:05 am | No CommentsObviously he was not awarded a medal as the competition was partially rigged. Did I say rigged? What I meant was ‘politically engineered’. It was way too suspicious that out of the five medals that were handed out, two went to South Africans. And I can bet that next year when the competition takes place in New Zealand, a significant proportion of the winners will miraculously turn out to be New Zealanders. I can't help but think that the judges’ choices were based more on reputation and political diplomacy than on the skill level of the dancers.
REVIEW: DAN PATLANSKY & NATASHA MEISTER
Posted on 2:55 pm | No CommentsNow it could be that they are quite genuinely all good mates, but the guest appearances of not only Ross Learmonth, lead singer of Prime Circle, but Theo Crous, lead guitar for the Springbok Nude Girls, led a further endorsement to the rising star that is Dan Patlansky. This boy is going places and even those who have already ‘made it’ want to be a part of the ride.
REVIEW: MADAME TOUXFLOUWE
Posted on 10:21 am | No CommentsIf the plot motifs sound a tad clichéd, the slick artistry of this creative production adds a pure shot of excitement to the mix.
REVIEW: JOHNNY CLEGG
Posted on 10:05 am | No CommentsWhen the first bars of this classic played out across the gardens, the crowd reacted as one body with everyone leaping up to dance. It gave me goosebumps.
REVIEW: SUNSET VINEYARD TOUR
Posted on 1:47 pm | No CommentsThis might have been just another pleasant drive through the vineyards, another winemaker telling us how his wines are the best. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
REVIEW: OPENING OF THE 6TH CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Posted on 3:43 pm | No CommentsFor me the work has the most exquisite melodic motif reminiscent of the late Romantic period. The manner in which this motif was developed in a dialogue between the strings and the wind section of the orchestra was masterfully constructed and conducted.
REVIEW: CAPE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Posted on 10:50 am | No CommentsThe concert opened much the way any good concert should; with an overture. It was as if the entire frontier had opened up before the audience with the Overture from West Side Story’s cute yet epic musical arrangement.
REVIEW: CAPE TOWN 10’S
Posted on 1:45 pm | No CommentsWhether an avid rugby supporter or a mere casual spectator of the game, the Cape Town Ten’s promised, and delivered, superb entertainment and excitement both on and off the field.
REVIEW: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Posted on 12:03 pm | No CommentsI thought the idea of this season’s Shakespeare in the Park, The Comedy of Errors, being inspired by 1970s kung fu films was merely a whimsical one, but director Matthew Wild confirms the choice was a carefully considered one: “Here is a genre in which the tone may switch very rapidly from slapstick to genuine danger to romance… a world in which Shakespeare’s gender politics make sense and, most crucially, a cultural reference which resonates strongly with a wide cross-section of South Africans.”
REVIEW: KLAASVAKIE AT THE FUGARD
Posted on 4:33 pm | No CommentsIt would be easy to walk out of Klaasvakie and have no idea what the story was about. Truth be told, if I hadn’t read the notes in the programme I might have missed the plot completely. But Klaasvakie is one of those rare plays where one can completely miss the story and yet still be moved.
REVIEW: L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE
Posted on 1:09 pm | No CommentsHairdresser: What is the Queen’s Plate?Me: You know the J&B Met?Hairdresser: Yes!Me: Well, it’s nothing like that.
REVIEW: PUMA/VOLVO OCEAN RACE PARTY
Posted on 4:05 pm | No CommentsIt was not the first Ocean Race legover. What of course I meant was the first stopover after the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Anyway… with a line-up of top SA bands - Holiday Murray, Them Tornados, Jack Parow and The Wedding DJs - it’s no surprise that the Puma/Volvo Ocean race party was a huge success.
REVIEW: PUPPET ASYLUM
Posted on 3:56 pm | No CommentsWhen I first heard of Conrad Koch I feared he may be an imperfect rip off of the internationally-known Jeff Dunham. I was pleasantly surprised at how wrong I was.
REVIEW: NIK RABINOWITZ DELIVERS
Posted on 3:00 pm | No CommentsOn Wednesday evening I had the jolly pleasure of viewing comedian Nik Rabinowitz’s brand new act, Stand and Deliver at the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch. I’d never seen him live but my father and I are huge fans of his comedy news segment on Cape Talk Radio, The Week that Wasn’t, on Thursday mornings.
REVIEW: JAZZART’S WAITING FOR RAIN
Posted on 10:05 am | No CommentsOne always has preconceptions of a show. An expectation that may be dashed or exceeded by the experience. For me, Jazzart’s Waiting for Rain did both. It so far exceeded...
