Tag Archives: Baxter Theatre

Camera Mode: DANGER IN THE DARK Hits the Streets

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With only days to go before the first preview of the Baxter Theatre Centre‘s Danger in the Dark, the company took to the streets of Cape Town for a photographic feature by Jesse Kramer. The production is a new adaptation of Poison, the 1992 musical written by David Kramer and Taliep Petersen, which Kramer himself has reinvented.

Elton Landrew, Eldon van der Merwe, Loukmaan Adams, Alexis Petersen, Rushney Ferguson, Edith Plaatjies, Chad Baai and Tashreeq de Villiers in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Elton Landrew, Eldon van der Merwe, Loukmaan Adams, Alexis Petersen, Rushney Ferguson, Edith Plaatjies, Chad Baai and Tashreeq de Villiers in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Chad Baai, Elton Landrew, Rushney Ferguson, Loukmaan Adams, Alexis Petersen, Tashreeq de Villiers, Edith Plaatjies and Eldon van der Merwe in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Chad Baai, Elton Landrew, Rushney Ferguson, Loukmaan Adams, Alexis Petersen, Tashreeq de Villiers, Edith Plaatjies and Eldon van der Merwe in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)

Made possible by the City of Cape Town, Danger in the Dark is a timely response to the critical social issues that plague communities all over the Western Cape. Set in the underbelly of the Cape Flats, the musical unfolds in 1995, when Pamela (played by Alexis Petersen), a social worker who is writing a thesis on drug abuse, meets up with Juanita (Rushney Ferguson), a friend from her school days. When she realises that Juanita is trapped in an abusive relationship with a drug lord, she finds herself drawn into dark and dangerous places and situations as she tried to help her friend escape.

With Kramer at the helm of the production, Camillo Lombard takes up the duties of musical director with Grant van Ster and Shaun Oelf choreographing the show. A 22-strong South African cast and a live band bring to life the painfully beautiful narrative and soaring music.

Bookings are now open through Webtickets, with information about discounted block or schools’ bookings, fundraisers and charities available from Leon van Zyl. Ticket prices range from R100 to R195. The production previews at the Baxter Theatre from 11 – 14 October, opens on 15 October and runs until 2 November. There is an age restriction of 12 years.

Camera Mode: DANGER IN THE DARK in Rehearsal

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It’s crunch time for the Baxter Theatre Centre‘s Danger in the Dark, David Kramer‘s new adaptation of Poison, the musical he created with Taliep Petersen in the early 1990s, with the first previews of the show scheduled for next weekend.

Made possible by the City of Cape Town, Danger in the Dark is a timely response to the critical social issues that plague communities all over the Western Cape. Set in the underbelly of the Cape Flats, the musical unfolds in 1995, when Pamela (played by Alexis Petersen), a social worker who is writing a thesis on drug abuse, meets up with Juanita (Rushney Ferguson), a friend from her school days. When she realises that Juanita is trapped in an abusive relationship with a drug lord, she finds herself drawn into dark and dangerous places and situations as she tried to help her friend escape.

Take a peek through Jesse Kramer’s lens into the rehearsal room, where Kramer is putting the finishing touches on the production, together with the assistant director for the production, Grant van Ster. Van Ster is also choreographing the show in collaborataion with Shaun Oelf. Camillo Lombard serves as musical director.

Chad Baai and Loukmaan Adams in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Chad Baai as Shawn confronts Loukmaan Adams as Michael in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Luke Buys, Lubabalo Pupu, Loreto Cabrera and Mekaila Mathys in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Ensemble members Luke Buys, Lubabalo Pupu, Loreto Cabrera and Mekaila Mathys in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Alex Rodkin, Luke Buys and Gabriela Dirkse in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)
Ensemble members Alex Rodkin, Luke Buys and Gabriela Dirkse in DANGER IN THE DARK (Photo credit: Jesse Kramer)

With a cast of 22 vibrant South African performers and a live band bringing to life the painfully beautiful narrative and soaring music of Danger in the Dark, this production promises to be a thrilling reinvention of the original Kramer-Petersen musical.

Bookings are now open through Webtickets, with information about discounted block or schools’ bookings, fundraisers and charities available from Leon van Zyl. Ticket prices range from R100 to R195. The production previews at the Baxter Theatre from 11 – 14 October, opens on 15 October and runs until 2 November. There is an age restriction of 12 years.

DANGER IN THE DARK Reworks Kramer and Petersen’s POISON

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Final Poster for DANGER IN THE DARK

David Kramer’s Danger in the Dark, a reworking of the hit musical, Poison, which he and the legendary late Taliep Petersen wrote in the early 1990s and was produced by Renaye Kramer, will premiere at the Baxter Theatre Centre this October. Kramer has written a new book for Danger in the Dark, but he has retained many of the original songs.

