Review: King Kong
“The end result is not only an immaculately staged piece of theatre, but also a tribute to South Africa’s performance arts legacy.”
Review: Splash! The Water Circus
“Unfortunately, some of Splash’s key performers were absent due to visa issues, so the show as seen was not the complete magical watery wonderland that had been promised.”
You Can Now Download Free South African Art For Your Home
Artist collaborative Jana + Koos have just created a free-to-download Google Docs folder, full of free original artworks.
Review: Calling Me Home
“Bursting with both big names and fresh talent, Calling Me Home has so much promise and there is so much to be proud of.”
Review: Mystery Ghost Dinner
“At one end of the dining room, a small staging area has been set aside for more displays of ghostly mystery performances in between each course.”
Review: Lord of the Dance
“Beautiful dancers stream onto the stage, legs flailing about in synchronicity, and we are hurled – mouths agape – into an Irish fairyland.”
Steam Train
Venue: Various
Review: My name is Asher Lev
“A cursory understanding of Judaism and the general political backdrop of the 1950s is helpful to truly appreciate this piece of theatre and catch the inside jokes.”
Sophiatown Urban Experience
Venue: Sophiatown the Mix
Review: The Mystery of Irma Vep
“Be warned: you will be lost in your own laughter way before the plot grabs you by its own tale. It’s a convoluted one, but it doesn’t matter. The work is so crisply constructed…”
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Review: The Inconvenience of Wings
“By the end of this piece, it feels as though you’ve been privy to something that is both too ghastly and too private for it to be staged in a theatre.”
The Stables Moonlight Market
Chartwell | First Friday of every month
Review: A Night With The Stars
“An outstanding voice of the night was long blond haired Capetonian Richard Skirton who blew everybody away with his vocal prowess on Paul Simon’s ‘Sound of Silence’ and the iconic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.”
Review: Priscilla Queen of the Desert
“The international and local creative teams behind this project have produced something uniquely beautiful and majestic in its visual glossolalia and kaleidoscope of sexual jokes and nuance.”
Review: Design Joburg featuring Rooms on View
“Sandton Convention Centre flung open its doors for a fabulous new design event this year. From cardboard chairs to Corian coffee tables, Joburg’s inaugural Design Joburg leaves you salivating.”
Review: Hamlet
“Director Fred Abrahamse sticks to some conventions – males play female characters, and the original style and tone is retained – while managing to wrap it in a blanket of originality.”
Africa Zazi
Venue: Sophiatown the Mix
Review: Tartuffe
It’s at once charming and chilling, with physical theatre so subtly incorporated that, by the end, you feel like the human condition is light on its feet.
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Review: The Tiger’s Bride
This tender and quivering yet seemingly bruised body of close to 40 works, is collectively about quirky humour, dark laughter and the slithery teasing apart of mythical practices, fairytales and idioms.
Review: Sophiatown
The director and writer look at the clash of cultures, but also how these different cultures can live together in harmony – a kind of blueprint for which was to follow many decades later.
Review: The Play That Goes Wrong
The amateur thespians are played by a cast of professional actors, although you could count the uncooperative, malfunctioning stage as a ninth cast member.
Review: Freckleface Strawberry The Musical
A simple tale about bullying and friendship which is told with a deft directness, a sparkly sense of self and a true spirit of collaboration, enabling everyone on the creative team to give of their very best.
Market Theatre scores 47 Naledi nominations
The massive tally has surpassed all previous nomination records and sees the Market Theatre affirming its place as South Africa’s most vibrant theatre, committed to telling unique South African stories.
Boston Breweries teams up with SANCCOB
Drink a beer and save a penguin. Sound good? Local beer aficionados Boston Breweries have partnered up as a beneficiary with SANCCOB – the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. Look out for the round stickers on each bottle of Boston Breweries Rock Hoppa craft beer, which promise that for every bottle […]
Review: Andre the Hilarious Hypnotist
Whether you’re sold on hypnotism or a complete sceptic, it doesn’t actually matter. You’ll either love the show believing everything you see, or you’ll be completely fascinated as you doubt or try to work out what’s going on.
