ANTAKALIPA

Sweeney Todd At the Centurion Teater for the murderous, bloody Sweeney Todd. A dark twisted, methodical, sadistic, blood spraying, cannibalistic musical masterpiece by Scenario Productions. The first couple of rows and splashing zones, people are dying, blood will be spilled, put on your plastic body suit provided by the theatre. A lot of people perished, one after another, music in the background, singing dialogue, spotlight on that dreaded seat, a barber in the guise of providing a service slits your throat. Nonchalance, a pleasure to dispose of you.  Sweeney Todd is a barber in Victorian London who murders his customers with a straight razor. He works above Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, and together they dispose of the bodies by baking them into meat pies sold to unsuspecting customers. His motive is often revenge — usually against a corrupt judge or official who wronged him and destroyed his family. The lighting dark and spooky. It was raining in real life, th...

Snowball Buffet had Kay and I have Sam, sure I am not Buffet but boy am I lucky! Always dreamed of a Kay Graham when I was reading through the pages of "Snowball". Kay was great, she was powerful, she had influence and everybody loved her - Buffet was impressionable, eager, bright and destined for greatness. His teachings are right, thank God I idolized him.  Operate with a margin of safety, have an inner scorecard, stay within your circle of competence,  read books - any type of books,  boring is good,  you'll never be rich if you're normal,  and always think long-term.  I am not exactly a millionaire but he was not one till 32. To my credit, I am surrounded by millionaires, I just have to put two and two together and stay on that wavelength and then I'll get my first million. He had Benjamin Graham, that speeds things up. I am not Buffet, he was good with numbers, rational and an MBA graduate. I was horrible at maths, I lost a lot ...

Ka Lebitso La Moya At the Market Theatre for the opening of Ka Lebitso La Moya. Winner of five Naledi Theatre Awards including best production in a play and best director for Momo Matsunyane.  We open in Ha Satane, a fictional township rife with with despair and hopelessness. Unemployment, crime, no service delivery, no electricity and no water. The residents take to the streets protesting, looting, demanding a change and the head of the current counselor.  Inside the Evangelist Church of Christ is where we find hope. The church serves as a pillar for the community. We are in the church serving as congregates. There is singing and praise for our lord and savior. The mood is festive and in high spirits, jubilation reigns. Ka Lebitso La Moya serves as a greeting for the congregation, a form of endearment that connects and unites. The pastor is charismatic and has women congregates vying for his attention. He is almost lured with Chakakalaka by an admirer but the past...

Fatherhood  At the Market Theatre for the opening of "Fatherhood", a play by the Alex Theatre Company that delves into absent fathers. The play explores issues of shame, pain, longing and manhood. Who are you when you don't have anything to validate you. No pictures, no memories. You don't exist. No knowledge of your history, heritage and culture. You don't know your clan names, you don't belong, you don't know who you are.  The show starts off with a saxophone playing in the background. It is melancholic and reinforces the themes of longing and identity. It is reflective and sombre, it serves as the music for this poignant play. Three performers are faced at the wall, backs to the audience. As they turn, the show commences. They tell stories about their fathers and how shoes, ties, hats and jackets tie in with their fathers identities. You can tell a lot about a man by his shoes. They are reflective, they are frustrated, tales lace...

First Light  At Joburg Theatre for the Final Dress Rehearsal of "First Light". A ballet production by Joburg Ballet, an outstanding show. I fell in love with Ryoko Yagyu, the dedication, precision and finesse is incredible, so beautiful. Theres classical ballet, contemporary and African. Five acts: Raymonda Act 3, Mpho, Nothing Twice, Concerto for Charlie and Classics of Spain. Raymonda Act 3 is the classical ballet, cheographed by Maruis Petipa, music by Alexander Glazunov, spinning on toes, leaps and jumps - classical music in background. High class, aristocracy, upper class and regal, stage is lit brightly, you can see everything, Ryoko Yagyu is amazing, she moves like a swan, pillars at the back and on sides, set in medieval Hungary.  Mpho Contemporary African dance, Tswana, choreography Tumelo Lekana, music by Peter Mpho Mothiba. Unique instruments, drums, African attire. Ulations, praises in the back, whistles and drums the sound, traditional, gr...

Celestial bodies At Joburg Theatre for Celestial bodies, a collaboration between Joburg Ballet and Universe on Stage. I was so excited for this. The execution was stunning, better than in my imagination. I saw the Universe on Stage lecture earlier in the year, it was such an experience! Dr. Luca Pontiggia and Yasheen Modi simplified science, it lost its fear factor, it wasn't intimidating. With the help of animation, immersive sound and curated narration, they told the story of the big bang, black holes, stars and existence itself. I really loved that lecture, I learned so much. The Universe on Stage team is back again, this time with Joburg Ballet. The auditorium pitch black, huge screen at the back, the stage empty and Yasheen, the pianist is on the side. Dr. Luca Pontiggia comes in and out the stage. Impossible to describe the beauty of the ballet dancers. They feel, they show vulnerability. So much poise, technique and beauty. Perfect bodies without a bl...

Beauty in the broken On the square for the opening of "Beauty in the broken". Theatre royalty, I love Theatre on the square.  The show chronicles Gaynor Youngs story, she tells the story. Once an actress, she fell 18 stories down an unguarded lift shaft backstage during a show at the State Theatre in Pretoria. The accident left her with extremely serious injuries: brain damage, many broken bones (including both arms, both legs, ribs, facial fractures). She was in a coma for five weeks, followed by months in hospital and a long rehabilitation process. Hearing was lost; she was totally deaf for 18 years. She also lost a large portion of her eyesight and was physically impaired from the accident. Over time, with a combination of therapies (physical, occupational, speech, etc.) and strong support from family, she regained many abilities. She credits her mother for helping her get back.  Kintsugi: an ancient Japanese practice that mounts and joi...