Aaron McIroy & Lisa Bobbert/ Direction & Choreography by Daisy Spenser
90mins
Comedy
no U10
Family. The place where individuals are nurtured, grown, treasured and driven crazy! Its never been harder have a functional family. Yes, everyone knows that only members of our family can get to and push the buttons that send us round the bend! Join Aaron Mcilroy and Lisa Bobbert in their new hit musical- comedy Family Therapy where they take a wild dive into the world of the family and investigate what makes them tick or explode. These comedic legends boldly go where billions have been before and hilariously investigate the dos and don’ts of living together in this strange arrangement we call family. Family Therapy guarantees to have you and your loved ones singing along and screaming with laughter not yelling at each other. Directed and choreographed by comedy ace Daisy Spencer Family Therapy is set to delight the new Drama Factory!
Emma van Heyn is a South African actor, musician and songwriter. This 24 year old has released a vast kaleidoscope of musical creations. From a 16 track self-produced album, to recent singles and theatre sound design. She has just completed a successful live tour to London and New York City with her new upcoming releases.
After her highly acclaimed show about her interesting year in Shanghai, Emma van Heyn returns with a new show, fresh from New York. The music is brand new and original. From ballads, self-accompanied on piano, to a puzzle process of electronic pop sounds. Come and enjoy this talented young artist with her unique, exceptionally original music, as well as the stories behind the songs.
“It happens only once in a while, a couple of times in your life, if you’re lucky, that you experience a performance of a young artist and realise that you are possibly watching the birth of an enormous career. This is one of those moments.” ." ~Ilza Roggeband (Die Burger)
"She has the feistiness of an Ani Difranco mixed in with the story songs of a Mary Chaplin Carpenter and the humor of a Meryn Cadell. Her songs tell great stories. Her stage presence is a mixture of watching Norah Jones and Billie Eilish at the same time. At one moment she is creating loops and tracks in real time in front of you – using technology to it’s full affect, then she is over at the grand piano playing soulfully – like Tori Amos hitting a pain spot. In between she “performs” hilarious, captivating mini monologues of her life stories that are both self deprecating and insightful. You are completely on her side from the get go with her infectious enthusiasm for life in all of its follies and foibles. It’s not just a rose colored glass perspective on the world but more like kaleidoscopic glasses that keeps fragmenting life to discover complex, exciting, hidden patterns that Emma points us towards seeing. She’s a maestro and a muse – coaxing us to use our imagination on the jet stream of her evocative music." Stagebiz New York
Emma has written and composed music since the age of six. When she was seven years old, she made her professional debut at Spier Amphitheatre in the production “Movies’ Greatest Music” which toured around the country. Her solo music career began to surface in 2011 when she was invited to perform one of her originals during the South African streak of Imogen Heap’s international “Ellipse” world tour. “She told me never to stop creating” - Emma listened. In 2018, Emma did 315 performances in Shanghai, China. Her one-woman musical theatre production, Met Slenterslag na Shanghai, is about that experience. As one of 2019’s Woordfees gems and coming back to Woordfees next year, this production has paved its own successful playing field, touring nationally. It’s not only a music production, but an autobiography that showcases her drama, physical theatre and musical training. She studied drama at Stellenbosch University and music production at Berklee College of Music. From playing piano and singing, to music production and looping – Emma does it all. She does not only make music, but is also an actor. She’s landed various acting roles in theatre and film. Her most recent being a role in an upcoming Ridley Scott series and earlier works such as the lead role in the Silwerskerm short film, Luister. Her love of choral music has a strong influence on her original music. She was a member of the Tygerberg Children’s Choir (2003-2008), the South African Youth Choir (2009), the world renowned Stellenbosch University Choir (2014), as well as a member of the SAMA award-winning group, The Voice of Angels (2008). Co-producer, Uys Visser and SAMA award-winner Marius Brouwer have worked with Emma on her album, Asylum, as well as her singles, I’m Tired of Being Broke and Pageant Queen. She’s currently finishing up her second album which will be released early 2020. Photo Credits: Thierry Bournier
Cast: Luke Botha, Jordyn Linklater, Victor De Wit, Finn Adendorff, Tristyn Morris and Winston Gelderbloem; Written by: Winston Gelderbloem; Directed by: Winston Gelderbloem; Director's assistants: Stevie Hendrickz and Raechel -Leigh Basson; Presented by Wear Productions
70mins
DRAMA - Debut Production
Strong Language - No under 16
This is a debut production - Set on a pavilion after school, sneaky swigs of whiskey along with banter, jokes and smokes is routine for these six high school boys, but today, routine turns strange as their arch nemesis, 'Jeremy', stirs up trouble. Written and directed by Winston Gelderbloem, this one-act play asks the question: 'Are boys really just being boys, or is there something else going on?'. Furthermore, it explores the effect and extent to which masculinity impacts young men in a contemporary world.
