Page 174 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

172  C APE T OWN

hop companies performing
styles such as African dancing,
gumboots and Pantsula.

Comedy
At Evita se Perron in the town
of Darling (see p215), a short
drive from Cape Town, the
cutting wit of Pieter-Dirk Uys
launches amusing attacks on
current political issues. Set in a
restored pump house at the
Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and choir at the City Hall V&A Waterfront, the Cape Town
Comedy Club is the brainchild
Classical Music such as War Horse, Cats and of South African comedian Kurt
and Opera The Sound of Music, as well as Schoonraad. Entertainment
Cape Town City Hall offers big touring shows. A calendar includes established comedians,
classical music and opera of events is available from the and open-mike sessions and
performances in majestic box office. patrons can dine here, too.
surroundings. The Artscape Another theatre and dance
Theatre Centre is the home of venue is the Baxter Theatre
the Cape Town Philharmonic Centre in Rondebosch. The
Orchestra, which usually gives Main Theatre shows mainstream
performances on Thursday productions, whereas the
evenings. Occasionally, rather intimate Studio Theatre hosts
different concert venues are more challenging works. The
chosen, such as the Two Oceans Theatre on the Bay in Camps
Aquarium or the South African Bay offers a good mix of popular
Museum. The Artscape stages musicals, revues, cabaret and
opera and musicals, as well as light comedy. The Fugard
popular lunchtime and Sunday Theatre, named after one of
afternoon concerts. There are South Africa’s best-known Dinner show at the Crypt Jazz Restaurant
1,500 seats in the Opera House playwrights, is located in a
and the view is exceptional historical District Six warehouse.
from every angle. It offers a broad spectrum of Jazz, African and
Rock Music
The Baxter Theatre Centre performances from serious
is where the South African plays to comical satire. In the Cape Town’s unique, indigenous
College of Music performs its Southern Suburbs, the old Kalk style of jazz is heavily influenced
repertoire of chamber music, Bay Dutch Reformed Church by traditional African sounds.
string ensembles, organ recitals has been converted into the A fashionable spot is the
and orchestral productions. It is Kalk Bay Theatre and Winchester Mansions Hotel,
also the venue for recitals by restaurant. With only 77 seats, it which has Sunday brunch with
visiting soloists and chamber hosts intimate performances of live jazz. The Crypt Jazz
ensembles, and it hosts music, drama and comedy. Restaurant is in the historic
occasional lunchtime concerts. In addition to the impressive stone crypt below St George’s
Cape Town Opera, with its Cape Town City Ballet, Cape Cathedral (hence the name),
impressive soloists and chorus, Town has a great variety of jazz, and the circular stage plays host
creates an inspiring listening contemporary dance and hip to performances by local and
experience. They perform at the
Artscape and Baxter and give
additional performances at the
V&A Waterfront in February.

Theatre and Dance
The Artscape Theatre Centre
hosts world-class drama, ballet
and satire, as well as experimental
theatre and community and
children’s productions. It is one
of the few venues in southern
Africa with the facilities to stage
internationally-known musicals Cape Town City Ballet production of Giselle

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