A stark but mesmerising celebration of life

There are theatre shows and then there is anything Nataniël, pictured, whips up. If you’ve ever been to one of his shows you will know what I’m talking about.

It’s his talent for combining the mundane with the bizarre, serious topics with humour and comedy with music that’s made him the darling of the stage for three decades. With his latest residency show at Emperors Palace, however, Nataniël is a little more scaled back, which means his unmistakable chutzpah shines through even brighter – brighter than the fabulous costumes he wears.

It’s the first time one of his residency shows has been performed before. Much of it has already been presented at the Artscape in Cape Town. Half of it consists of recreations from his endless body of work, yet none of it feels old or even dated. It takes talent to mesmerise an entire audience to such an extent that old and new material is woven together with ease.

It also comes as a suprise that Nataniël decided to do a show that can stand alone compared to previous productions staged in the East Rand.

Many artists will use an achievement like a 30-year career to create enormous productions with as much razzle dazzle as the Theatre of Marcellus can handle, so Nataniël, of course, did the opposite – and it’s a joy.

30 Years in 90 Minutes includes great stories from his life, some made up, some real. It’s not only a celebration of Nataniël’s career, it’s a celebration of life. Period.