World-renowned British theatre company Complicite will make its SA debut when it comes to the Baxter Theatre for five performances only, with Lionboy, from 18 to 21 March.
Adapted by Marcelo Dos Santos and inspired by Zizou Corder’s bestselling trilogy of novels, Lionboy fuses storytelling, circus and live percussion in an adventure for everyone aged eight and up. Zizou Corder is the pseudonym of Louisa Young and her daughter Isabel Adomakoh Young.
“We wrote the books when I was very young, and I was only a child so I made up a lot of friends and adventures for me and mum to share. Becoming an author at such a young age was exciting. Suddenly we were travelling to all the countries we’d been published in, signing books and even going onto television”, explains Isabel
At its heart Lionboy teaches children and young people to search for the truth.
It tells the story of Charlie Ashanti who lives in a future where phones are powered by the sun, cars are banned and companies are more powerful than countries. Charlie is a perfectly normal boy, except for one thing: he can speak to cats. So when his parents are kidnapped, he sets off on a rescue mission – with a little help from a floating circus and its pride of performing lions.
Audiences and the media have raved about the production. Mail on Sunday called it “a roaring success,” while The Times said, “with a sense of magical possibility … liveliness, invention and effortless appeal.” The London Evening Standard agreed, saying “a wonderfully imaginative adventure” and Financial Times described it as “a hugely inventive and enjoyable show.”
WHAT, WHEN, WHERE: Lionboy runs at the Baxter Theatre, Main Road, Rondebosch 7700 from 18 to 21 March at 7pm nightly with a school’s performance on 19 March at 11am. Tickets cost R110 (Wednesday and Thursday) and R120 on Friday and Saturday. Booking is through Computicket or 0861 915 8000, or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For discounted corporate, schools or block-bookings, charities or fundraisers, contact Sharon on 021 680 3962, email sharon.ward@uct.ac.za or Carmen on 021 680 3993, email carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za.
