Weekend feast

Under the direction of Adam Shankman (Hairspray), the explosive musical Rock Of Ages tells the story of small-town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock 'n' roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister and more.

Sacha Baron Cohen is back

The one and only Sacha Baron Cohen - performer and creator of such indelible characters as Ali G, Borat and Brüno - now steps into the autocratic and very shiny shoes of General Admiral Haffaz Aladeen, a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy will never come to the country he so lovingly oppresses, in The Dictator. When Aladeen, Tamir and their entourage arrive in New York to a not-so-warm reception, the city is rife with exiled Wadiyans who only wish to see their country freed from Aladeen's despotic rule. But much more than angry expatriates and unwanted (and unwarranted!) sanctions await Aladeen in the Land of the Free ... Also joining Baron Cohen on screen are Anna Faris as Zoey, the altruistic owner of the Free Earth Collective, a Manhattan health food store run on the honour system, and Jason Mantzoukas as Nadal, the brilliant Wadiyan scientist whose nuclear bomb proves unacceptable and not nearly pointy enough for the Supreme Leader.

A documentary filmmaking team infiltrates a mysterious group led by an enigmatic young woman in Sound Of My Voice. Intent on exposing her as a charlatan and freeing the followers from her grip, Peter and Lorna start to question their objective and each other as they unravel the secrets of Maggie's underworld.

As Maggie breaks down the defences of the group members with a cunning combination of cruelty, empathy and personal magnetism, the line between investigation and indoctrination begins to blur, and Peter and Lorna start to wonder if there could possibly be any truth to her story.

A daring and poignant ensemble comedy

Friends With Kids is a daring and poignant ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends at that moment in life when children arrive and everything changes. Having kids proves to be the crucible through which all of these friends' lives are forever changed - in sweeping and surprising ways. There is great comedy and enormous feeling in this story about discovering the love of your life in the way you were least expecting.

Theatre-goers in Cape Town must visit the The Fugard Theatre, which celebrates Athol Fugard's 80th birthday year with a production of his latest play, The Blue Iris, at the Fugard Theatre Studio.

The Imperial Russian Ballet Company is on at the Baxter Theatre with a sensational programme that includes Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Walpurgis Night, the one-act ballet from the opera Faust by Charles Gounod, Adagio from the ballet Scheherezade by Rimsky-Korsakov, the Grand pas de deux from the ballet Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus and, finally, the Can-Can Surprise by Jacques Offenbach.

Disney magic for Capetonians

It's also a weekend of Disney magic for Capetonians with Disney On Ice's Worlds of Fantasy at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The action-packed ice spectacular, Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy, whisks audiences on a captivating adventure to four magical locations, including the auto-racing terrain of Cars and a visit to Andy's bedroom for some fun with the stars of Toy Story 3. This production delights audiences with a journey under the sea to Ariel's world from The Little Mermaid and then into the mystical land of Pixie Hollow for a presentation of Tinker Bell.

In Johannesburg, the exciting new musical Sing it! Is on at The ProMusica Theatre in Roodepoort. It is a cross between High School Musical and Glee, with fun original songs written by Mike Marinus as well as the students. It follows the students of Gleeson High School coming together to try to win the local talent competition. We see how the stereotypes of school groups come together through the love of theatre.

If you are in Durban, the 12th annual Rainbow Young Performers' Project, Legally Blonde, is a rollicking, fun, high-energy, girl-power celebration, and is on at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.

Great DVD releases

On the home entertainment front, there are some great DVD releases that provide first-rate entertainment. For absolute escapism and mind blowing entertainment, take a trip to the ingenious and amazing world of John Carter, clearly proving that "real men are indeed from Mars!" You can also win a DVD/ Blue Ray combo pack!

If there is one film that everyone will be talking about for years to come, and a film that has caused as much sensation as when the first talking picture made its bow, it's The Artist. It is an indisputable masterpiece that gives you everything you ever wanted from film and much more!

From the spectacular opening sequence to its haunting last image, Martin Scorsese's passion as filmmaker, his incontestable craft in bringing a story to life and his heartfelt sentiment towards the subject matter, are clearly evident in every frame of Hugo. It's a gentle giant, an endearing masterwork that celebrates film, boyhood dreams and hopes that fuel our desire.

For more information on these events, films, theatre and DVDs, go to www.writingstudio.co.za