Shakespeare roams the zoo

Music, dance and magic will welcome spring at the Joburg Zoo, in Shakespeare Dreaming. You will meet fairies and elves, and some of the Bard’s best-loved characters.
FAIRIES and nymphs will frolick in the green lushness of the Joburg Zoo’s grounds this spring, bringing to life some of Shakespeare’s most well-loved characters during the Joburg Arts Alive International Festival.

Choreographer Mark HawkinsChoreographer Mark Hawkins: performances have been taken up a notch this yearA combination of theatre, music, dance and comedy have been threaded together to create Shakespeare Dreaming at the Zoo, to be performed on 10 and 11 September. Themes such as dreams, magical enchantment and love and laughter – ubiquitous in Shakespeare’s work – are showcased, drawn from plays such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night and The Tempest.
This year’s production follows in the footsteps of the successful classical weekend performances at the zoo during the 2010 Arts Alive festival, where the sounds of composers such as Vivaldi and Prokofiev drifted gently over spring breezes.

“I urge audiences of all ages to come along and feel the joy that comes with reliving your childhood and simply enjoying the magic,” says the artistic director of the Johannesburg Youth Ballet, Kate Martin. “Let your imagination and intellect be seduced by these charming balletic interpretations of the Bard.”

Interactive elements such as buskers and face painters will add to the festivities.

Principal dancers Mari-Louise Basson and Craig Arnolds will be accompanied by members of the Joburg Youth Ballet to bring the music, which will be performed by Timothy Moloi and live band Sticky Triggers, to life; while the classic Shakespeare dialogue will come roaring into the 21st Century with the help of actors Robert Whitehead, Kim Englebrecht, Leeanda Reddy and Omphile Molusi, and comedian John Vlismas.

Tim MoloiTim Moloi and Sticky Triggers will provide musicThis array of entertainment was thought up by the creative team of Whitehead, Vanessa Cooke and Mark Hawkins. Hawkins, the choreographer of the show, says: “This year, we have included more performance elements and taken it up a notch to make it an interactive and dreamy evening, with roaming performers, tree lights and even a silk aerial act.
“We want families to simply take it all in with wonder and enjoyment.”

To celebrate the arrival of warmer weather, audiences are encouraged to get to the zoo early on the performance days. The gates open at 3pm, giving families plenty of time to explore the zoo and enjoy a picnic.

Pre-show music will be played by an ensemble band, while fairies will dance both on the ground and in the trees. To get into the spirit of spring, children are also invited to come dressed up as elves, fairies and other magical creatures.

Tickets are R40 for children under the age of 12 and R70 for adults, and can be booked through Computicket or bought at the zoo on the day. Performances start at 5.30pm.