Poison was very well received in South Africa, Malaysia and London. The original production premiered in 1992 under the auspices of CAPAB Opera and was first reworked in 1994 for a season produced by Volkswagen Musicactive. A production at the Port Elizabeth Opera House followed in 1995, with another revival, directed by Bobby Heaney, having been staged at the Baxter Theatre in 2004 as part of the Klipfontein Corridor Project.

In the current adaptation of this powerful musical, Kramer has decided to tell the story from the point of view of Pamela, a social worker who is writing her thesis on drug abuse on the Cape Flats. Considering the critical crisis plaguing communities all over the Western Cape, the timing of this production could not be more perfect.

Danger in the Dark unfolds in 1995, when Pamela meets up with Juanita, a friend from her school days. She soon realises that Juanita is trapped in an abusive relationship with a drug lord and she is desperate to help her friend escape. Pamela is drawn into dark and dangerous places and situations, yet she endures against all odds, for the safety and survival of her friend.

David Kramer

Directed by Kramer with assistant director Grant van Ster, the acclaimed creative team for Danger in the Dark is made up of Camillo Lombard (musical director), Patrick Curtis (set and lighting designer), David Classen (sound designer), Widaad Albertus (costume designer), Kirsti Cummings (videographer) and Shaun Oelf and Grant van Ster (choreography).

Kramer has assembled a stellar cast of eight lead performers with a chorus of 14, who dance, sing and play a variety of roles, accompanied by a live band of five musicians.

The cast is led by Alexis Petersen as Pamela, Rushney Ferguson as Juanita, Elton Landrew as Poison, Eldon van der Merwe as Chicco, Tashreeq de Villiers as Lucky, Edith Plaatjies as Mrs Joseph, Loukmaan Adams as Michael and Chad Baai as Shawn. The ensemble comprises Luke Buys, Loreto Cabrera, Lewellyn Afrika, Luke de Kock, Anzio September, Lubabalo Pupu, Rori York Bingham, Nadine Suliaman, Alex Rodkin, Chamonay Anthony, Mekaila Mathys, Crystal Finck, Gabriela Dirkse and Tanzley Jooste.

Grandall Vlotman (conductor and keyboards), Shaun Francke (guitar), Jason Ward (drums and percussion), Yvan Potts (synthesizers) and Kurt Randall (bassist) make up the band.

Made possible by the City of Cape Town, Danger in the Dark previews at the Baxter Theatre from 11 – 14 October, opens on 15 October and runs until 2 November. Ticket prices range from R100 to R195 and booking is now open through Webtickets. For discounted block or schools’ bookings, fundraisers and charities, contact Leon van Zyl. There is an age restriction of 12 years.

Joanna Weinberg to Unpack PANDORA’S BAG at the Baxter’s Golden Arrow This Week

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Pandora's BagActress, songwriter and cabaret artist Joanna Weinberg will return to South Africa after many years to perform her entertaining hit solo cabaret, Pandora’s Bag, at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio for a limited season, starting this week.

A graduate of the University of Cape Town’s drama department, Weinberg was born in London and raised in South Africa before moving to Sydney in Australia. Coming from a family of classical musicians, she has many years of experience in creating and performing theatre, music, cabaret and musical theatre and has created five albums of original songs, two of which are original cast albums of her musicals.

Pandora’s Bag is comic solo cabaret show with keyboard, accordion and handbags. The show is inspired by bags and the women who wear them, covering subject matter like old bags, laundry bags and bag porn. The audience is encouraged to show and tell their own bag stories for a chance to win a prize, while a volunteer bag model will also be selected from the audience, giving theatrical extroverts a chance to shine. Of the production’s run in the Mother City, she says:

I’m so thrilled to be performing in Cape Town again, which is where I began my career. With October being breast cancer awareness month, I felt that this would be a timely show which celebrates both women and the handbag as metaphor for and extension of the female body. I would like to point out that men also love this show, as they have their own baggage.

Weinberg has written thirteen original one-woman shows, including the critically acclaimed Piano Diaries, which is available on iTunes. Much of her theatre training and background is evident in many of the songs with a masterful way of crafting lyrics. Her award winning musical, Lifeforce: the Mother of all Journeys, played the Sydney Fringe in 2013 and her soccer-parent musical, Every Single Saturday, toured New South Wales in 2011. Some of her other original shows include Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs, 12 Shoes and Sinksongs, which was the inspiration for a feature film, Goddess, which had a worldwide release in 2012. Her work has been performed in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa.

Pandora’s Bag runs at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio from 23 October to 3 November at 20:15 nightly with Saturday matinees at 17:00. Ticket prices ranges from R160 to R180, with a rate of R130 for block-bookings of ten or more people. Booking is through Webtickets.