A sweet treat at the theatre

The Peoples Theatre presents The Gingerbread Man 2, a delightful tale with plenty of song and dance, and a lesson about problem solving at its heart.
THE fantasy world of The Gingerbread Man 2 is filled with fun, excitement and intrigue, an alluring place for children and their families to spend a few hours.

Sing, dance and talk to characters in the Gingerbread Man 2Sing, dance and talk to characters in The Gingerbread Man 2The latest production at the Peoples Theatre, it is an interactive production that encourages everyone to join in the fun. The play runs from 4 June to 5 August.

Children and adults alike will be delighted to see the storybook characters get into new challenges – and find entertaining ways to get out of them. The performance is never short of song and dance and will have audiences singing along while a few lessons are being learnt.

The Gingerbread Man 2 is brought to life by the captivating characters Miss Pepper, Mr Salt, Old Tea Bag and Herr Von Cuckoo, and of cause it would not be complete without the Gingerbread Man himself. A beautifully written play by David Wood, it is not only sharp but is crammed full of subtle lessons.

It is Herr Von Cuckoo’s job to chime midnight, but he starts losing his voice and so cannot sing. Miss Pepper and Mr Salt try to find solutions to this misfortune, but instead they stumble upon a freshly baked Gingerbread Man, who comes to life. He brings with him bright ideas and courage that saves Herr Von Cuckoo from being put in the feared Dustbin.

The characters go out of their way to lend a hand to a friend and get to learn a couple of things in the process. Children are able to relate to the issues being played out on stage, and so may learn to be better problem solvers.

Cast and crew of the production add a touch of gold to the production. The Gingerbread Man is played by Karabo Oberem, Ziya Devar and Joseph Joffe; Alexandra and Isabella Snyman play the role of Miss Pepper, while Mr Salt is taken up by Sean McGrath. Herr Von Cuckoo is played by Gavin Gomes, Sleek the Mouse by Vishendra Singh and Old Tea Bag by Noni Mkhonto.

Musical direction is by Louis Zurnamer and the theatre production is done by the dynamic duo, Jill Girard and Keith Smith, who are known for their charming shows at the Peoples Theatre.

For special school performances, tickets are R50 per child, with one complimentary ticket for a teacher accompanying 20 pupils. Extra teachers pay R50 each. During government school terms, there are shows from Monday to Friday at 9am and 11am. On Saturdays, public holidays, government school holidays and some Sundays, shows are at 10.30am and 2.30pm.

Call Andrew or Lorraine on 011 403 1563/2340 for bookings. For more information, visit the Peoples Theatre website. The theatre is in the Joburg Theatre Complex, on the corner of Loveday and Hoofd streets, in Braamfontein.