Alexander Upstairs prepares for their most daring project to date

 Less than a month from celebrating their first birthday and Cape Town’s littlest theatre is buzzing with activity as the team puts together the December line-up. What makes this holiday season special though is that it’ll host another first: the Camissa Festival.

 “Why isn’t there a theatre festival in Cape Town capitalising on the amazing talent of our industry and the local and international tourists?” asks Nicholas Spagnoletti, co-owner of Alexander Upstairs. “The problems people point to boil down to funding and logistics – they’re problems of thinking past your capacity. We think small, we figure out how to make our size an advantage and how we can fit big ideas into small spaces. For this festival we’re putting up 6 shows in our theatre and mixing them up over a 6 day period with daily performances at 3pm, 5pm, 7pm and 9pm – that’s 4 performances per day. In a year or two Camissa is going to be huge, this year is the first step to the festival Cape Town deserves.”

 The newest edition to Cape Town’s cultural calendar runs from Monday the 9th to Saturday the 14th of December; coming between a run of Stephen Belber’s Tape (25th November til 7th December) and the return of London Road (16th til 28th December), fresh from it’s very successful run at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival where actress Robyn Scott snagged the Stage Award for Best Actress.

 Headlining the festival are three amazing productions from Johannesburg based companies: Love & Prozac, a raunchy one woman comedy about dating from Sonia Esgueira; The Epicene Butcher, the smash hit description-defying play by Jemma Kahn; and Boylesque, the tongue-in-cheek musical and dance extravaganza showcasing the naughty art of burlesque performance.

 Tape (25/11 – 07/12)

A tense potboiler, Gabriella Pinto directs Scott Cooper, Bjorn Steinbach and Shannyn Fourie as three characters unravelling in a motel room. The play peels back the lies that bind old friendships together, ending in an explosive confrontation.

 For information on scheduling and booking visit http://shows.alexanderbar.co.za

 The Camissa Festival (09/12 – 14/12)

6 great shows taking place over one week in Alexander Bar’s Upstairs theatre. For information on scheduling and booking visit http://camissa.co.za

 Our headline shows:

Love & Prozac: the naughty girls' (mis)guide to dating, bonking and other disasters is a new and utterly fabulous comedy on love, dating and everything in-between. Directed by the Emmy nominated John Trengove and starring Sonia Esgueira this multi- award winning duo bring you a sassy, side splitting comedy that's raked in 5 star reviews from critics.

 Shape shifting from one hilarious character to the next, Esgueira ponders being single in ones thirties with uproarious results.

 Known for her chameleon like transformations on stage, Esgueira brings us her finest comedy yet, painting eccentric Portuguese mothers, sleazy sugar daddies and pesky Kugels with aplomb.

Following one woman's rather desperate attempt to snag herself a Hollywood Ending, whatever the costs, she investigates what it means to find love in a fast paced 21st Century.

Whether your status is single, married, divorced or "complicated", this comedy gives you a hilarious and sometimes uncomfortable glimpse into yourself and just how far we will go to find "The One". 

 Critics’ Raves:

"A mirth fest by one of South Africa’s sharpest, smartest, sassiest and funniest actresses" – Business Day

 "South Africa should be proud of this gem – astounding, hilarious... a must see!" – Tame Times

 "Quirky, skilful, relevant, occasionally raunchy, and yes – very, very funny" – The Star

 "A magnificently scripted play. A cacophony of charm and delight...5 stars!" – Nelson’s Comedy

 "Esgueira is Kak Funny!" – Megan Furniss, Megan's Head

 "Skreeu-snaaks!" – Die Burger

 The Epicene Butcher and other stories for consenting adults

The Japanese story-telling art of Kamishibai (meaning literally 'paper play') is given a darkly hilarious, profane and utterly original revival. The show features a growing repertoire of original stories that run the gamut from pornography to epic poetry, from the silly to the sublime. Jemma Kahn performs seven eclectic Kamishibai stories with the use of beautifully illustrated paper panels that slide out of a specially crafted wooden stage - stories that take in such divergent themes as heaven and hell, pornography, gothic tragedy and the dream life of cats.

