Beat the cricket blues with Slips
Cricket mania takes to the stage when Nicholas Ellenbogen's hilarious comedy Slips goes all out at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio, from 12 to 30 January, at 7.30pm nightly, perfectly timed for the summer season.
Director Andrew Brent once again teams up with old favourites Nicholas Ellenbogen, Liz Szymczak, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and newcomer Nomazulu Khumalo in this cricket comedy, which follows on the success of previous productions Slips and Second Slips.
“We've taken Slips and Second Slips and have tightened those two productions to create a slicker, single version with all the laughs, banter and wit while ensuring that the show remains topical and current and still strongly located in the South African context,” explains Ellenbogen.
He continues, “Most of the action takes place in Old Fart's Corner, the members' stand where the spectators never rise for the popular Mexican wave. So against this background and in the spirit of cricket, the comedy flows out of issues that relate to our instant history in contemporary South Africa as it cuts across the cultural divide.”
Slips tells the story of Anthony ‘Lasher' Dawkins, a retired mathematics master at Bishops, who loves his cricket. With his two debenture seats in the members' stand, over the bowler's arm at the Wynberg end, he is now a permanent fixture at every game at his beloved Newlands.
His Newlands companion and wife of 40 years, Dotty, has recently passed away suddenly. Heartbroken, he does the correct thing and offers the seat back to the club. When the new season begins he wonders whose company he will enjoy over the summer. Enter Eric ‘Wisdom' Tshabalala, who has made his fortune in the taxi industry in Gauteng and is now enjoying Cape Town while his second wife, a junior minister, enjoys Parliament. Let the games begin.
Having directed seven previous instalments of the Raiders series and performed in three, director Brent is no stranger to Ellenbogen's work. He and Nicholas studied drama at the Barbican in London. He came to South Africa in 1993 and worked with Theatre for Africa at the Grahamstown Festival in 1994, where he directed High Cost of Living. In 1995 he produced the film version of Horn of Sorrow and acted in three productions at the Grahamstown Festival, namely Newsroom, The Manne and Growing up in Gravalotte. In 1997, 1998 and 1999, he acted in Raiders with Nicholas, and he directed Raiders from 2004 onwards. In 2009 the two received great media and audience acclaim for their 20th offering in the series, entitled A Midsummer Night's Raiders.
Nicholas received the Fleur du Cap Best Supporting Actor award for his performance as Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night in 2007. He is the founder member of Theatre for Africa, which has performed all over the world, and has himself produced over 140 of his own works for the stage.
Last year he performed the role of Scotty Lennox in David Kramer's musical The Ballad of Koos Sas at the Tricycle in London. In September 2009 he directed the Alexander McCall Smith operetta Okavango Macbeth for the opera house in Gaberone.
Slips previews on Tuesday, January 12 and 13, opens January 14 and runs until January 30, in the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio, at 7.30pm nightly. Ticket prices range from R90 to R130 and booking is through Computicket on 083 915 8000, online at www.computicket.co.za or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet countrywide. For discounted block, schools or corporate bookings, charities and fundraisers, contact Sharon on 021 680 3962 during office hours.
