Madame Zingara sells her finery, says ‘adieu’

THE curtain has finally fallen on one of the most extravagant dinner experiences hosted in the city, Madame Zingara’s theatre, with the entire exotic contents of the restaurant falling under the hammer this week.

Items ranging from antique Indian wooden door frames to peacock displays, crystal chandeliers, a bus and swathes of fabric, were auctioned off on instruction by liquidators.

Auctions in Johannesburg and Cape Town, attracted a range of potential buyers from the entertainment and restaurant industries, as well as residents simply wanting to get their hands on items to display or use in their homes.

Collectors of antique items also attended.

In March it was reported the Madame Zingara dinner theatre was the centre of a financial drama, with shareholders wanting to liquidate the company. But a former managing director, Richard Griffin, who resigned from the company in January, wanted to save it.

This week it emerged that TGA-MZ Entertainment, trading as Madame Zingara, had been liquidated.

Yesterday Stef Olivier, an auctioneer with Aucor, said the auction had been extremely successful.

“It’s something that we don’t do day to day.

“I’ve never had an elephant prop of 6m x 8m to sell. It was quite exclusive stuff,” Olivier said.

Other items auctioned included carved stone statues, antique barber’s chairs, Indian ceremonial clothing, and an Audi car.

According to a Madame Zingara website, the dinner event known as the Theatre of Dreams had its last show on January 30 this year in Johannesburg.

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za