Our favourite aunty returns
Marc Lottering’s will be back at the Baxter with six new actors, writes
AUDIENCES cannot get enough of Marc Lottering’s Aunty Merle, The Musical. The hit will return for a third season to the Baxter Theatre, from December 3 until January 5. It will move to The Mandela Stage at the Joburg Theatre, from February 1 to March 3, writes Robyn Cohen.
Lara Foot is again in the director’s seat. Musical direction is by Alistair Izobell and choreography by Grant Van Ster.
There are six cast changes, which will inevitably bring a different energy to the piece.
Lottering mused: “Although the words remain the same, new actors come with new interpretations. That’s always refreshing and exciting. For example, Gina Shmukler takes over from Kate Normington – both totally fabulous – and different. It’s aprivilege to be able to experience two interpretations of the same role. It’s amazing to see it unfold.”
I am looking forward to seeing multi award-winning Paul du Toit – playing Alan White – who is marrying Abigail, Aunty Merles’ daughter (Tracey-Lee Oliver). Their coupling is core to the story as we see Aunty Merle’s family in Athlone facing up to the White family in Bantry Bay.
Lottering has not gone for the obvious story of a clash of race and demographics. For instance, Aunty Merle is higher on the wealth pecking order than the Whites and she relishes in driving that home during a hilarious wedding planning scene.
It’s a feel-good musical with original songs and live band, but beneath the surface, Lottering presents a savvy critique on relationships, family, race, identity and navigating the personal and the political as we live our lives.
Paul du Toit is thrilled to be tackling the role of Alan White. “It’s fun playing the outsider coming in to Aunty Merle’s world. I have always wanted to work with Marc and when this opportunity presented itself, I leapt at it. He is a laugh a minute and such fun to work with.
“It has been fantastic working with Lara Foot. She is an actor’s director and will gently, but firmly, coax a truthful performance out of you. It has been a case of not making me imitate what any of the previous performers did in this role – Alistair Mouton-Black and Stephen Jubber – who are good friends.
“She has been careful to make sure the performance remains true to me. I can’t wait to share this with packed houses. We had almost sold-out houses before we opened.”
It is wonderful to see Du Toit back in a full-scale musical. For his last musical gig, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, he won a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award. It was an exceptional performance in a diverse career, which includes TV (such as a decade on Binnelanders), film, comedy, stage drama and musicals. His facility with language is remarkable as he seamlessly flits between languages and dialects.
Du Toit grew up in Somerset West, in a bilingual family (English and Afrikaans). His mother was a Xhosa teacher, and from a young age he enjoyed the nuances and textures of words, meanings and sounds.
“I have a love of languages. I was constantly changing languages. We have so many Afrikaans dialects in Cape Town and we see that in Aunty Merle, The Musical. Marc taps into that rich cultural tapestry of being South African, Capetonian.”
Du Toit, who studied drama and voice in Stellenbosch, lived in Johannesburg while focusing on TV work. He returned to the Cape about five years ago. He is relishing being back and having the opportunity to perform in Cape Town stories, such as Aunty Merle, The Musical.
Tickets are from R100 for the Baxter and from R145 for the Joburg Theatre. Book through Webtickets and Pick n Pay.