Trish Taylor from ECR gives You some Comrades Tips, Dance Auditions, Comedy Shows and More

East Coast Radio GM tackles her 10th Comrades Marathon

'I vowed to do only one!' says East Coast Radio GM Trish Taylor.
Now she is getting ready to tackle her 10th Comrades.

She has this advice for Comrades first-timers who are taking on the down-run this year:

• Determine a realistic finishing time and have a race strategy.
• Break the race up, into 10km blocks - it's mentally more manageable.
• You are going to experience pain like you have never felt before, prepare for it and distract yourself by talking to other runners and drawing on the crowd. 

As for the best Comrades advice she ever recieve?  'Have a race strategy and stick to it!' 

We wish her all the best.

Help out with the Global Urban Youth Survey

They are looking for people from all over Durban to help out and fill out their survey.

If you can help you need to be between 15-29.

You can fill out the survey here:

https://docs.google.com/a/youthfulcities.com/forms/d/1YMovv8QYTykbdykkgn31R16CmLVyCa8aqLgAtyxtfdw/viewform

Useful contacts if you would like to take part:

Aphiwe - email: aphiwetshalata@youthfulcities.com

www.youthfulcities.com 
http://www.facebook.com/youthfulcities
Twitter: @youthfulcities
Facebook: Youthfulcities
Google+: youthfulcities
YouthfulCities is a Decode venture
www.decode.net

14^th annual Young Performers Production, 2014

Presented by PANSA (The Performing Arts Network of SA); the Department of Arts and Culture of the Province of KZN, and Rainbow: RCL Foods

Footloose

UKZN Sneddon Theatre: 28 June to 13 July 2014.

Directed by Themi Venturas, the 14^th annual PANSA Young Performers Production for this year is Footloose which comes to the UKZN Sneddon Theatre from 28 June to 13 July 2014.

Footloose tells the story of a tenacious and rebellious city teenager, Ren, who moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned by the conservative Rev Shaw and the town council. He leads the young people of the town in a protest against the town’s banning of the annual dance.

The stage adaptation of Footloose is by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford with music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford and additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Logins and Jim Steinman.

Footloose has had two incarnations as feature film: in 1984 a youthful Kevin Bacon was Ren playing against John Lithgow’s Rev Shaw. Also in the cast were Lori Singer, Sarah Jessica Parker and Diane Wiest. The film was remade in 2011 and featured Kenny Wormald as Ren and Dennis Quaid as the Reverend. Also in the remake were Julianne Hough and Andie MacDowell. 

Footloose, the Musical was adapted for the stage from the film, and premiered in 1998 and became a Broadway and West End hit. It has been staged successfully globally since then. Footloose boasts some now-iconic musical numbers:  the theme song, Footloose,  which became a hit for Kenny Loggins; Holding out for a Hero, which was recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the first film; and Let’s Hear it for the Boy which became a number one song for singer Denise Williams. Other songs from the musical include On Any Sunday; The Girl Gets Around, Somebody’s Eyes, Heaven Help me and Learning to be Silent.

The 2014 Young Performers Project sees Themi Venturas at the helm once more in a production which re-unites him with Daisy Spencer (Choreographer) and Des Govender (Vocal Coach) whom together worked on former YPP productions, Hairspray and Legally Blonde. Joining them for the first time as Musical Director is Luke Holder who successfully collaborated with Venturas in the acclaimed production ofMan of La Mancha at the Catalina Theatre and the National Arts Festival.

Spearheaded by PANSA (the Performing Arts Network of South Africa: KZN, the project ensures that the learners get a taste of working in the professional musical theatre arena. The cast of 40 were chosen at auditions on 26 April.  Rehearsals have begun with the cast meeting every weekend until the opening night. The project promotes discipline, develops confidence, and gives an opportunity to make life-long friendships, and to learn a huge amount from the professionals.

PANSA is grateful to the Department of Arts and Culture of the Province of KZN who have agreed to support the project for the next three years. Gracious thanks too to sponsors RCL Foods (Rainbow Chicken); Business and Arts South Africa (BASA); Black Coffee for wonderful technical support and the UKZN Sneddon Theatre.

Previous YPP projects have been: Curtain Up;  One Voice; Grease; Oliver; Fiddler on the Roof; The Wiz; Annie; School of Rock, SA; Big River; Hairspray; Seussical; Legally Blonde and last year’s, Can You Feel It?