LOOKING AHEAD: CAPE TOWN OPERA SEASON 2012
Posted on 1:50 pm | No CommentsI always thought only old people liked opera. Yet there are certain opera pieces that are universally adored: ‘Nessum Dorma’ thanks to the 1990 World Cup, The Toreador Song from Carmen is sung – with other words – in the school playground, ‘O Sole Mio’ became the jingle for a famous ice cream advert, and there are plenty more that have transcribed themselves into the public consciousness.
REVIEW: VOCAL IS LEKKA AT THE BAXTER
Posted on 11:21 am | 2 CommentsBetween songs the cast hardly uttered a word to each other. Instead, a lot of incoherent mumbling was exchanged. As a mode of communication, this amused the crowd immensely, and more importantly it served to throw into sharp relief the crystal clarity of those same voices when singing. Where speech failed to convey meaning, music broke the barriers and transported the audience to a place no language could. They sang in Xhosa, Zulu, English and Afrikaans so at any point someone in the audience would not understand what was being sung. And the point was that it didn’t matter. Music served as a universal language, and its vocabulary was melody and rhythm.
REVIEW: ANOTHER FRIGGIN’ TRIBUTE SHOW
Posted on 3:57 pm | No CommentsAt the warm and friendly Intimate Theatre on the Hiddingh Campus, comedian Pierre Malherbe – chiefly known for his Duncan Farenheit character and other music obsessives – now plays himself...
REVIEW: BERTHA’S GUIDE TO LIFE, LOVE AND PHARMACEUTICALS
Posted on 12:26 pm | No CommentsBertha Cummings is a crazy old aunty from the Southern Suburbs. She is crude, loud and wears a urine bag which she displays with the same pride with which one might show off a Hermes Kelly Bag.
REVIEW: OKTOBER BIERFEST
Posted on 12:18 pm | No CommentsOn the outskirts of Shippensburg in Pennsylvania is a small factory that makes plastic bibs expressly for Oktoberfest celebrants. There’s a choice of these accesorio para fiestas (as the label refers to them): a life-size top part of lederhosen or a life-size cleavage bursting from a frilly blouse and dirndl. Needless to say, the female versions were the first to run out last night at the inaugural Newlands Brewery Oktoberfest.
REVIEW: MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL
Posted on 10:58 am | No CommentsThose who have gone through ‘The Big Change’ will find a lot of truths in the play. I can say this with certainty as the ladies around me could not stop laughing, clapping, and fanning themselves with a pamphlet. As for the rest of us… it is a horror story.
REVIEW: MAGIC OF BUBBLES CAP CLASSIQUE FESTIVAL
Posted on 11:20 am | No CommentsBut the lawn of the Huguenot Monument was not solely filled with guys in crisp white shirts and ladies with half a white sparrow stuck on their heads. This celebration of the magical liquid attracted all sorts from white rastas to girls in hopelessly impractical-for-the-grass stilettos.
REVIEW: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES.
Posted on 11:31 am | No CommentsMusic from the sixties warmed up the crowd as we were taking our seats – a thoughtful detail.
REVIEW: MAMA GOEMA
Posted on 3:09 pm | No CommentsA word synonymous with Cape Town and its annual minstrel carnival, Goema is derived from the beat played on the Goema drum and many would say it is to Cape...
REVIEW: NEDERBURG CONCERT SERIES
Posted on 9:28 pm | 2 CommentsWhat a Heritage Day! A fabulous day of our favourite sport (braaing… though of course there was the rugby too) slid easily into another day of summer weather which I...
REVIEW: IN CONCERT – SARAH-JANE BRANDON AND JAMES BAILLIEU
Posted on 3:19 pm | No CommentsThe two South African musicians, soprano Sarah-Jane Brandon and pianist James Baillieu gave a unique performance of opera arias, Lieder and popular Christmas songs as part of the Hugo Concert Series at the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium. Both Brandon and Baillieu completed their undergraduate studies at the University of Cape Town and are currently residing in London where they are building on their already well-established careers. This event was a rare and exciting opportunity to hear these two musicians in collaboration and on home ground.
RESTAURANT REVIEW: HARVEST AT LABORIE
Posted on 2:16 pm | No CommentsThe restaurant is a new addition to the farm which was built in the 1600s. It’s been carefully constructed to retain the colonialist feel and the choice of décor seamlessly blends the century-old antiques with very modern finishes and elements. Even the large pot plants outside have LED lights inside them to illuminate the area for evening guests. Laborie possesses a certain cool minimalism that’s met and embraced by the warmth of its history.