Review: West Side Story
It’s rich with life and fraught with texture. It’s not only about gritty New York values, and a self-conscious use of 1950s slang and dance sequences. It’s something that is lifted to the level of the timeless universal.
Vuyani Dance Theatre showcasing projects internationally
The internationally renowned Johannesburg-based dance company, Vuyani Dance Theatre, are set to launch into 2017 by traveling to Perth, Bangalore and Bremen, and perform in a number of trans-continental projects.
Review: House of Truth
The writing is palpably beautiful and you want to hold and savour each turn of phrase, but it is the potency of Sello Maake kaNcube’s performance that makes it sing as a theatre piece, with all the requisite dignity and vulnerability that holds it together.
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Review: When Swallows Cry
With the focus on the fragile and ever-changing relationships between the protagonists, Van Graan illuminates those moments where change is possible – when the chance to act humanely flickers momentarily.
Daily Maverick and the Market Theatre partner
A dynamic partnership between the 40-year old Market Theatre and the fearless, nonconformist online news platform, Daily Maverick, will launch a series of events centred around the world premiere of Mike van Graan’s play When Swallows Cry.
Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of the Queen’s Diamond
This very fine and beautifully crafted piece of work will have you laughing out loud even if you have come to the theatre on your own.
Review: Old Mutual National Choir Festival
After 10 months, more than 1000 voices and 200 choirs from five countries, the 39th Old Mutual National Choir Festival reached its crescendo this past weekend at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena in Johannesburg.
Support Gcina Mhlope’s book drive in Newtown
Starting on the 1st of December 2016, members of the public can bring children’s books, textbooks and business related books to a drop-off point at Newtown Junction Mall.
Review: Mr Popper’s Penguins
On many levels, it’s an ideal end of year family show, bringing together all the issues of responsibility and wildness, dreams and possibility, exploration and history and the exploitation of Hollywood into one story.
New art and design studio for Menlyn Mall
Renowned wildlife and portrait photographer Veronica Coetzer and her daughter Monique Blofield, are opening The Photographer Design Studio. The Studio is set to open in the new Menlyn Park Shopping Centre on 24 November 2016.
Johannesburg still Africa’s top destination
Johannesburg is set to be the most popular destination city in Africa for the fourth year, according to the 2016 Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index, with Cape Town and Durban coming in third and fifth respectively.
Don’t miss the biggest Supermoon in 68 years
On Monday 14 November 2016, the moon will appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the average moon as it comes the closest it’s been to earth since 1948.
Review: Robin Hood & the Babes in the Wood
This fresh tale breezes in with a delightful fun and fizz, creating the sparkiest panto for years with a spirit that feels smarter, sassier and more perfectly penned.
Review: Suddenly the Storm
Dwayne Combrinck is a man with demons. You can see this as he walks into his workshop, a bloodied baseball bat in hand. You can see this in the anger he articulates and the acerbic vitriol he spews when provoked.
Traveling Joburg couple reveal images of their favourite spots
Chanel Cartell and Stevo Dirnberger started their epic adventure in March 2015 and have since visited 15 countries and 49 cities. Taking stock of their whirlwind adventure, the pair have now revealed their top spots.
Habitat for Humanity set to build in Orange Farm
Habitat for Humanity South Africa are once again striving to uplift local communities, this time at Orange Farm in Gauteng, with the next build set to take place from 7 to 11 November 2016. While the community faces significant socio-economic challenges, local residents are mobilising together to bring about a better future.
Review: Annie
Way ahead of her time, our female protagonist is feisty, funny and eternally optimistic, a great role model for girls everywhere. The cast, crew and entire team present a delightful, colourful and upbeat spectacle.
School for creatives is coming to Joburg
The widely regarded Red & Yellow School, which has operated successfully in Cape Town for the past 22 years, is arriving in Johannesburg next year.
