Rob van Vuuren takes down the fourth wall in a comic and personal look at life on stage.
A regular on the South African entertainment scene in various guises, Rob van Vuuren presents the art of story-telling from a different perspective, as he attempts to provide some sort of insight into wonderful lie that is theatre, and which is presented as truth, for a while.
He talks a whole lot of “kak” – literally – from the pre-show ramblings, and as a theme throughout. With tales of his 1980s childhood as a white kid prancing around the Eastern Cape family farm and playing with cow dung, to urinating on demand on stage, there is much “toilet humour”.
From standing on the edge of the spotlight as he learned his craft at Rhodes in Grahamstown, to children’s theatre, and a foray into the Cape Flats, he tells stories of life as an “ac-tor” (said as only an ac-tor could). War stories, as it were, as they really do present as stories of survival – of being stabbed on stage, creative prevention of a smash and grab, empty auditoriums and radical bowel movements – and even of being recognized far too frequently in Fruit and Veg…
There’s a lot of use of various forms of profanity (one in particular), but let’s be serious – it’s pretty standard as part of a comic act. He moves with remarkable agility, is able to paint vivid pictures in the imaginations of his audience, and does some great voices, but by far the best parts for me, are where he loses the “act”, and is really, just himself…
“Rob Van Vuuren Is Rob Van Vuuren” runs nightly at the NewSpace Theatre until 17 October – Mondays to Saturdays at 8pm, with a Saturday matinee at 5pm. Tickets cost R135 through Computicket. The show is rated PG13 for language.
Fiona Gordon
fiona@artslink.co.za
www.artslink.co.za
Browse Timeline
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
