Famed South African singer, songwriter, playwright and musical director David Kramer has been spending time at Kearsney College, coaching and directing the school’s music and drama students for next week’s production (9-12 May) of Kat and the Kings.
It’s the first time he has granted permission for the award-winning musical, written in 1996, to be produced by a school or amateur theatre company.
It’s a fast-paced show full of humour and laughter, coupled with toe-tapping songs composed by the late Taliep Petersen and Kramer’s witty lyrics in a Rock-n-Roll style. Kearsney is proud to have been granted permission and to have had Kramer’s intimate involvement.
The five leading male roles are played by grade 10 and 11 Kearsney boys studying music and drama – Mohau Tladi (young Kat Diamond), Sethu Magubane (Kat Diamond), Khwezi Msimang (Bingo), Tjama Keta (Ballie) and Mpande Luhlongwane (Magoo). Nkanyezi Kunene, who plays Lucy Dixon, is in grade 12 at Westville Girls’ High.
It’s a truly South African story, told through the eyes of Kat Diamond, who started a vocal harmony group with his three best friends in District Six during the 1950s. The musical follows these teens through their trials and tribulations as they become a well-known performing act touring South Africa.
The production is directed and choreographed by Daisy Spencer, a true legend in Durban’s entertainment industry, with music direction by Kearsney’s Bernard Kruger. The Kearsney choir has built up a large international following of appreciative supporters, having won 15 gold and seven silver medals at the World Choir Games.
The show runs next week for four nights – Tuesday 9 to Friday 12. Booking is through Quicket.