|
The writer was "blown away" by the preparations
for The Boys in the Photograph, which will be the most technically complicated
show ever to be staged in the Mandela Theatre.
TICKETS are being snapped up for The Boys
in the Photograph, a musical set to run during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ at the
Joburg Theatre Complex.
Rehearsals for the show start in April
The associate producer, Claire Pacariz,
says that so far, 4 000 tickets have been sold for the show, which
promises to be a blockbuster. "We are delighted that the response [has been] so
tremendous. Auditions for the show were done in May 2009 and went very well. Rehearsals
start on Tuesday, 6 April 2010."
To be staged at the complex's Mandela
Theatre in Braamfontein, from 23 May to 11 July as a host city parallel event during
the World Cup, The Boys in the Photograph has a 100 percent South
African cast. Among the most notable are David Chevers, who appeared in Chess
and Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'be, and Carly Graeme, star of Grease and We
Will Rock You. The two play the leads of handsome and high-spirited John Kelly
and clever but haughty Mary Maquire.
Also in the cast is Sbu Radebe, who
recently appeared at the Joburg Theatre as the lead in The Adventures of
Pinocchio. Radebe has also starred in Hairspray and Beauty and the Beast. He has
been cast in The Boys in the Photograph as the jack-the-lad, somewhat dodgy
Daniel Gillen.
Gemma Donnelly, who appeared in My Fair Lady
and Footloose, plays the loud, bold Christine Warner, and Grant Almirall plays 1960s
radical Derek Copeland. The part of the Catholic thug, Thomas Malloy, is taken by
Adam du Plessis, while Tammi Meyer plays the shy Bernadette. Gareth Worth is
added to the cast as the not-too-bright but good-natured Gregory O'Shaugnessy.
Veteran award-winning actor Neville Thomas
plays Father O'Donnel, the commanding and triumphant coach of the amateur
football team.
Bernard Jay, the chief executive of the Joburg
Theatre Complex, is the executive producer; Simon James is also an associate
producer. Acclaimed director Janice Honeymoon directs the musical with her
long-time colleague, Johan Engels, on set design.
Set in Belfast, in Northern Ireland,
between 1969 and 1972, The Boys in the Photograph tells the story of a group of
young men and women who are involved in a local soccer team at the start of "The
Troubles", the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. Some of these young
people are drawn into the conflict, while others stand aside, wanting only to
be allowed to live and love in peace.
Beautiful game
The Boys in the Photograph, originally titled The Beautiful Game, played for a
year in London's West End from September 2000 until September 2001. The new
production by the original writers, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton, premiered
in 2008 in Winnipeg, Canada, and was directed by Elton.
Lloyd Webber and Elton tell the story with
humour and compassion, with lyrics that are both funny and heartbreaking. Lloyd
Webber, who is also the composer, is famous for his productions Cats, The
Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.
Recently, Elton spent two days with the
Joburg Theatre team and was shown the scale model of the epic set design
created by Engels exclusively for the Joburg Theatre. During his visit, he
discussed costume, lighting and other production details.
According to Pacariz, he was blown away by
the preparations and will be returning to South Africa this year. Jay says of
Elton's visit: "It was an honour and a thrill for us all to have the
encouragement and support of Ben in this way.
Long lead up
"I first met both Andrew and Ben in London in October 2005 when we asked them
for the rights to create an extraordinary long lead-up period ... both writers
have enthusiastically stayed in touch the entire time."
He adds that The Boys in the Photograph
will be the most technically complicated show ever to be staged in the Mandela
Theatre.
"We promise to thrill and emotionally stir
our audiences throughout the World Cup season. But we will also continue to
surround this core attraction with our usual eclectic mix of world-class
entertainments from January to December, bringing the very best of local and
overseas performing talents to our stages."
Launched by Executive Mayor Amos Masondo at
the Joburg Theatre Complex on 9 March 2008, The Boys in the Photograph will
have its official opening night on Sunday, 23 May. Tickets, starting at R293
each, are on sale at Computicket outlets, on 083 915 8000 or through the
Computicket website.
There will be reduced priced preview performances from 18 to 22 May.
Related stories:
|
