Rags to riches in panto

This year, reality television stars join theatre heavyweights in Cinderella in the annual Janice Honeyman panto, but tickets are already selling fast, so get yours now.
REALITY TV will have its all-star place in this year’s panto, and the producers have promised a “not-to-be-missed” affair.

Cinderella and Prince CharmingCinderella and Prince CharmingThe annual panto is a standard on the Joburg Theatre Complex calendar, and it regularly fills the Mandela Stage auditorium over the festive season. Once again, it is the work of acclaimed storyteller and director, Janice Honeyman.

This year, Cinderella is getting the bonkers Honeyman treatment.

“You can be sure of a spectacular show that will be packed full of traditional panto fun, great songs, hilarious comedy and dazzling dance,” says Claire Pacariz, the theatre’s associate producer and marketing manager.

She assures audiences there will be an abundance of comedy, stunning sets, beautiful costumes and special moments when Cinderella is transformed from rags to riches. And this year the show will be packed with popular television actors and young reality television stars.

The leading roles of Cinderella and Prince Charming are to be played by Carmen Pretorius and Bongi Mthombeni, both of whom went down the reality TV route.

Reality TV
Pretorius won the televised search for the star for the stage show of High School Musical in 2008. Since then, she has been in demand for leading musicals such as Footloose and Mama Mia.

Pretorius plays the leading role of CinderellaCarmen Pretorius plays the leading role of CinderellaPretorius says she is both excited and nervous about her upcoming run as Cinderella, and feels the responsibility to deliver for the fans.

It is her first panto, and she is delighted she’ll be in the same production as some serious theatre heavyweights. “I can’t believe that I will be in the same [pantomime] with the likes of Tobie Cronje and Robert Whitehead. It is going to be amazing for me as a young performer to work with performers that are so experienced,” she adds.

Prince Charming’s Mthombeni was a finalist in season six of Idols in 2010. Although he was voted out, his performance impressed producers at Joburg Theatre and he was invited to audition for the part.

He sees himself as a singer first, having worked with the likes of The Parlotones, Steve Hofmeyr, Loyiso Bala and Prime Circle, though he admits he has had his moments in theatre. However, “this is going to be the biggest I have ever done”, Mthombeni says.

And he is encouraging his fans to come and see a different side of him as Prince Charming. “I am putting my hands wherever I can,” he explains.

Ugly sister
As usual, Tobie Cronje has a star turn. The actor is known for his performances in television series like Manakwalanners, Onder Draai die Duiwel Rond and Egoli, but he is no stranger to pantomimes.

Tobie Cronje is playing the ugly sisterRobert Whitehead is playing the ugly sisterIn Cinderella, he will be playing the ugly sister, Fanny Flemerina, alongside the multi-award winning Robert Whitehead as the other ugly sister. Whitehead is best known as Barker Haines on the soapie Isidingo.

Cinderella’s friend will be played by Sibusiso Radebe, who won two Naledi awards for his performance in Beauty and the Beast. Radebe is no stranger to a Honeyman production, having also taken part in Pinocchio in 2009.

Lauded actress Anna-mart van der Merwe, a star of the Afrikaans soapie 7de Laan, will be a guest-starring as the fairy godmother, in her panto debut.

“We’re flattered and delighted that some of this country’s most popular celebrities have chosen to spend the last two months of the year with us entertaining over 75 000 people in this grand old tradition,” says Bernard Jay, the executive producer and the chief executive of the theatre complex.

Cinderella runs at the Mandela Theatre from 26 October to 30 December, but book your seats now as Pacariz says more than 30 000 tickets have been sold already.

Tickets for the preview range from R140 to R240, while for all other performance they are R190 to R290. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. For bookings, visit the Joburg Theatre website or call 0861 670 670.