Review: Acceptance
The play’s biggest challenge is that it’s difficult to find emotional connectivity with these half-baked characters. The acting, too, is never commanding.
Review: Cinderella
The real drama for the audience is in the dancing and is particularly evident in the final pas de deux between Principal dancers Jonathan Rodrigues as the Prince and Burnise Silvius as Cinderella.
Sun City in the final stages of revamp
Sun City is in the final stages of a revamp which has costed more than R1-billion. Since its opening in 1979, the resort has held its position as one of South Africa’s favourite lifestyle destinations. The upgrade is set to solidify its status as such.
BMW’s 7 Series gets Esther Mahlangu touch
81 year old South African Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu has, for the second time in 25 years, teamed up with BMW to create magical artwork for the brand’s 7 Series. Having already worked with the brand in 1991, Esther was the first woman to ever collaborate with BMW on an Art Car.
Enter the Arts Journalism of the Year Awards
Arts writers, broadcasters and photographers from traditional and online media are invited to submit their work to the 2016 National Arts Festival/BASA Arts Journalism of the Year Awards.
Tumi Morake makes history at Savanna Comics’ Choice Awards
Tumi Morake, South Africa’s “First Lady of Comedy”, made history this past Saturday by being the first ever female to be crowned ‘Comic of the Year’ at the 6th annual Savanna Comic’s Choice Awards.
Wine popsicles have landed in stores
In celebration of Spring Day, PJ Pops launched exclusively in select Pick n Pay Liquor and Grocery outlets as well as at selected upmarket bars, hotels, restaurants and late-night venues in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Review: UBU and the Truth Commission
This ground-breaking production has to be seen to be believed and presents theatre, combined with other art forms, which rocks The Market to its very foundations.
Head chef revealed for Jamie’s Italian in Joburg
South African chef Shane Smit is set to take on the role of group head chef at Jamie’s Italian, which is opening in Melrose Arch later this year. Together with Jamie Oliver’s team, Smit is tasked with putting together a menu for the Johannesburg restaurant.
Review: Whatiftheworld & Southern Guild’s New Gallery
The gallery itself is a pleasant and unintimidating space. It’s small enough to be intimate and yet large enough to showcase a satisfying variety of works. With exhibitions regularly changing, roughly every four weeks, it warrants return visits.
The MTV Africa Music Awards is coming to Joburg
For the first time in history, the MTV African Music Awards is set to be hosted in Johannesburg. The ceremony will take place at the Northgate Ticketpro Dome on 22 October 2016, and will feature some of the biggest artists from the continent.
Johannesburg artist wins FNB Art Prize
Johannesburg-based artist Nolan Oswald Dennis has been announced as the 2016 winner of the coveted FNB Art Prize. His R100,000 win was announced by the FNB Art Fair on Thursday afternoon.
Tony Hawk attends Joburg Skate School Launch
Legendary skater Tony Hawk was part of the launch of South Africa’s first skate school Skateistan, based in Maboneng, Johannesburg.
4DX cinema set to open at Hyde Park Corner
Nu Metro Cinema has confirmed that Gauteng’s first 4DX cinema will open its doors to the public at the newly-revamped Nu Metro Hyde Park in September. This new movie viewing experience uses motion, vibration, water, wind, lightning, scents and more to provide movie-goers with the sensation of truly being apart of the film they’re watching.
Review: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
It’s over two hours of raw and honest glimpses into the human journey, taking on really serious topics – but never taking itself too seriously as a performance.
Dinosaur fossil found in SA finally scanned
A dinosaur fossil discovery made by a South African palaeontologist in 2005 has finally revealed its secrets. The fossil, the most complete ever found of a species known as Heterodontosaurus tucki, was recently scanned between 21 and 26 July 2016.
Review: Slava’s Snowshow
As a piece of theatre it is visually stunning. The physicality of the clowns is a studied art, and in a miraculous trompe d’oeil they will grow or shrink, grow older or younger in front of your very eyes.
