Kramer produces the goodies – again
WITH his signature blend of warmth, wisdom and wit, David Kramer has produced a show that could hardly be bettered as entertainment for the festive season. Langarm combines poignancy with political comment, romance and a joyous celebration of life in the tradition of all “feel-good” musicals.
This is very much a period piece, as is evident from the prefatory screening of a 1945 newsreel proclaiming the end of WWII. Post-war jubilation is conveyed in an exuberant pas de 6 from a well-rehearsed ensemble before we fast-forward 20 years to a personal tragedy, the bereavement of Mrs Dinah Levine (Kim Louis), struggling to accept her sudden solitude with the song Learn to Dance Alone, which introduces the element of dance as a unifying thread of the action.
Enter her nephew Jeff (Botha), equally glum in the wake of a broken engagement. Here are two people ripe for moving on to new relationships, and sure enough, once Angelina (Ferguson) and Eddie (Landrew) complete the quartet, matters can only go one way. Which they do with pleasing inevitability despite insane new laws which include the colour bar between courting couples. This is 1965… then come the evictions of February 1966.
Accompanied by bursts of song (some of the period, some Kramer originals) and eye-delighting execution of Van Ster’s jive/ twist-inspired choreography, the narrative unfolds steadily towards a surprise dénouement. Of the four leads, the elder pair dominate, with sterling performances from Louis and Landrew who have the total measure of their personae. Ferguson is luscious as the dance-obsessed Angelina, with a muted portrayal of Jeff from Botha.
Saul Radomsky’s set is impeccable in detail and ingenious in design to accommodate the energetic sextet of musicians led by Sipumzo Lucwaba who maintain a tireless delivery throughout.
Song, dance, catchy music, a lucid view of 20th century South African history, and the final message that “Love conquers all” – could anyone want more from Kramer?