Join Bluff actor on a magical panto ride

BLUFFITE Rowan Bartlett is being whisked away on a magic carpet ride for the annual adult pantomime, Aladdin Grey Street.

Bartlett, or ‘Bubble’ as he is called by some, began his performing career singing for tips in Musgrave as a waiter. He later won the role of Wolfie in Amadeus and the rest, as they say, is history.

In this year’s panto, Bartlett plays Princess Jasmine, alongside Anthony Stonier as Widow Twanky, TQ Zondi as Aladdin, Darren Maule as Genie of the Lamp, Mpilo ‘Straw’ Nzimande as Genie of the Ring, Katy Moore as Evil Sultana and Clinton Small as Watch-Mi-Wanky.

“The best thing about being an actor is being able to play all different character types. Also the hours are great, just two hours a day and they call it work. I especially enjoy comedies because I really love making people laugh,” he said.

“My scariest moment on stage happened at the National Arts Festival in 2004. I was performing in the adult panto, Puss in Boots. The audience was completely hostile. They didn’t laugh at a single joke and didn’t applaud after any of the big song and dance numbers. It was hideous. At one point I went completely blank – I wouldn’t even have been able to tell you my name. I looked around at the audience and my co-stars for what seemed like an age until someone in the cast eventually whispered my line to me. That, on top of the hostile audience, was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through on stage. It took several small sherries after the show to get over it.”

The proud Bluffite, who said he wouldn’t want to live anywhere else will be performing with his fellow cast mates at a new venue, the Centenary Room at Greyville Racecourse. The show is on from 10 November to 30 December, with tickets from R130 to R170.

For details, follow @adultpanto on Twitter, call Ailsa on 083-250-2690, email editor.goingplacessa@gmail.com or book at Computicket.