Best of the Fringe

John Maytham, journalist and the presenter of the afternoon drive show on 567 Cape Talk:

• Between the Lines: 26 and 27 September, Hiddingh Hall. (Dance). Number one on my list of 'must see' events at the Fringe Festival would be the Cape Academy of Performing Arts' Between The Lines - for 'proud dad' reasons. My daughter, Emma, performs in the show;
  
• Ashes to Ashes: 25 to 29 September, City Hall 3 (Theatre). Terry Norton is a wonderful actress and I'd want to grab the opportunity to see her in a Pinter play, so Ashes to Ashes would also be a must;
  
• Exhibit S - Ode to Saartjie Baartman By A Black South African Woman. 25 to 29 September, The Dragon Room . It's important sometimes to take risks and see experimental work done by people and companies that are unfamiliar to one. Exhibit S, about Saartjie Baartman, looks as if it might fit that bill pleasingly. Another production that looks fascinating is If These Bodies Could Speak (25 to 29 September, Hiddingh Hall); and
  
• Amanda Tiffin Trio: 30 September, The Crypt. I love music and jazz, and rate Amanda Tiffin very highly as an arranger, vocalist and instrumentalist, so her trio show is a very definite option.

Between the Lines

Evan Milton is a music journalist. His Home-ground Advantage South African music show is broadcast on Fine Music Radio (101.3FM) on Thursdays from 10pm:

• Herbie Tsoaeli's African Dream Quartet: 3 October, City Hall Auditorium (Music). Herbie has been laying down straight-ahead jazz bass with a profoundly deep sense of his African provenance for years. He's released one solo album, 'African Time' - and it was the rightful winner for the SA Music Award for best jazz album. He plays so rarely in Cape Town that his single City Hall show is an absolute must;
  
• Steve Newman and Ashish Joshi: 28 and 30 September, The Crypt. 2 to 5 October, The Dragon Room (Music). Just a few weeks after Cape Town got a chance to hear master guitarist Steve Newman with his alma mater, Tananas, here he is with long-standing collaborator Ashish Joshi. The subtlety of how this pair's strings and skins work together is a balm for the soul;
  
• Kahn: 4 October, City Hall Auditorium (Music). Having heard the pre-release tracks for Kahn's new solo album, 'The Light Palace', I know the treat that awaits the lucky few who buy their tickets in time. The songs are a little darker, a touch more introspective than his Parlotones tunes, and are executed with the mastery of an industry veteran;
  
• Gary Thomas: 26 to 30 September; 1 and 3 October, The Dragon Room (Music). Eyes open and there's a young father holding an acoustic guitar. Eyes closed and you're transported into a sonic-scape that seems impossible for just voice and one instrument to create. He's one of the country's most gravely under-celebrated composers and artisans of sound. Do not miss; and
  
• Guy Buttery: 25 to 28 September; 3 and 4 October. The German Club. 30 September; 1, 4 and 5 October. The Crypt (Music). Sometimes, music awards are all about bling or hype. Not so with Guy Buttery, where his every accolade and award are hard earned and truly deserved. Fresh from a(nother) Standard Bank Ovation award for best music at the National Arts Festival, and en route to more good things. I hope he plays at least one song on his saw.

Daisy Ions is the editor of WhatsoninCapeTown.com, an online guide to the best events in the city:

• Kontinuum: 27 to 30 September, Galloway Theatre. (Multimedia visual theatre). I fell in love with shadow puppetry when watching High Diving at the Out the Box Festival in 2010. It is a magical, otherworldly art form, here combined with sand animation, music and voice;
  
• Mick Jagger is my Nightmare: 25 to 29 September; 2 October, The German Club. 27 and 28 September; 3 and 4 October, Hiddingh Hall. (Dance). Because I am learning to love dance and I already love Mick Jagger. And who could resist a show with that name?
  
• Patchwork: 25 to 29 September, City Hall 4 (Theatre). Assitej is doing some amazing work with children's theatre internationally. This production features music by Pedro the Music Man, who I took my four-year-old to see at the Kalk Bay Theatre. He was gripped;
  
• Salt: 1 to 5 October, City Hall 3. (Drama/Magical realism). Anything described by Festival Artistic Director Ismail Mohamed as "one of the gems on this year's Fringe" has got to be seen;
  
• Scribe Scriptwriting Competition (staged readings): 30 September, 1 to 3 October, Garrick Theatre. An unusual opportunity for audiences to be involved with a production at an early stage. Imbewu [non-profit theatre and arts incubator] does some fantastic work, including Neil Coppen's incomparable Tin Bucket Drum; and
  
• Full Night Fringe and Full House Shows: The organisers have done the most amazing job in making this huge event approachable and accessible. I love the idea of the Full Night Fringe package, which includes a drink and meal voucher for the Fringe Club, and Full House Shows, which gives groups the opportunity to buy up a whole show at 50% of the price.

Vainola Makan is an organiser for Right2Know, a coalition aimed at protecting and ensuring media freedom and justice for whistleblowers. She responds here in her personal capacity:

• !Kai A Little Death: 25, 26, 28 and 29 September, City Hall 2. (Physical and visual theatre). The mystical and theatrical contribution of the Karoo as the space where this production is set is finally celebrated in our theatres. A significant but familiar story, this production will no doubt capture its audience in an extraordinary way, especially given the media used to stage it [acting, shadow puppetry, projections and masks]. I look forward to this story of a man who has to come to terms with his girlfriend being pregnant. Is he ready to be a father? What does that mean for him? What kind of father will he be? Will he disappoint the child and mother if he stays or if he goes?
  
• Blowing Candles: 1 to 5 October, City Hall 3. (Drama and comedy).This play deals boldly with age and how women come to terms with the different phases in their lives in the context of a South Africa in transition. Transition within in relation to transition without is what I am looking forward to - and to see that people of my age can have fun and laugh at themselves;
  
• Traditional a cappella music: 25, 26 and 28 September, The German Club (Music). I am excited to see these young men developing harmony with their voices within a socio-economic context where nothing is harmonious. I look forward to experiencing the Zamanani Brothers Cultural Group's indomitable spirit of youth, seeing how they harness creative energy to make sense of their upside-down worlds - but still bringing the message of hope through the medium of song;
  
• Love & Prozac: 29 and 30 September; 1 to 5 October, City Hall 2 (Comedy). This seems to be an authentic reflection on dating in adulthood, something not often dealt with in our society. Do people stop wanting love when they are over a certain age? Of course not, but how do we access partners? Do you sit at a bar, hoping to meet someone? Do you go on a training course in digital date recruitment? How do you behave on your first date at this age? Will you still have butterflies?
  
• Sui Generis: 3 and 4 October, The Crypt (Music - Jazz). I love the atmosphere at The Crypt, and this show, which promises to combine different musical forms with different tunes from different musical genres, is surely not be missed. Featuring Vaughn Fransch on trumpet and flugelhorn.

The Cape Town Fringe festival runs from 25 September until 5 October in various venues across Cape Town. A total of 100 productions make up the core Fringe programme. The full programme is available online at www.capetownfringe.co.za.