Stellar cast for the panto

There are some surprising names in the cast of this year’s pantomime, Cinderella, which promises to be the usual laugh-out-loud, singalong spectacle.
IT’S that time of the year again when people start thinking of taking out their Christmas trees and dusting off the decorations to get ready for the festive season.

Sibu Radebe and play the Sibu Radebe plays Buttons, Cinderella's good friend It’s also that time of the year when the hugely popular pantomime is staged at the Joburg Theatre Complex. This year, the rags-to-riches fairytale Cinderella – roping in a host of acclaimed actors and actresses – will show on the Nelson Mandela Stage from 26 October to 30 December.

Directed by the much-loved storyteller and mirth-maker Janice Honeyman, the panto promises great entertainment for the whole family. Audiences can expect a high-quality, top-drawer production, stunning sets, beautiful costumes and an abundance of comedy.

The panto is produced by Joburg Theatre chief executive, Bernard Jay; Simon James and Claire Picariz, with Timothy le Roux serving as resident producer. Heidi Edeling directs the music and Jaco van Rensburg is the dance choreographer.

The fairytale will be brought to life by stars of theatre and television; the inimitable Tobie Cronje, a panto stalwart, will play the hilarious role of Cinderella’s ugly sister, Flossie Flemerina.

Isidingo
Isidingo star Robert Whitehead, who plays Barker Haines in the SABC3 soapie, will also star. Whitehead, who recently scooped the favourite actor trophy in the You Spectacular Awards, will make his panto debut as the other ugly sister, Fanny Flatulina.

Other great performers to look out for are the popular young reality television stars Carmen Pretorius and Bongi Mthombeni, who will be playing the lead roles of Cinderella and Prince Charming.

AnnaAnna-Mart van der Merwe is the Fairy GodmotherPretorius has made a name for herself after winning the coveted role in the stage show High School Musical in a nationwide televised search when she was 18. She performed the role in South Africa, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Since then, she has been in great demand, taking the lead in musicals like Footloose and Mamma Mia. She is currently on the small screen as Lucinda in KykNet’s Binnelanders.

New kid on the block Mthombeni was invited to feature in this year’s panto on the same night that he was voted off as an Idols 2010 finalist, creating something of a media buzz in the process. The rising star has since worked with some big guns in the South African music industry, including The Parlotones, Steve Hofmeyr, Loyiso Bala and Prime Circle.

Awards
Award-winnng Sibu Radebe will play Buttons, Cinderella’s loveable and loyal friend. Radebe has performed in musicals including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, for which he received two Naledi Awards, and Honeyman’s 2009 pantomime, The Adventures of Pinocchio, in which he won the Naledi for best performance.

Making her panto debut, Afrikaans soap star Anna-Mart van der Merwe will be guest star as the all-important Fairy Godmother. Much of Van der Merwe’s popularity stems from her numerous leading roles in television productions, including Veldslag, Sonkring 1 and 2, Konings, Soul City, Secret in my Bosom and 7de Laan.

Other actors include Stephen Jubber, who will play the role of Dandini; Malcolm Terrey as the Baron Hardup; Tammi Meyer will be Lady Jinja; and Jaco van Rensburg will be Donkey Houtie.

The ugly sisters and the princessCinderella is full of great laughsCharles Bouguenon, Zeena Edwards, Nurit Michele Graff, Reg Hart, Bruce Little, Jodie Renouf, Claire Scheepers, Uber Seleme, Dionne Song, Lebo Toko, Marno van der Merwe and Ziyanda Yako will complete the set.

Cast
About this year’s pantomime, Jay says the theatre is “flattered and delighted” that some of the country’s leading actors have decided to take part, entertaining more than 75 000 people “in the grand old tradition”.

“Joburg Theatre audiences have come to expect truly star casting – with a few surprises – in their annual festive season pantos and this year I think we’ve even surprised ourselves.”

Tickets to the preview performances range from R140 to R240 and for all other performances from R190 to 290.they are available through the Joburg Theatre website or the theatre’s direct ticketing line on 0861 670 670.

Discounts for group bookings for 10 people or more are available by calling ticketing on 011 877 6853/4. For selected performances, special family packages and pensioners discounts are available by calling the theatre’s VIP Ticketing on the same telephone number.