Cape theatre picks: April 8 2011

There’s the usual mix of dance, drama and comedy this week, to suit all theatrical tastes.

• In anticipation of one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions, the Adeline Genée finals, five well-known Cape Town dance companies – the Cape Junior Ballet, Cape Town City Ballet, the Cape Dance Company, the Cape Dance Academy, and Dance for All – have combined their talent to join forces and showcase an evening of dance – Dance in the City. In October the Adeline Genée finals will be presented for the first time in South Africa, with Cape Town as the host city and Artscape the venue. This special once-off production is directed by Dianne Cheesman, with lighting design by Shamiel Abrahams.
  
  On April 9 at the Opera House, Artscape Theatre Centre, Foreshore. Book at Computicket. Tel: 021 421 7695. Website: www.artscape.co.za
  

• Marlene van Niekerk’s debut work for the stage, Die kortstondige raklewe van Anastasia W (a co-production with Aardklop), is an ‘operatic cabaret” examining how a sensitive person copes in a brutalised society. Van Niekerk uses comedy and gallows humour to asks what such a person’s options are: to opt out or participate; to adapt or protest; to be an opportunist or to embrace your fate. She uses such dichotomies to suggest the value of poetry as opposed to the market and consumerism; the value of being defenceless as opposed to wielding money and power. It is directed by Marthinus Basson and produced by Hugo Theart. The cast includes Nicole Holm, Eben Genis, Dean Balie and Marlo Minnaar.
  
  Until April 16 at the HB Thom Theatre, Stellenbosch. To book and for more information: Tel: 083 324 2445.

• If a night of good, old fashioned family fun is what you are looking for, look no further than Andre the Hilarious Hypnotist. Trained by the great hypnotist, Max Collie, Andre is best known for his ability to make people jump around on stage at the snap of a finger. Andre makes his volunteers speak moon language, forget their names, impersonate chickens and perform a host of other routines which for years have had the public in stitches of laughter for the duration of his show.

  From April 12 to 30 at the Theatre on the Bay, 1A Link Street, Camps Bay. Book at Computicket. Tel: 021 438 3301. Website: www.theatreonthebay.co.za