Aunty has a flair for entertaining
NOT FOR nothing can Aunty Merle Abrahams rejoice in the nickname “Athlone’s Rose”: few heroines of musical theatre have such a beguiling personality, or such human warmth. Marc Lottering does not portray his creation so much as become her, his own identity effaced completely in this marathon show which brings the world of Ms Abrahams to vivid life.
The work is cobbled from many elements: romance, dance, drama, social satire, comedy of manners (mostly bad), political comment, and popular music, the latter generated with flair by Tarryn Lamb and Lottering and very eclectic in character, borrowing freely from such diverse styles as those of Grease and A Chorus Line, Dean Martin and Shirley Bassey – to name a few.
The resultant hybrid is held together by Lara Foot’s professional direction and the unflagging energy of the large cast, leads of which embrace their characters with verve and commitment. Musical accompaniment from the band in the background is equally exuberant.
Romance is key (a near-infallible recipe for wooing an audience), together with the drama which threatens to destroy it. All the other genres are cunningly interwoven as ancillary elements to enrich the plot of boy meets girl, love blossoms into marriage plans, obstacles arise to be conquered, and the path to “happily ever after” is rediscovered to the joy of all concerned, including the audience. In the course of its leisurely evolution, the show introduces delightful characters, like Dennis (Royston Stoffels), Merle’s long-suffering husband; Lydia (Tankiso Mamabolo), the domestic from hell; Claire and David White (Kate Normington and Adrian Galley), prospective in-laws of Merle’s lovely daughter Abigail (Lamb); Alan (Stephen Jubber), the beloved of Abigail; and Denver (Loukmaan Adams), Abigail’s dodgy and sinister ex-boyfriend. Without exception, all are portrayed with an authority that makes them convincing. Even Mamabolo and Adams manage to avoid the obvious pitfall of caricature, so there is no danger of the show (especially given its inclusion of song and dance) simply drifting into the realm of pantomime.
There are occasional witty references to the intended genre of Aunty Merle, as the odd cast member steps out of persona to remark on the fact that this is a musical. Lighting (Mannie Manim), set (Patrick Curtis), video design (Kirsti Cumming) and choreography (Grant van Ster) all play their part in promoting the show’s appeal, and vocal performances, notably from Lamb and Mamabolo, are impressive. Among issues raised of the show are homosexuality – Merle’s son Carl (Roberto Kyle) emerges from the closet, with happy effect) and frustration at South Africa’s socio-political stasis, voiced with vigour by Lydia’s daughter Nambitha (Zandile Madliwa), newly returned from studying in the UK. And let’s not omit corruption (Denver has a top job but no matric – a fact overlooked by his employer, the SABC).
The show and its 21 songs are something of an endurance test for audience and performers alike – that the time passes with deceptive speed is a tribute to the excellent staging of this good-humoured musical.