Interior allusions
An ethnic sprinkle of babies sit in a cordoned-off clump in the centre of Franchise. They are perfectly behaved kiddies, not a squawk or dribble out of line, but like the sedated inmates of an old-age home they make you feel ill at ease (image right). Theresa-Anne Mackintosh’s cute and quizzical cast of ceramic sculpture, paintings and prints invite you to make a human connection, then leave you slightly destitute.
Ceramicist Ruan Hoffman has set up in the adjoining room with a collection of urn shapes and plates, which are used as the canvases for “mostly personal but also mythical and mystical” allusions. The plates serve as a kind of daily diary recording isolated reactions to the world. Though slightly more angsty than Mackintosh’s characters, these “circular paintings” have the same lightness of touch in dealing with the deeply introspective. — Lisa Johnston
At Franchise until October 1. Tel: 482 7995
Pleasant shopping
Two for the Price of One’s set is minimalist, with metal chairs doubling as shopping trolleys. The world of a supermarket is brought to life by three actors chopping and changing between a range of typical shoppers.
Directors James Cunningham and Helen Iskander have rejected grand narratives in favour of slice-of-life personal stories. Charmaine Weir-Smith’s Claudette is reminiscent of the constrained housewives we’ve seen before in Kathy Bates’s character from Fried Green Tomatoes and the queen of dissatisfied housewives, Shirley Valentine.
Nick Boraine provides a very strong performance as Brian, the not entirely dead-beat dad, fired from his job at the supermarket’s cheese counter. For the duration of the play he is messed around by his ex-wife and waits in vain to see his son.
Lerato Moloi provides the parody element with her caricature of the supermarket check-out girl Tina, whose movements are almost puppet-like.
Overall the play is pleasant but lacking the quirkiness we’ve come to expect from the Cunningham-Iskander directing duo, who brought you the delightful Baobabs Don’t Grow Here. — Kate Stegeman
At the Liberty Theatre on the Square until October 1. Tel: 883 8606
Symphony jazz
Jazz Meets Symphony boasts an all-star orchestra including Themba Mkhize (musical director and piano), Bhekumusi Luthuli (vocals), Xolisa Dlamini (vocals), Marcus Wyatt (trumpet) and Sello Galane (vocals) — above, offering a uniquely South African take on the traditional orchestra. Premier jazz pianist Andile Yenana and bassist Herbie Tsoaeli also perform. At the Linder Auditorium on September 24. — Nadine Botha