Ubizo Theatre/ Written & Directed by Bongani Titana
60mins
no u13s
With music composed, script written and directed by Bongani Titana, Egoli is a musical theatre piece which follows one woman’s quest for her husband.
Madlamini’s search has her leave her home and village to look for him in Egoli, the big city of Johannesburg.
This show is entertaining and what is particularly special about Egoli is that the musical is fully performed in the Xhosa language and narrated in English. It doesn’t matter if you don’t speak isiXhosa; the performance is convincingly strong and everyone can follow the plot. Next to the impressive acting, the musical is filled with fully harmonic singing that are cultural, rhythmic, African, and heart rending.
Egoli – The Musical was premiered at the Ikhwezi Festival in 2010. The show was re-worked and then selected for the Zabalaza Festival 2015 where it won four awards including Best Musical Director (Bongani Titana), Best of the Festival (Best Selling Production). Egoli was then invited to do a run at the Baxter Theatre and Cape Town Fringe 2015 and in 2016 it had two seasons of performance at Theatre Arts Admin and Masque Theatre.
"You MUST see Egoli the musical. This is ensemble play at its very best! This show deserves full houses - move away from the hardy chestnuts and get thee to the Masque and watch and learn! The show is simplistic yet real, haunting and humorous. It has passion and compassion and everything in between. Go see real acting, sublime harmony with excellent voices. Support this show it deserves full houses."
Godfrey Johnson / Directed by Lara Bye / Written By Lara Bye, Godfrey Johnson & Karen Jeynes
65mins
One-Man-Play
No U12s
The Drama Factory is proud to present the theatrical tour-de-force that is Godfrey Johnson in ‘Vaslav’. Harnessing the potential of three arts-in-one, Johnson ignites the spirit of Nijinsky in this celebration of the magnificent power of sheer performance. Nominated for three Fleur du Cap Awards in 2015, ‘Vaslav’ has been hailed by critics and audiences alike, with demand for this one-person play extending theatrical runs on more than one occasion.
Award winning actor, singer and pianist, Godfrey Johnson delivers an astonishing performance, seamlessly piloting his audiences across the vast plains of a Europe at war with itself, as experienced by the one man to have ever caused a riot through dancing: the elusive icon of both the Imperial Russian ballet and the Western avant-garde, Vaslav Nijinsky.
Seen as both genius and curiosity, Vaslav Nijinsky remains an intriguing figure today, with numerous biopics and biographies shedding light on this revolutionary of the dance. Powerful in this respect alone, Nijinsky’s inner world could be as disruptive and spectacular as his animalistic choreography suggests. “Gigantic leaps across the stage, he flew, so to speak, to the skies…” gasped Marcel Proust. “Can life be so rich, so splendid, so passionate”, said a haunted Jean Cocteau The birth of today ‘Vaslav’ is an extreme portrait of our humanity, drawing much from the diaries Nijinsky kept over the six weeks of his treatment in a mental asylum, being one of the first individuals to have received the psychiatric diagnosis of schizophrenia. A rare document revealing the fragile borders that define our sanity, ‘Vaslav’ marries the dancer and the mental patient with the social and cultural upheavals of a world struggling with its own borders. It is no coincidence that Mikhail Baryshnikov is currently playing Nijinsky in ‘Letter to a Man’ on European and US stages; debuting a year after ‘Vaslav’ and a very different take on the character, these two masterpieces suggest the enduring humanity of our collective experience. Around a world in one play “Irritating to the nervous system is the continuous thudding of a savage tom-tom, hisses… boos,” cries a rioting Parisian. “Jazz…a revolution, like the writings Nietshce and Proust, the scientific discoveries of Einstein, the art of Cezanne…” explains an American beatnick. “They said Chapin was a fan…President William Tuft would have loved this attraction.”
