6 ENTERTAINMENT
PEOPLE'S POST | CLAREMONT | RONDEBOSCH Tuesday, 7 March 2017
NEWLANDS
Local boys in musical from Oz L
ocal boys will take to the stage in an international hit musical that is opening at Artscape towards the end of this month. The show, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, will run from Wednesday 26 March to Sunday 23 April. The musical based on the Oscar-winning film features a hit parade of dance floor favourites, including “I will survive”, “Hot stuff”, “Finally, boogie wonderland”, “Go west”, “Girls just wanna have fun” and “I love the nightlife”. The performance includes more than 500 outrageous costumes, 200 extraordinary headdresses and a 10m-long customised bus weighing six tonnes. Jack Fokkens (10) from Plumstead, Jagger Vosloo (10) now living in Australia and eight-yearold Alexander Wallace from Newlands take to the stage as Benji, the son of lead role Tick, played by Daniel Buys (Jersey boys, West side story, Saturday night fever). “The role of Benji presents itself as a wonderful opportunity for a young actor to work with a multitalented South African cast and creative team in one of the best known productions in the world,” says producer Hazel Feldman of Showtime Management. “This is going to be an exceptional learning curve, especially as the boys will be working with top
Jack Fokkens from Plumstead, Jagger Vosloo now living in Australia and Alexander Wallace from Newlands will be performing in the international hit musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Artscape. Australian director Simon Phillips, who directed the original stage production of Priscilla, and Andrew Hallsworth, also from Australia, who co-choreographed the international production of Priscilla for Broadway with Ross Coleman.” The three Benjis share a love of dancing, singing and acting and their enthusiasm for this, their first professional musical theatre role is infectious. Jack has been performing in ballet productions since he was
four years old, most recently in Cape Town City Ballet’s Peter Pan. He is an accomplished pianist and French horn player, and when not practising, he loves learning new tricks at the College of Magic. Jack is also starring in his first international movie The kissing booth, to be released on Netflix later this year. Alexander has been entertaining friends and family since he could walk and talk. Also an early starter, Alexander has attended the Waterfront Theatre School for
the past four years where he is studying dance and drama. He has featured in various international commercials and has starred in several movies, most recently acting as the young Eric Bana in The forgiven. This is Alexander’s first professional theatre production. Presented by Showtime Management in association with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and Nullarbor Productions and brought to South Africa by BBC First, Priscilla Queen of the
Desert is a heart-warming tale of three drag artist friends who hop aboard a battered old bus, named Priscilla, and go off on the adventure of a lifetime through the Australian Outback. Priscilla Queen of the Desert has been seen by over 5m people worldwide. With 10 years and several thousand kilometres racked up, the pink bus is looking more magnificent than ever for its South African debut. V For more information visit www.art scape.co.za.
Musicians band together to raise funds for kids A local collaboration will be giving back to those who cannot afford life’s most basic necessities. Grassy Spark and the Rudimentals will donate R5 for every ticket sold if they sell out their first collaborative Kirstenbosch production on Sunday 26 March. By taking inspiration from their two hit singles “Here I Am” and “We Are One”, the artists have committed to taking the impact of this show beyond the garden of Kirstenbosch. Where “Here I Am” sees Grassy Spark promoting a message that speaks about overcoming adversity to achieve one’s dreams, “We Are One” sees the Rudimentals promoting a message of oneness and togetherness in overcoming adversity in society. The two songs are married under the mission to fill the hearts and minds of children in underprivileged communities with happiness, willingness and inspiration to push through the struggle and achieve their dreams. If the show sells out, the lump sum will
be distributed to Waves for Change, Homes to Grow St Francis Trust and Zenzeleni Waldorf Khayelitsha. Josh Riley of Grassy Spark says: “Too often do we as the middle and upper class hear about the poor quality of life children from underprivileged and violent communities experience daily. We hear stories of intense violence and poverty in these communities and our response is: ‘Shame’. Seldom do we truly empathise and mobilise the way we should when we hear stories of the horrors our fellow South Africans experience. “We cannot expect our society to change if the generation who are expected to lead us don’t have the basic necessities to live a decent quality of life and achieve their dreams.” The artists will have donation bins set up around the venue for spectators to contribute by donating any unused children’s clothes, books, toys, instruments, wetsuits and surfboards that can be distributed among the charities. V Tickets are available through Webtickets.
Grassy Spark and the Rudimentals will donate R5 of each concert ticket sold to charity. PHOTO: HYLTON BOUCHER/ CAPE COLLECTIVE ASSIST