Everyone has a chance to tell their story in this multi-cultural production. Everyone has a chance to tell their story in this multi-cultural production.
Terri Dunbar-Curran
IT WAS the kind of evening where most people would have preferred to have stayed huddled indoors, cuddling a hot water bottle, but my husband and I opted the accept the invitation to a hearty warm welcome at Richard’s Supper Stage and Bistro in Greenpoint instead.
Stripping off coats and scarves we bundled up the stairs with a bus load of tourists, accents and languages mingling, as we spilled excitedly into the toasty restaurant-cum-theatre space for Richard Loring’s Kaapse Stories from the Mother City.
Guests are ushered into a large room accented with pictures and street signs bringing District Six back to life. And that’s what the show, which is written and directed by Basil Appollis, is all about – giving the audience a taste of what made, and indeed still makes, Cape Town such a special city. It’s about celebrating our history, remembering the tough times and sharing our stories.
Although the show is based around the tales of the fictional Kleintjies family, it’s clear it has been inspired by real people who lived and worked in the area in its heyday.
A vibrant trio of Kaapse klopse gets the night off to a joyful start and the air is instantly filled with LCD screens and flashes as visitors scurry to capture memories they’ll no doubt be sharing with friends around the world for years to come. Even as a local, it’s a wonderful taste of what visitors see here, and just why they love this city so much. It’s a reminder of how special the Mother City is.
This year marks 50 years since District Six was declared a whites only area, and this show is the perfect way to mark it and reflect. Joe Kleintjies talks his new friends through the story of his talented family, introduces his brothers and grand-daughter and laments losing contact with his sister. He tells of what it was like growing up on Constitution Street with all 12 of the Kleintjies Clan. It’s a heart-warming story, but tinged with sadness. It’s a gentle history lesson, that hints at the hardships many Capetonians faced, but also tells of how they managed to rise above the dreadful circumstances, and help shape the city.
Throughout the evening, guests are introduced to a energetic cast of characters. And while some of them may come across as stereotypical to locals, the foreigners absolutely lap it up. There’s even room for audience participation as some of the performers engage with those sitting closest and invite the brave to get up and dance along with them.
The night includes South African songs in Xhosa, English and Afrikaans, as well as popular numbers by artists like Queen and Shakira.
And it’s not only the programme that is filled with a glut of cultural flavours – a big part of the evening is the generous buffet. Serving is well-organised as guests queue up to tuck into steaming dishes of Cape Malay chicken and prawn curry, baked line fish, roast beef, oven-baked butternut with honey and toasted almonds, potato bake, vegetable breyani and a variety of tasty veggie dishes. It's a lovely collection of dishes you'd find in homes across the city, and all of them more-ish. The veggie breyani was my favourite, but I was sure to leave space for dessert, because the menu boasts malva pudding, milk tart, a koeksister and a skewer of fruit.
Guests leave with full stomachs, a greater appreciation for Cape Town and her people, and a warm experience to remember for a while to come. While Kaapse Stories is ideal for the tourist market, it also makes for a fun night out for locals.
* www.richardscapetown.co.za