Alone with his piano, Johnson gives voice to this phenomenal script, dashing between its cast of characters in a psychological tongue twister. A unique integration of cabaret, one-person show and classical theatre, ‘Vaslav is the creation of Godfrey Johnson and Lara Bye, based on a text written by the pair, and writer Karen Jeynes. The power of this play makes the highest demands of its performer, and has earned Johnson nominations at the Fleur du Cap Awards across three, diverse categories: Best Actor in a Musical; Best Performance in a One Person Show; and, Best Composer. The play is a choreography of dialogue, music and movement, with Johnson drawing on the works of Stravinksy, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Satie and his own compositions, weaving the magic of this world directly from the piano. Critical Acclaim Since its debut at the Grahamstown Festival in 2014, ‘Vaslav’ has elicited powerful praise from audiences and critics alike.With invitations from producers in Sweden and Canada.
“Vaslav is a masterclass in performance…” Bruce Dennill
"...it's a clever piece of theatre that makes you feel things as the music, the movement and Johnson's utter commitment to the character pull you along. It felt raw and real but at the same time surreal, as if it were all just a dream." Faeron Wheeler, Broadway World
“The opportunity to glimpse genius, both that of Vaslav and Johnson…. If you don’t go and see Vaslav... you will be depriving your soul of a unique love-story,” Theatre-Scene, Cape Town
"...this brave production sees Bye and Johnson shift through the shards that was Nijinsky the man, the artist and the cultural observer.” Steyn du Toit, The Sunday Independent
“In Vaslav [Johnson] reaches new heights… cabaret at its darkest and finest….dazzling…mesmerising,” Tracey Saunders, Cape Times
"It’s a fine line between genius and insanity. And it is this fine line that Godfrey Johnson’s one-man show explores, crossing and re-crossing that line until you wonder what side you’re on. But Johnson always knows just where he is." Michael Britton, Bizz Community
"...Lara Bye has once again triumphed” Angeliki Theodorou, whatonincapetown
Photo Credits: Rob Kirsner
Creative Team: Written by Lara Bye, Godfrey Johnson and Karen Jeynes. Director: Lara Bye. Lighting Design: Jonathan Keevy. Movement Coach: Fiona du Plooy
Lizanne Peters/Kayla Pienaar/ Renecia Panda Mathys/Bianca Dell /Written by Sarah Illingworth /Director: Regina R Malan
50mins
Comedy
No U13s - Adult Content
It's a normal day at the office, lunch time banter is happening amongst the women, the topic of sex comes up...then things change.
Don't Look At Me follows the lives of 4 co-workers, Susie, Marike, Jamie and Kathrin and how conversation can change in a few minutes during an every day lunch break at the office. This comedy with a twist is not to be missed. This is the second play Sarah Illingworth has written for Mish Mash Media Productions. The first was called Consumed and was with the theme of Gluttony. The theme for the play is Lust and is 1 of 7 plays on the 7 Deadly sins.
100% of all Mish Mash Media Productions proceeds for this play will be donated to Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust
Andre The Hilarious Hypnotist celebrates a record breaking 26 years on stage as South Africa’s very own convener of the strange, weird and wonderful. Andre discovered his hypnotic calling after watching a performance of the late Max Collie in action. Having already studied drama, teaching and with a background in psychology, Andre immediately became hooked at the promise of being able to entertain people on stage with his hilarious hypnotic skills and that is exactly what he has been doing for the past 26 years. No two shows are ever the same as the shows strength lies in the fact that every night’s volunteers are completely different, leading to a diverse hilarious action-packed evening performance. With every person reacting differently to Andre’s suggestion, not even Andre knows what to expect when he steps up on stage. Andre does, however, promise not to disappoint and the audience can expect an hour and a half of side splitting hilarious Hypnotic entertainment from their very own community as Andre takes to the stage. At the end of the day the strength of the show lies on the volunteers of the evening and that is what makes Andre’s show such a feel good, funny, hilarious evening’s entertainment. It truly the only show in the country that can claim that it makes stars of your friends and family.
