ANTAKALIPA

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW A Glorious Celebration of Freedom, Fantasy and Theatrical Anarchy There are productions that entertain. There are productions that move audiences. And then there are productions that arrive like a glitter-covered meteor crashing through the roof of convention itself. The Rocky Horror Show is one of those productions. On the same day that I had experienced the emotional weight and dramatic intensity of theatre elsewhere, I found myself once again seated at the Pieter Toerien Theatre at Montecasino. Yet what unfolded before me could not have been more different. Where tragedy had demanded reflection, Rocky Horror demanded surrender. Surrender to laughter. Surrender to absurdity. Surrender to music. Surrender to freedom. From the moment the house lights dimmed and the opening notes of Science Fiction Double Feature echoed through the theatre, it became clear that this was not simply a musical. It was a celebration. A carnival of imagination. A love letter...

Midnight in Parys: A Meditation on Life, Death, Compassion and the Human Heart There are evenings in the theatre that entertain. There are evenings that impress. And then there are evenings that stay with you long after the curtain call, following you home, lingering in your thoughts, demanding reflection and conversation. Midnight in Parys , the latest play by South African theatrical giant Paul Slabolepszy, belongs firmly in that final category. Presented at the intimate Studio Theatre of Pieter Toerien's Montecasino Theatre complex and directed with precision and sensitivity by Bobby Heaney, this production is a triumph of writing, performance and humanity. Starring Bianca Amato and Paul Slabolepszy himself, Midnight in Parys is at once thoughtful, witty, heartbreaking and profoundly compassionate. It is a play that refuses easy answers while offering something perhaps even more valuable: understanding. For those fortunate enough to have atte...

An Ode to Motown  There is something quietly thrilling about seeing performers outside the frame that first introduced them to you. It disrupts familiarity. It redraws the boundaries of expectation. Sitting inside the theatre for the final dress rehearsal of An Ode to Motown , that disruption came early — and it came powerfully. Lerato Mvelase was the first revelation. Known to many through the language of television — where her craft is contained within the borders of a camera lens — she arrived on stage as something altogether different. A vocalist. A narrator. A commanding presence. Her performance didn’t merely interpret the material; it carried it. She threaded the history of Motown through her voice with conviction and personality, revealing vocal depth and range that transformed surprise into admiration. On stage she expanded — larger, freer, and more electric — embodying the kind of theatrical vitality that only live performance can hold. ...

CATS At the Teatro to watch a show about Cats. Cats are everywhere, fur naturalistic, fantastic make-up, the performers stayed in role the whole time. They were cats, inquisitive, sensual and alluring without meaning to.  Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is built on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, a collection of poems that already resist conventional narrative. Webber doesn’t “adapt” them into a linear story—he creates a ritual. What you’re watching is less a plot-driven musical and more a ceremonial gathering: the Jellicle Ball. Once a year, the Jellicle cats assemble to present themselves—body, memory, instinct, desire—so that one may be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. That’s it. No villain, no quest, no romance arc. The drama is existential. And that’s where cats become not just a choice, but the only possible choice. Why cats? Why not people? Cats exist in a perfect symbolic middle-ground: They live with humans but ar...

Medea At the Market Theatre for the opening of Medea. A production by The Windybrow Arts Center. For 4 performances only, don't miss it!  A Greek classic reimagined. So dramatic, Shakespearean, tragic! The performances so gripping and captivating - you can't look away, they demand your attention. The dialogues and monologues so heartfelt and expressive, delivered with so much conviction. Love, betrayal, poison, death, Medea.  I can't even lie, I was disgusted by Medea's actions. To kill your own children not out of hatred but spite, revenge because she knew it would destroy Jason emotionally! The only memory of the children that prevailed was their superhero action figures (Superman and Batman) - a signifier of their innocence. They didn't do anything to anyone, they were just playing and running around in their superhero capes. Until their despicable mother used them for her nefarious murderous ends. Deplorable, souless woman.  ...

Joseph and the amazing technicolor Dreamcoat At Pieter Toerien to watch "Joseph and the amazing technicolor Dreamcoat", LAMTA, Spring Awakening, that type of vibe. An outstanding show, vibrant energy, youthful, defined bodies, six packs, wonderful lighting, a set that illuminates, Egypt, the eye of horus, fantastic choreographed movement and dance and the best singing in the world. It's an experience, the sound coops you in, high tempo, faster revolutions.  A musical by Andrew Lloydwebber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics). The story follows Joseph, the favorite of Jacob's 12 sons, who is given a magnificent multicolored coat. His jealous brothers sell him into slavery, and Joseph ends up in Egypt. Despite many hardships, including being falsely imprisoned, Joseph rises to power by interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams. Eventually, he is reunited with his family and forgives his brothers. No dialogue, it's sung throughout. I took a picture with Joseph. ...

Godspell At the Wits Theatre to watch the Student Production of the Year, "Godspell". So glad it was not preachy, you can't be too sure when Jesus is the main character. He is a good, chilled guy in this production, he even has on his "Superman" shirt. He preaches compassion, joy and faith. A musical conceived by John Micheal Tebelak with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Godspell presents a series of parables, mostly drawn from the Gospel of Matthew, told through a framework of theatrical games, storytelling, and music. Jesus gathers a group of followers and teaches them lessons of love, humility, and service. The story culminates in a poignant reenactment of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. The set is simple, wide stage and a fence at the back. Behind the fence above is a big cross made of wood pallets, on either side of the big cross are small crosses also made of wood pallets. The set reinforces the Christian t...