DURBANITES are in for a treat for the next few days with stage productions that will leave them in stitches, music concerts that will take them back in time and circus acts at a bridal fair.

Step back in time

Dress up for Durban’s iconic eight-piece swing jazz band which will be performing at the Great Gatsby Party on Sunday, October 27 – presented by Platform Jazz.

The show will be held at the Durban Jewish Centre at 14:30. The band, with singer Shelley Mclean-Downham, will take you back to the roaring 20s.
Get those spats on, those flapper dresses, fascinators, boas and pearls and come for an afternoon of toe-tapping, finger-snapping jazz.

There will be tables of 10, and patrons may bring drinks and snacks. Doors open at 13:30. Show starts at 14:30.

To book, contact Cathy on WhatsApp at 082 349 8362. Tickets cost R150 and R130 for pensioners. The band will feature: Cathy Peacock on trumpet, Jeff Robinson on sax, Kirsten Sayers on clarinet, David Solomon on trombone, Bruce Baker on Drums, Andreas Kappen on bass, Melvin Peters on piano and Shelly Mclean-Downham on vocals.

Bridal fair to feature circus troupe

Johannesburg-based urban circus troupe – The Cirk – will be special guests at the East Meets West Bridal Fair being staged at the Pavilion Shopping Centre from Friday, October 25, to Sunday, October 27. They are known for speciality aerial and ground acts. They will also be in Durban to present daily free mini-shows and free interactive workshops at the bridal fair.

The shows will feature a blend of circus acts, acrobatics and magic, appropriate for all ages. Performances have been scheduled strategically throughout the day.

The fair will have myriad wedding-themed events, activations, exhibitions and displays designed to help couples and their families plan for their big day. More than 30 exhibitors are spread throughout the Pavilion.

One lucky couple will stand a chance to win a grand prize of a bespoke Durban wedding valued at more than R160 000 at the picturesque Macnut Farm Wedding and Function Venue in 1000 Hills.

For more information about this event, please check out the Pavilion’s Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram or visit www.thepav.co.za. Terms and conditions apply.

Comedy fest will have you in stitches

Rhumbelow Theatre presents a not-to-be missed Yesterday’s Hero directed by multi-award-winning comedian Aaron McIlroy at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road, Durban, on Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3.

The show starts at 19:30 on Saturday and 14:00 on Sunday. Yesterday’s Hero is a hilarious one-man play about surviving and hanging on in spite of the misfortunes and disappointments that life throws at you. It’s a semi-biographical story about the ups and downs of actor, writer and director Patrick Kenny – from his days as a comedian on East Coast Radio to playing dodgy Doctor Wallace on eTV’s soapie, Imbewu – acting as himself.

After surviving cancer in 2019, Covid in 2020 and political riots in 2021, Kenny decided, while recuperating in a government hospital from a very painful haemorrhoid operation in 2022, to go back and perform a one-man play at the National Arts Festival after a 25-year hiatus.

Tickets cost R160 and R100 for students/scholars. Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the venue. Limited secure parking will be available. Booking is essential – book on Webtickets. A bar will be available – no alcohol may be brought onto the premises.

Rekindle your music memories

The Northlands Bowling Club will host Glorious Musicals in association with The Rhumbelow Theatre on Saturday, November 2, at 19:30.

Rekindle your memories of why Lloyd Webber stands tall after six decades of hits. Judith Hawthorn will present an elegant concert programme of Webber’s greatest hits from all the popular shows, including Cats, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Aspects of Love, Evita, and Sunset Boulevard. There’s even a song from Andrew’s most recent West End show, Cinderella, as well as hits from Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.

Musical Theatre performer Judith displays her dazzling vocal range and versatility in this tender show of much-loved Lloyd Webber tunes as she accompanies from the piano, and you can expect to hear Lloyd Webber favourites, Pie Jesu and Love Changes Everything, as well as Think of Me and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from The Phantom of the Opera.

Tickets cost R180 and R160 for Northlands Bowling Club members. Bring food picnic baskets. Limited secure parking is available. Booking is essential – book on Webtickets. A bar will be available – no alcohol may be brought onto the premises.

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter here