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PRESS RELEASE:
The Boys in the Photograpgh
30 May 2010
The Johannesburg Civic Theatre’s CEO Bernard Jay and Real Theatre’s Roddy Quin are delighted to announce the creative team appointments for THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH, the theatre’s core attraction for the FIFA World Cup 2010 on the stage of the Nelson Mandela Theatre.
THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH is newly adapted by the writers from their award-winning 2000/01 West End musical hit THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. The emotionally charged story is about young people on the verge of adulthood; young people wanting to love, to play soccer and lead normal lives in a city dominated by violence and hatred. It is full of the heart searing ballads and stirring anthems of composer ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER (CATS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA) and the extraordinary wit and compassion of author BEN ELTON (BLAST FROM THE PAST, THE THIN BLUE LINE, POPCORN, BLACKADDER).
JANICE HONEYMAN will be the Director of the musical. Janice’s work as a director has ranged from critically lauded popular productions to the great classics and plays created on subjects reflecting deep concern with social issues. She has directed everything from bawdy comedies to the best of contemporary hits from Broadway and the West End. Recent directing highlights in Janice’s extensive career include the South African premiere production of Edward Albee’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, Athol Fugard’s new play EXITS AND ENTRANCES, John Kani’s NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH and John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT.
Janice’s musical stagings have included HAIR, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, CANDIDE and SHOW BOAT. She is, of course, no stranger to The Johannesburg Civic Theatre, having held the position of its Artistic Director during the ‘90s and Janice still breaks records every year at the theatre with her popular annual pantomimes.
JOHAN ENGELS has been appointed as the production’s Set Designer. A South African theatre designer now based in England, Johan and director Janice Honeyman have created much acclaimed teamwork many times before with such productions as TWILIGHT OF THE GOLDS at the Civic’s Tesson Theatre, AS IS and I’M NOT RAPPAPORT at the Market Theatre, SHOW BOAT in Cape Town, Nuremberg and Oslo, DIE FLEDERMAUS in Cape Town and HAVE for The Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK.
Johan’s many successes in the field of opera design include DON CARLOS for the Canadian Opera Company, KHOVANSHCHINA for the Welsh National Opera and BEATRICE AND BENEDICT for the Chicago Opera Theatre in 2007 and THE MAGIC FLUTE for the Vienna Volksoper in 2005. Johan recently completed a Shakespearean trio of opera designs with MACBETH, ROMEO AND JULIET and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for Britain’s Opera North and is currently working on the spectacular design of his fourth world tour for singer SARAH BRIGHTMAN.
NICHOLAS MICHALETOS will contribute the Lighting Design. Based in Pretoria, Nic has been a director of the lighting and theatrical staging company Production Projects since 1981. Highlights of his illustrious career as a lighting designer have included the operas TRISTAN AND ISOLDA, DON CARLOS, IL TROVATORE and ELECTRA, the ballet’s SWAN LAKE, 3MUSKETEERS, SLEEPING BEAUTY and ANNA KARENNINA, the musicals THE GREAT WALTZ, SHOW BOAT, QUEEN AT THE OPERA and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and the Sun International Extravaganzas FUN N GAMES, STARS and MOVIN’.
For the past fourteen years, since its inception, Nic Michaletos has been contracted as the principle lighting co-ordinator for the KLEIN KAROO ARTS FESTIVAL and he recently toured China as the technical co-ordinator for SA FASHION WEEK events held in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangjhou.
BIRRIE LE ROUX completes the design team for BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH as its Costume Designer. Now based in Cape Town, Birrie studied theatre design at Pretoria University and has freelanced as a costume designer since 1978. Her many industry career awards include Vita Awards for GOOD for director Neil McCarthy, LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT for director Ralph Lawson and MERCHANT OF VENICE for director Janice Honeyman. Recent theatre work has included costume designs for UNCLE VANYA, TWELFTH NIGHT, SHIRLEY GOODNESS AND MERCY and BOOITJIE AND THE OUBAAS, all at the Baxter Theatre for director Janice Honeyman, and SHOW BOAT for Cape Town Opera with both Janice and Johan Engels. Birrie works as Production Designer for many feature films and television series taking place in South Africa, including most recently THE DEAL for director Steven Schacter, O CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN for director Reghardt van den Bergh, KNOWN GODS for director David Lister and SUPERNOVA for director John Harrison.
With a one-hundred-percent South African cast and creative team behind the production, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton have given their approval for The Johannesburg Civic Theatre to create a completely original production of THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH.
THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH will be produced by The Johannesburg Civic Theatre in association with Real Theatre and presented by the City of Johannesburg as a Host City Parallel Event during the FIFA World Cup 2010.
Bernard Jay, Chief Executive Officer of The Johannesburg Civic Theatre, will serve as Executive Producer of the musical, with Simon James and Claire Pacariz as Associate Producers. “With a world class creative team such as this now on board with the project,” says Jay “the Nelson Mandela Theatre’s extraordinary staging capabilities will be put to maximum use in a spectacularly emotional production.”
THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH will have its official opening night at the Nelson Mandela Theatre on Sunday May 30th 2010 and run until Sunday August 8th 2010. The initial booking periods of May 18th to June 6th and July 13th to August 8th 2010 are now open for ticket sales at Computicket. Visit www.computicket.com or call 083 915 8000. Tickets are priced from R280, exclusive of booking fee, and from R180 for preview performances.
Special discounted group sales rates are available by calling the theatre’s VIP Ticketing on (011) 877 6854.
for more information
please contact Claire Pacariz
(011) 877 6805
082 335 5721
claire@showbusiness.co.za