The show will run at the UKZN Sneddon Theatre from 28 June until 13 July. Over the years the show has grown to be very popular with Durban audiences so booking is essential. Booking is through Computicket outlets at Shoprite Checkers, by phone on 0861 915 8000 or online atwww.computicket.com.

Our Late Night Comedy and Whose Line shows

Our Late Night Comedy and Whose Line shows have recently become such a hit (particularly with our local Durbanites) that we've decided to have a comedy show EVERY month! Catalina Theatre in association with On Fire Comedy, John Dory's restaurant and Spur is therefore proud to present WHOSE LINE?? - the hilarious improve comedy show featuring four top stand-up comedians! 

Bring your mom along for a belated Mother's Day outing, or get your friends together for some drinks and a show that's bound to be more entertaining than sitting at home in front of the TV. Catch some of Durban’s most popular comedians (shown below) for an evening filled with good food, top-class entertainment, beautiful surroundings and of course hilarious stand-up comedy bound to get bellies jiggling!

The show involves improv comedy games, audience participation, props and laugh-out-loud comedy mayhem made famous by the popular TV show, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to contact our box office on 031 837 5999.

SIDE SPLITTING COMEDY - WHOSE LINE??

Date: 30th May 2014                         Time: 10pm - 11:30pm

Price: R80 (show only) R140 (show and dinner at John Dory's or Spur beforehand)

Bookings: At any Shoprite or Checkers stores or online here.Tickets can also be purchased on the night at box office which opens two hours prior to the show.

YOUR COMEDIANS:

CARVIN H GOLDSTONE

If you’re not a fan…then you’ve clearly never seen him perform before!

But if you have, you’ll understand why he’s one of Durban’s most successful comedy acts!

This award-winning comedian is 100% clean and currently the biggest name in Durban Comedy!

He’s also one of only 2 comedians to regularly sell out the 1200-seater Playhouse Opera Theatre. (The other being Trevor Noah!)

GARETH WOODS ( CAPE TOWN)

Ex-Durbanite, and now currently owning the comedy scene in Cape Town, Gareth’s intelligent wit and hilariously funny guitar parodies make him stand out from the crowd. He has performed stand-up on TV’s Comedy Central, and regularly shares the stage with some of the top acts in the country!

JEM ATKINS

“Ruthlessly Single,” sort of easy on the eyes, and one of the funniest guys in Durban at the moment. This ‘Single Dad’ has had a lot of media coverage lately. Come found out why…

ARNO ELSE

Fresh, witty and undeniably funny, Else is known for his off-the-cuff one-liners and edgy comedy style!

Audition Call: Siwela Sonke Dance Trainee Programme

Audition Call: Siwela Sonke Dance Trainee Programme Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre (SSDT) is a professional award-winning dance theatre company based in Durban. Since its inception in 1994, SSDT has become one of the leading dance companies in South Africa, producing and touring work nationally and internationally. The Siwela Sonke Dance Trainee Programme is a rigorous, season-long training programme. SSDT seeks 10 talented dancers to be available weekdays, 9:00 – 17:00. The trainees will form part of the SSDT Company in a trainee capacity and will have opportunities for performance throughout the 2014 / 2015 season. A stipend will be offered to successful candidates for the duration of their tenure as SSDT trainees. The Siwela Sonke Dance Trainee Programme is made possible through a grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF). 

Auditions will take place on 29 May 2014 (8:00 – 17:00) at Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre

Salbany 1st Floor

50 Albany Grove

Central Durban

Candidates should arrive early and be available for call-backs on 30 May 2014. Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre operates on principles of non-racialism and equal opportunity. While every effort is made to create redress, the company strives for excellence and diversity. In this instance this audition is open to everyone, regardless of race or gender. For more information please contact Elroy Bell atelroybell@gmail.com / www.siwelasonke.co.za or call 031 307 6685.

Twitter Blanket Drive Durban Is Coming

When: 29 May 2014

Where: Protea Hotel, Umhlanga Ridge

Time: 6pm

Bring Your Blankets

#TBD2014

You can also download the Uber App and Uber will come and pick up your blankets for free.

How cool is that!

www.twitterblanketdrive.wordpress.com