What’s on This Weekend – 13 to 15 August 2021

This week’s spotlight is on some of Joburg and Pretoria’s coolest and classiest social distancing experiences to try with your loved ones. All of them following strict COVID protocols to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. So gather the friends, family, or your loved one for Benn van der Westhuizen’s list of unique attractions happening this weekend.

AN INTERACTIVE DINING EXPERIENCE WITH A GOURMET FRENCH TWIST

Dinner Time Stories brings a two-hour-long immersive culinary dining experience, using innovative 3D projection-mapping technology to animate ‘Le Petit Chef’ – a 58-mm-tall animated character, who appears to be cooking guests’ meals on their plates.

At the beginning of the show, diners receive a blank storybook, which comes to life with optical illusion techniques, storytelling, sounds and aromas.

In ‘Au Natural’, Le Petit Chef gets back to nature and tells a story of enjoying the good things in life. The little Frenchman is popping up in all his pint-sized glory to take guests on a romantic venture into the countryside. They are invited to escape city stress and travel (from the comfort of their seats) as the character forages for the freshest, homegrown ingredients, trawls the deep for the jewels of the ocean, tends to his roosts and pastures for the most succulent cuts of meat, and finally, takes a journey to the arctic in search of the perfect dessert to thrill the taste buds.

It’s not just fun and holograms, though. Real food gets served too. All the ingredients of the six-course meal are creatively served in props and prepared by Executive Chef Kelly Nqobani Nonjinge. Beyond being an affordable way to travel the world, Paul Rouessart, owner of Dinner Time Stories SA and Le Petit Chef SA, promises that this is “the most eye-catching ‘meal’ you will ever see”.

Vegetarian, Halaal-friendly and Kosher-friendly meals with or without seafood options are available.

Cost: From R1,170. A wine pairing upgrade is available at an additional cost of R345.00

When: Thursday to Sunday, from 6pm
Where: Blueberry Hill Hotel, 3 Blueberry Street, Honeydew, Johannesburg

Website: dinnertimestories.co.za | Email: info@dinnertimestories.co.za | Tel: 011 834 9181
Facebook: @dinnertimestoriessa | Instagram: @dinnertimestoriessa

A STUNNING NEW PRODUCTION FROM JOBURG BALLET, RUNNING THIS WEEKEND

Joburg Ballet presents ‘Solo Flight’, a programme specially tailored for these times and replacing ‘Evolve’ that has been postponed to 2022.

This Joburg ballet company has been impacted by the pandemic and a number of their dancers are still recovering from the Coronavirus. In light of these circumstances, the decision was made to move away from productions that would require large groups on stage, and instead focus on solo or duet acts.

For this ‘Solo Flight’, the diverse talents and skills of each of the companies’ dancers are demonstrated – and celebrated.

The hour-long programme includes highlights from The Flames of Paris, Raymonda, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Paquita, Giselle, and Don Quixote. Also in the line-up are two iconic ballet duets, Le Spectre de la Rose and Flower Festival at Genzano while rounding out the programme will be a newly choreographed solo for male dancer by Mario Gaglione and an appearance by two of ballet’s favourite siblings, Cinderella’s Ugly Sisters.

Cost: R280 (Standard Price) | R210 (25% discount for Friends of the Ballet) | R100 (Pensioners). Bookings can be made at Joburg Theatre Box Office or online. Patrons can also book and pay via the Nedbank app and at selected Pick n Pay stores

When: Thur 12 Aug at 6.30pm | Fri 13 Aug at 6.30pm | Sat 14 Aug at 3pm, Sat 14 Aug at 6.30pm | Sun 15 Aug at 11am | Sun 15 Aug at 3pm
Where: Mandela Theatre at Joburg Theatre, 26 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein

Website: joburgballet.com | Email: michael@joburgtheatre.com | Tel: 0861 670 670
Facebook: @JoburgBalletCompany | Instagram: @joburg_ballet

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FLYFISHING LEARNING EXPERIENCES EVERY WEEKEND

Sundowner Fly Fishing hosts introductory fly fishing lessons, giving adults and children an opportunity to try a new adventure activity in a safe and secure environment. Children should ideally be a minimum of 10 years old to join the group lesson. Parents with younger kids are welcome to book a private clinic.

The lessons are hosted in a fun and easy way at Lanseria Country Estate in small groups of 8 people. Participants are taught the basic skills required for flyfishing by experienced guides, who also assist with practical fishing guidance.

Sundowner Fly Fishing believes in keeping the sport environmentally friendly so all fish caught are released. Proper techniques required for correctly releasing the fish are taught.

Participants can continue fishing on the dams and with rented equipment for the rest of the day.

Cost: Adults R450 | Kids under 12 years R350

When: Saturday and Sundays from 8:30am to 10am
Where: Lanseria Country Estate, Palamino Drive, Lindley, Lanseria

Website: sundowner.co.za | Email: info@sundowner.co.za | Tel: 083 414 0391
Facebook: @sundownerflyfishingadventures | Instagram: @sundowner_flyfishing_adventure

CATCH STEVENSON GALLERY’S GROUP FILM, PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART EXHIBITION

My whole body changed into something else is a new group art exhibition curated by Sisipho Ngodwana and Sinazo Chiya, and currently running at STEVENSON gallery. The title is drawn from a quote by Sun Ra, in which the artist, thinker, and composer describes a moment of abduction and renewal. Ra states that, in a pivotal journey between Earth and Saturn, his tangible form and personal history were metamorphosed, allowing him to continue existence in a truer mode: as an alien brought to preach peace.

In pursuing the questions raised by his assertion, the exhibition uncovers individual and collective ideas of bodily existence and processes of transformation, using works from 1950 to the present day. The featured artists aims to address the challenges presented by history, the dictates of commerce, the sensory borders between how matter is experienced, and the perceptions of binaries and opposition – ranging from geopolitical conflicts to the tensions between humanity and the natural world in which we live.

Participating film works are by Aziz Hazara, Monilola Olayemi Ilupeju, Erkan Özgen, Ruth Ige, Frida Orupabo, Dada Khanyisa, and Neo Matloga, as well as photography and painted works by a slew of acclaimed artists and professionals.

When: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 1pm
Where: 46 7th Ave, Parktown North, Joburg

Website: stevenson.info | Email: jhb@stevenson.info | Tel: 011 403 1055
Facebook: @stevenson.gallery | Instagram: @stevenson_za

GRAB A FREE COMIC BOOK AT COSMIC COMICS IN RANDBURG FOR 1 DAY ONLY

In celebration of Free Comic Book Day, Cosmic Comics presents a great selection of free comics and other discounted items to geek out over.

The Free Comic Book Day first started in North America as a way to help bring more new readers into independent comic book stores and instill in them a love for comics. The same goes Cosmic Comics, a two-storey American-style book store in Randburg.

In addition to the large collection of comics, manga, and graphic novels that they have, the shop offers a great number of memorabilia, souvenirs, board games, action figures, and Funko Pops. They make it their mission to track down rare editions for their customers.

There are daily live auctions too.

When: Saturday, 14 August, from 9am to 3.30pm
Where: Cosmic Comics, 254 Beyers Naude Drive, Entrance in Acaccia Street, Blackheath, Randburg

Website: cosmiccomics.online | Tel: 011 678 0165
Facebook: @CosmicComics | Instagram: @CosmicComics