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The Durban Theatre community is excited to announce the second annual family-friendly 031 Theatre Festival to take place at the Seabrookes Theatre at DHS on Fri 7, Sat 8 and Sun 9 June.
The theatre festival has been spearheaded by Lisa Bobbert and Aaron Mcilroy (Macbob Productions) and Michael Broderick (Theatresmiths) and will feature various productions that are performing at this year’s National Arts Festival in Makhanda / Grahamstown. The festival allows theatre lovers a special sneak preview of some of the productions heading off to the Eastern Cape to represent Durban.
The programme features four comedy / dramas ( So, you want to be a trophy wife?; Yesterday’s Hero; Mr and Mrs Normal; and A Vegan Killed my Marriage) and two family shows (Adventure of Who and The Tower & the Tree).
In a world awash with “influencers” and “blessers”, poor old Marie is swamped! First losing her husband and then her mother in the space of a year has put Marie in a position she never imagined she would be in. Feeling invisible and desperate, her only hope, it seems, is to find herself a rich husband. But that is easier said than done. She’ll also need to make a few changes in order to attract said rich man. Can mutton really be dressed up as lamb? So, you want to be a trophy wife? is an hilarious and critically acclaimed one-woman show is produced by Faeron Wheeler of F Creations, written and performed by Sue Diepeveen and directed by Wynne Bredenkamp (At the Edge of the Light; Salt) and Greg Karvellas (Shakespeare in Love).
Yesterday’s Hero, written and performed by Ovation winner Patrick Kenny, is an hilarious one-man comedy about the ups and downs of being almost famous! From local radio comedian to jet setting beer trolley pusher and finally a soap opera doctor. Follow minor celebrity “Pat” as he moves up and down the ladder of fame and fortune. Selected for the 50th Anniversary National Arts Festival Fringe, it is directed by multi-award-winning comedian Aaron McIlroy. Theatre icon McIlroy has been coxed from the stage into the director’s seat so writer/director Kenny can have turn to be in the spotlight. The McIlroy and Kenny collaboration has seen a series of hit one-man plays performed by McIlroy at national festivals: The Apology selected for the main curated National Arts Festival 2021; the high-octane ADHD and multi-award winning Comedy Master Class.
Perennial favourites Aaron McIlroy and Lisa Bobbert return to the 031 Festival with their hit musical comedy, Mr and Mrs Normal. Billed as an ‘all-you-can-eat comedy buffet’, Mr & Mrs Normal is a zany musical smorgasbord that caters for all theatrical tastes. You’ll get to revel in some sizzling new characters, as they rub shoulders with those old favourites, you’d feel cheated to miss. Interspersed with show stopping musical hits, this laugh-out-loud comedy is directed and choreographed by theatre whizz Daisy Spencer. It comes hot-on-the-heals of Bulletproof. MacBob’s hilarious, ovation-award winning production that wowed the National Arts festival in Makhanda last year.
The hilarious and extremely thought provoking one-hander, A Vegan Killed my Marriage, starring Aaron Mcilroy is written and directed by the multi award winning, Craig Freimond. Mcilroy, well known for his many performances including the lunatic father, Mr Milton, in the Spud movie franchise, plays James, a red-blooded, meat-eating South African male. He is fully aware of the consistent concerns about the meat industry’s role in the impending climate catastrophe. Out of the blue, he becomes a vegetarian, not realising how unwelcome this change and his newfound fanaticism will be in his meat-eating home. The skirmishes at home escalate into a full-blown war. Could it be a midlife crisis? James, who only months before, had been the King of the Braai, has had a change of heart and now demands an entirely meat-free home. Winner of a Bronze Ovation Award at the 2023 National Arts Festival in Makhanda (Grahamstown), the comical and highly entertaining solo performance, written by acclaimed director, Craig Freimond has performed around South Africa over the past two years.
A whimsical fantasy wrapped up in a bubble of sincerity encompasses the must-see Adventure of Who that is on at the 031 Festival at The DHS Seabrookes Theatre. Taking audiences on a journey of self-discovery, Adventure of Who follows the story of a child on a magical quest to find a name. This warm-hearted solo show written and performed by Kaylee Mcilroy and directed by multi-award winning Aaron Mcilroy is an absolute gem; a magical show for children (and adults) of all ages.
The Tower & the Tree, Patrick Kenny’s multi- award-winning story is a wonderfully funny and thoroughly delightful modern fairy tale about love and friendship told through puppetry. It was originally written & directed by Patrick Kenny as an audio play for the 2020 National Arts Festival. There it won an Ovation Award and an invitation to the 2021 Brighton Fringe Festival – England’s largest arts festival. Now presented as a puppet play by Director Peter Court, Shannon Kenny and Patrick Kenny, it recently won the prestigious 2023 Young Critics “Best For Young Audiences” Award at the recent Cradle of Creativity International Festival of theatre for young audiences. The delightful puppets, created by Peter Court are voiced and animated by Patrick and Shannon Kenny with the additional vocal talents of Londiwe Ngwazi, Anna Kenny and Peter Court. Music and songs by Shannon Kenny and Alan Judd of Leopard Moon Studios.
Tickets through Webtickets.
Good to Know:
6pm – Fri 7 – Trophy Wife – Adults – R150, Pensioners and students – R100
8pm – Fri 7 – Yesterday’s Hero – Adults – R150
10am – Sat 8 – Adventure of Who – Adults – R100, kids – R75
12pm – Sat 8 – Tower and the Tree – Adults – R100, kids R75
2pm – Sat 8 – A Vegan Killed my Marriage – Adults – R150, Pensioners and students – R125
6pm – Sat 8 – Yesterday’s Hero – Adults – R150
8pm – Sat 8 – Trophy Wife – Adults – R150, Pensioners and students – R100
10am – Sun 9 – Adventure of Who – Adults – R100, kids – R75
12pm – Sun 9 – Tower and the Tree – Adults – R100, kids R75
2pm – Sun 9 – Trophy Wife – Adults – R150, Pensioners and students – R100
4pm – Sun 9 – Yesterday’s Hero – Adults – R150
6pm – Sun 9 – Mr and Mrs Normal – Adults – R165, Pensioners and students R150