City of Joburg & Microsoft to train 1 million people
The City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Councillor Parks Tau, has revealed that the metropolitan municipality has secured a partnership with Microsoft SA to train one million disadvantaged residents on digital literacy skills that include Microsoft Office – at no charge.
Review: The Return of Tevin Campbell
‘Tell Me What You Want Me To Do’ simply silenced the audience. The control and range, and the depth and bare soul with which he delivered it was breathtakingly beautiful.
The best speller in Africa lives in Johannesburg
Monash South Africa’s first African Spelling Bee crowns Johannesburg pupil, 14 year old Zameer Dada, as the best speller in Africa. As the winner of the competition, Zameer receives a Monash South Africa undergraduate tuition scholarship.
10 facts about Henri Matisse
Currently, Henri Matisse’s works are on display at the Standard Bank Gallery in Johannesburg until September, with the exhibition titled Rhythm and Meaning. But, apart from his massive contribution to art, what do we know about him as an individual?
Review: Romeo and Juliet the Ballet
Each scene is visually impressive, making a grand, almost Old Master painting of colour and design. The poised opening of the Capulet ball with its rich reds is sumptuous, while the stark lights fading into the cowled figures and lit candles in the Capulet crypt send shivers down the spine.
Jaziel Brothers release Mandela tribute song
As the award-winning afro pop duo Jaziel Brothers prepare for the release of their latest album, Out of the Box, they have recorded a tribute song for Nelson Mandela, simply titled ‘Tribute to Mandela’.
Review: Broken Plates
You will not regret taking up the invitation to attend this exuberant and, at times, poignant, Greek wedding with all its traditional – and not so traditional – features.
Artist turns ancient rocks into songsmiths
Taking ancient, fractured rocks found in the Cradle of Humankind, Burchell uses Kintsukuroi, a Japanese art and philosophy of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer. By combining this golden repair with recorded sound, a songsmith will resonate when touched. This allows each rock to sing of the land wherein it has existed for millennium.
Revamped Bruma Lake Park unveiled
Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau unveiled the new Bruma Lake, which has now been converted to a park – the result of the rehabilitation project that started in 2014.
Review: Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life
But the feeling that ultimately takes over is one of amazement and wonder. To think that it takes 1500 hours to prepare a specimen and that each specimen was once a living human being is mind-blowing.
South African writer wins 2016 Caine Prize
South African writer, Lidudumalingani, is this year’s winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story, “Memories We Lost”, published in Incredible Journey: Stories That Move You (Burnet Media, South Africa, 2015).
Johannesburg disaster film coming soon
Moviegoers could soon witness the end of Johannesburg as we know it in a new disaster film entitled ‘Johannesburg’, set to be released in mid-2017. The film is being directed by SAFTA-nominated Kalumbu Kapisa, and tells the story of the city being eradicated by a series of devastating earthquakes.
Soweto Story Telling
Venue: Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers
Black Coffee makes history with BET award
DJ Black Coffee has become the first South African to make his mark on the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards, where he accepted an award at the event in Los Angeles.
New art gallery to launch in Joburg
Leading contemporary art gallery WHATIFTHEWORLD, and esteemed collectible-design platform Southern Guild, both firmly established in Cape Town, are set to launch a new gallery in Rosebank’s Keyes Art Mile precinct.
SA artist’s sculpture on display in New York
South African artist Lionel Smit’s large bronze sculpture is to be installed in New York’s Union Square in mid-June, and is to remain there for 10 months. It will be in the square, at an important and historic Manhattan intersection.
Custom-made leather shoes at Market on Main
Thandi’s Handmade Shoes offers quality, leather shoes that can also be custom-made. Customers can choose their shape, colour, leather and shoelaces, and meander along the streets of Maboneng (or wherever you happen to travel to) in a pair of uniquely designed kicks.
South African artist wins prestigious award
South African artist Kemang Wa Lehulere is awarded Deutsche Bank’s new “Artist of the Year” for 2017. Through winning the award, Wa Lehulere will present his first institutional solo exhibition in Germany at the Deutsche Bank KunstHalle in Berlin in spring next year.
