Artists featured at the Plett Fringe Festical include (clockwise from top left) David Muller, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Roland Perold, Alex Tops and Lucy Tops
The Kids of Kurland will present the fourth annual Plett Fringe Festival at The White House Theatre in Plettenberg Bay this June. The festival is in its fourth year and 2016 has an exciting line-up, the proceeds of which will provide a large economic and cultural boost for the Plettenberg Bay community and creates awareness of the Kids of Kurland charity.
The line-up kicks off with David Muller in a wonderful double bill of WHALE NATION and OOM SCHALK VERTEL… on 25 June. WHALE NATION is about the beloved marine icon, an elegant, mesmerising and realistic show about this gentle giant. With whale season always attracting major attention in South Africa, now is the time to learn more about these creatures with the “largest brain ever created and a fifty-million-year smile”. OOM SCHALK VERTEL… comprises two favourite Herman Charles Bosman stories. Bosman’s stories are sometimes humorous, sometimes sad and always wise. Although Muller tells them over and over again, he endeavours to make them seem fresh and new every time.
Lucy and Alex Tops will perform CAMP CARRAWALK on 26 June. A camp-fire comedy, the show promises to be a “whip-crackin’, hee-hawin’, knee-slappin’, toe-tappin’,” time that will leave audiences in stitches. With Alex bringing his quirky sense of humour as Butch and Lucy delivering her trademark flawless vocals as Cassidy, the Plett Fringe Festival is exceptionally proud to welcome the pair back to the White House stage for an evening of high-energy fun, music and laughter.
A MAN AND A DOG sees the multi-talented Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi take the stage on 27 June. This beautiful play saw Mkhwanazi nominated for a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award in 2006 and this revised version of A MAN AND A DOG won a Silver Standard Bank Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival last year. The title of the play is a reference to Mkhwanazi’s childhood, a time during which he looked after his stepfather’s menagerie of animals. He formed a special bond with one dog in particular and this greatly influenced how he saw himself at the time. This serves as the start of a coming-of-age story of a Zulu boy trying to find the parents he never knew.
Finally, A GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK will see Roland Perold at the piano on 28 June, exploring repertoire from the golden age of American popular song. This cabaret includes works by composers such as Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington and Cole Porter. Perold blends his informal style with anecdotes and tidbits about the era and its many wonderful characters. This nostalgic genre of music is always a runaway success at the Plett Fringe Festival, with both young and old enjoying the music of a golden age in American music.
Tickets for shows at the Plett Fringe Festival are available from The Old House Shop, in Plettenberg Bay from 1 June 2016 and can also be reserved by calling Marie Hoadley on 083 657 9375. Tickets cost R120 for adults and R70 for children. All shows are suitable for the entire family. The White House Courtyard opens at 18:00 each evening with live music, light snacks for sale and a cash bar. Performances commence promptly at 19:00.
