Kipper in Egypt reels in the little ones
VLOOI IN EGIPTE/KIPPER IN EGYPT. Directed by Marinda Engelbrecht, with Elanza Swart, Carel Nel, Liande Valentyn, Crystal Roberts and Dean Balie. At the Artscape Theatre until August 28. RAFIEK MAMMON reviews.
TO THOSE who think that sitting in a theatre full of six to 12 year-olds must be a menacing task, think again. Those vociferous screams when the lights go down just before the show is about to begin can be like music to one’s ears. It all depends on the quality of the production.
Children’s theatre is often seen as an auxiliary to the main, or as an offshoot of the real deal in the theatre world, especially in a country where even adult theatre is too often not deemed as important, as say, its sports counterparts. And, in this neck of the woods where we find too many folk infinitely more ready to take their child to a sporting event than to the theatre, children’s theatre offerings are limited to a production or three annually, and usually only within school holidays.
Then there are those who believe that children should be treated to the best that theatre has to offer, so that their imaginations can run free and their minds be opened to the magical worlds that theatre can transport them to. And, more importantly, it should run anytime during the year, with schools encouraged to send their learners on a field trip to the theatre in order to create a future of theatrelovers who will hopefully continue to support the role theatre plays in their own development, and those around them.
The writer of the famous Kipper series (it is now in its 15th year), Margit Meyer-Rodenbeck, and her creative team, should be congratulated for being of the latter school of thought. They have the right formula and the show just gets better every year, with clearly a great deal of effort being put into choreography, the music, set design, lighting and costume design. This is without a doubt no two-bit affair.
This rendition sees the duo of Kipper, (spiritedly played by Elanza Swart) and sidekick Wilma (a very expressive Crystal Roberts), use their magical powers to be transported to Egypt.
Once there, they meet Cleo (a descendant from Cleopatra), played by a delightfully exaggerated Liande Valentyn and Aziz, one of her attendants, amusingly interpreted by Dean Balie. Add Carel Nel’s character, a thieving Texan cowboy to the blend, and the scene is set for a seriously funny adventure down the Nile.
The show is a pantomime for children, peppered with quirky (above the belt) one-liners and constant audience participation that, at some point in the production, it felt like the children were about to leap out of their seats onto the stage to assist characters to find the lost treasures of Egypt or to help them pin down the thief.
And what would children’s theatre be without the obligatory life lessons? Kipper in Egypt takes it one step further – universal edification about respect and courtesy come through strongly, as do geography and even language lessons, as the children are taught some interesting facts about Egypt as well as a bit of Arabic. Oh, and if you are interested in bellydancing for beginners, then there might be a free lesson thrown in as well. This is A-grade children’s theatre.
Kipper in Egypt is translated as Vlooi in Egipte in Afrikaans, and this hard-working cast learns all their lines in two languages. It runs in English from today until Friday; and then in Afrikaans until August 28. 0861 915 8000.