REVIEW: CAPE TOWN FOLK & ACOUSTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL
Posted on 1:26 pm | No CommentsThe Cape Town Folk & Acoustic Music Festival brought a night of wonderful South African talent to the CTICC. Despite the slightly odd choice of venue for what was essentially a ‘hippy’ event, this was all about the music. Regardless of all other issues, it’s this music and this talent and this kind of event that makes it worth living in South Africa.
REVIEW: CLAUDIA MOHR ALBUM LAUNCH
Posted on 1:26 pm | 2 CommentsThere is an obvious chemistry between Mohr and her band but there lacked a synergy between song changes and “stage shakeups”. After almost every song the people on stage were rearranged. One moment it was the whole band and the next just Mohr, then a solo from guitarist Knighton-Pullin, who risked being upstaged by his own spectacular eighties band hair flying in the breeze of the fan.
REVIEW: OPENING OF HARBOUR HOUSE IN WATERFRONT
Posted on 1:11 pm | 2 CommentsOne of my favourite restaurants in the Cape is Harbour House, Kalk Bay. I eat there about twice a week on tours. It is consistently good and people just simply love it there. Part of the magic is the fact that they have a great location in Kalk Bay – they are in the harbour next to the community fishing boats and boast floor to ceiling views of the ocean and the peninsula.
REVIEW: THE BEAUTIFUL FEAST
Posted on 4:29 pm | 1 CommentFrom tableaux vivant in the alcoves declaiming the joys of bread, milk and fruit to the carnal pleasures of Salome dancing, from a scene from The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover aligning sex and cannibalism to eating sashimi from a naked Barbie doll… there was no way we were going to be allowed to just eat, drink and make merry. Like lambs to the slaughter we were led unknowing from room to room and assailed by something new in each space, something that demanded attention and response, whether it was a skinned cow head or a rubber glove with which we were invited to use our fingers to eat a gold-leafed chocolate cake.
REVIEW: CITY OF DANCE
Posted on 9:29 pm | No CommentsEnerchi Emporium at the Kalk Bay TheatreEnerchi Emporium, a newly developed multi-genre dance studio, realises the field of dance as a platform to build one’s self esteem and encourages the idea that anyone can dance so long the passion and the will to dance is alive.
REVIEW: LOOK & FEEL GOOD EXPO
Posted on 2:26 pm | No CommentsHealth and beauty freaks rubbed shoulders with those simply looking for something to do at the weekend, each swinging their free gift bags as they wandered the stalls of the...
REVIEW: A NUMBER AT THE FUGARD
Posted on 9:19 pm | 1 CommentAlthough not as intellectual as other studies addressing the issue of cloning, A Number reaches fearlessly into the heart-churning depths of the emotional spectrum. Rather than looking at the subject from a pseudo-scientific perspective, we see the effect cloning has on a father and son relationship. And it is this personal touch that makes the play electric.
REVIEW: INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT
Posted on 2:39 pm | 1 CommentThe audience was well impressed to say the least. After a standing ovation and much noise, Andrea Valeri and Richard Onraët agreed to deliver an encore, performing an arrangement of a piece played earlier in the evening. From the performers' faces it was clear that they were having the time of their lives. And so were we – it was a grand ending to a grand night as these two young performers gave in to the urge to really show off... But with skill and talent like that, who wouldn't?
PRESS RELEASE: GOING BACK TO THE CROSSROADS
Posted on 2:06 pm | No CommentsThe show is a musical journey through the history of the Blues movement with stories and music from the guys and gals that were there at the time. The show gives a personal insight into the musical style of Blues and the people that influenced it.
REVIEW: ATHOL FUGARD’S ‘STATEMENTS’
Posted on 11:20 am | No CommentsIt did warn of nudity. But the fact that the two main characters began naked and were clearly going to remain naked took a little getting used to, and I don’t think I was alone in spending valuable minutes of the play in examining my own reaction to this.
REVIEW: WERNER WEBER
Posted on 1:06 pm | 2 CommentsMonday evening with Werner Weber at the On Broadway Theatre on Long Street was far from another sterile stand-up routine by some barely-known comedian throwing a tirade to an indifferent...
REVIEW: THE PARLOTONES AT KIRSTENBOSCH
Posted on 2:53 pm | 1 CommentThe concert area was chockablock full, the skies were clear, the air was fresh and the Kirstenbosch plants were well fed (seeing it had rained the whole morning). Everyone was relaxing after a great weekend in Cape Town – even a little 4 year old girl behind me was singing along to the Parlotones’ first song, 'That's Life', at the top of her voice.