 We are proud to present this cross-cultural theatrical oddity after the show's award winning performances at The National Arts Festival and Amsterdam Fringe Festival 2012 and Musho! International Theatre Festival 2013.

 Critics’ Raves:

“…fabulous gustatory delights, erotic pleasure… moral horror that ultimately will leave you wrenched and enthused and wishing for more” – Robyn Sassen, Artslink

 “It’s an hysterical fusion of English and Japanese that drifts into bouts of pure poetry” – Hailey Gaunt, M&G

 “...sweeps through all emotions and times and genres lightly, accurately and full of laughing” - Megan Furniss, Megan's Head

 “Jemma Kahn is a brilliant... The concept is extraordinary… and I came away with my mind slightly blown! If you get the opportunity to go to one of the shows, I couldn't recommend it more highly” – Annie Lennox

 Boylesque

Four cast members, 15 songs, 22 costumes and only one hour! It’s outrageous and fun, which is exactly what these performers want.

 The show is inspired by 1930s and 1940s American-style burlesque striptease performances, but with a twist – all performers are male. Or are they? It’s a journey through a variety of genres and styles covering comedy, singing, ballet, disco and drag. It’s a tongue-in-cheek, sexy and fun celebration of talent, versatility and, of course, the male and female physique.

Boylesque stars multi-award-winning singer, actor, choreographer, dancer and TV personality Sibu Radebe, best known for his portrayal of the iconic character of Vusi on e.tv soapie Backstage, but also seen in many of the big musicals and pantos. He also choreographs the show. It’s very much his show and that of partner in crime Stanimir Stoykov of Doo Bee Boobies. With Boylesque they want to entertain and share the sheer joy of performing with live audiences. If Dita von Teese can do it, why can’t they, is where they’re coming from.

 The show features almost all the talents of Koko, an Asian model and go-go dancer and winner of many beauty pageants, including Mister Physique Singapore 2011, as well as the gorgeous busty Italian actress and dancer Gabriella Cirillo, who was most recently seen on Egoli and The Wild.

 London Road (16/12 – 28/12)

The beautiful, poignant story of an unlikely friendship between two women, neighbours in a block of flats in Sea Point. Rosa is an elderly Jewish widow. Stella is a Nigerian immigrant cagey about the details of her import/export business. Their lives collide after an incident of violence, and gradually they discover much in common – families scattered around the world, old grudges, lost loves and a fiery verve for life. Funny and heart-breaking with powerful, detailed performances.

 Winner of 3 Fleur du Caps, a Naledi, the Standard Bank Golden Ovation Award 2010 and the Olive Schreiner Prize for drama. Top-seller at the National Arts Festival three years in a row.

 For information on scheduling and booking visit http://shows.alexanderbar.co.za

 Critics’ Raves:

“….simply brilliant… radiates beauty and empathy.” – Sunday Independent

“Memorable, mesmerising, magnificent” – Citizen

“a treasure…. a warm, witty and wise drama” – Business Day

“…feels like a little miracle.” – The Next 48 Hours

“The humour is gentle, the drama and pathos understated … brought to life by two formidable stage talents …” – Sunday Times

“A beautifully written script performed magnificently by two very talented women and directed with such beautiful eloquence. This play raises the bar on new South African writing for theatre.” – Ismail Mahomed, National Arts Festival Director

“…awash with lingering powerful images.” – Cape Times

 “Die 36-jarige Scott in die rol van die bejaarde Rosa Kaplowitz is verbysterend… Makhutshi is pragtig en het ‘n sterk teenwoordigheid op die verhoog.” – Die Burger

 “…an absolute master class in movement and breath…”  – www.writingstudio.co.za