Past Productions

Look forward to some beautiful ballet in December with The Winelands Youth Ballet Team in collaboration with Artistic Director Robin van Wyk. The Nutcracker is a perfect holiday treat. Ticket sales open via Quicket 1 November 2022. For more info please email helderbergballet@gmail.com

Set in 1929/1930 Berlin during the twilight of the Jazz Age as the Nazis are ascending to power, the musical focuses on the hedonistic nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around American writer Clifford Bradshaw's relations with English cabaret performer Sally Bowles. A subplot involves the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fraulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor.

A fast-paced comic adventure retelling the familiar story with some unexpected twists! The evil Sheriff of Nottingham is trying to rid the forest of Robin Hood and his Merry Band of outlaw women (and Friar Tuck), especially once they rob the horrible Bishop Bloodsucker. Local landowner Guy of Gisborne divides his time between chaperoning the beautiful Maid Marian and doing what the Sheriff tells him. Things get complicated when Robin falls in love with Maid Marian. Will his loyal Band be able to rescue him? Will there be a happy ending? Will the Villagers be able to maintain their Merry-Band-supported lifestyle? With lots of sword fighting and some slightly risqué comedy, come to the Playhouse Theatre for lots of laughs and a cracking night out with friends. PG - 13

The World's most loved musical returns to the Playhouse. Based on a true story, The Sound of Music tells the tale of a young postulant whose free spirit has trouble fitting into the rules and regulations of the Abbey. Commissioned by the Mother Abbess to serve as the governess for seven motherless children, Maria transforms the Von Trapp family home from a place of dour rules and regulations to one filled with joy, with laughter, and with music. With its unforgettable score by Rodgers and Hammerstein includes some of the most memorable songs ever performed on the musical stage including 'My Favourite Things', 'Do Re Mi', 'Edelweiss', 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain', 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen', 'The Lonely Goatherd' and, of course, the glorious title song. Live music by the Shiraz band.

The Playhouse Theatre is proud to present it's annual children's production - Up and Away.

This magical tale based on the characters from Enid Blyton's The Magic Faraway Tree is coming to life this July in Somerset West.

Written and directed by Carly Beavon, this exciting adventure will take us up and away to magic lands filled with crazy characters and lots of surprises.

Freya, Bailey and Jonah are sent to stay with their aunt in the country. No wifi, no shopping malls, they are sure they will be bored stiff in no time at all. Until Freya discovers a diary filled with magical adventures that all started with the magic tree in the forest next door. What sort of exciting adventures await them?

Join them and their new friends as they discover what magic has been under their noses the whole time.

The Playhouse presents this powerful classic South African Drama. Miss Helen, a senior South African widow, has been working on an overgrown sculpture garden, which is a dream trip to "Mecca". Pastor Marius urges Helen to move to a senior home. However, Elsa, a Cape Town schoolteacher, arrives to encourage Helen in her art.

Tim Plewman steps out of the cave and into the lights as he ventures onto a new and very funny path to understanding the unique relationship between men and women.

“Return of the Caveman -- Designer Genes XXL” is the perfect night out for couples of all ages… actually it’s the perfect night out for anyone who is in a relationship, has ever been in a relationship or hopes to get into a relationship.

This heartwarming and hilarious show takes the audience from the doctor’s waiting room, through puberty, back to Homo Habilus, then on to a mall, a braai and the bathroom, all to discover how genetics rule our lives.

Titled “Return of the Caveman” in recognition of where this journey of discovery began, Designer Genes XXL is the next evolutionary step couples need to take.

“Tim was hysterical and had the ladies practically rolling on the floor with his talk! So much so, we would like to know if Tim will be available for our Golf Day...” SPAR Ladies Day

“…a very big thank you for attending our function and being an outstanding MC! What an excellent performance once again.” Goba Engineering

“You really had us crying with laughter.” KANHYM

“The crowd thoroughly enjoyed Tim and I have received great feedback – really exceptional.” Gestetner

“The Tim Plewman event was a huge success…We got such positive feedback from all our clients.” Mikki Ferreira, Insight Financial Planners

“A wonderful experience – comedy/therapy/educational/entertainment/presentation/empathy – Tim Plewman had it all, in spades!” Alan Campbell, CONSOL

“Tim Plewman rates 10 out of 10. Absolutely!” Speakers, Inc Evaluation Form.

“Thank you for a wonderful show last week Thursday. The feedback from our clients has been phenomenal…magic entertainment.” Raquel Rodrigues, Chartered Wealth Solutions

“Entertaining, funny, educational, empathy – A superb evening enjoyed by all!! Tim was outstanding and received a standing ovation! We’ve only received positive feedback. Our clients were overwhelmed and loved the show. Fantastic way to end the year!” Sonja Sadie, ACSIS

The sixth annual Playhouse Drama Festival will be hosted in August 2022. Co-hosted and managed by Parel Vallei High School this event has become a highlight in the local theatre calendar.

“We look forward to welcoming more and more schools as we have seen the festival grow. We have plays participate and three South African languages and would love to see this diversity grow and increase. Despite the lockdown we had 13 schools enter in 2020,” explains festival co-ordinator and Head of Culture Darryl Spijkers.

Started in 2017 by Annelie van Zyl and Yanou Pienaar, the festival allows youth to express themselves in a real theatre environment and take on the challenge of creating, acting, designing, operating and stage-managing.

The festival will take place at the Playhouse Theatre in Somerset West from 11 – 21 August 2021. The Playhouse Theatre Somerset West is a community based NPO facility known for its high standards in musicals, plays and dance shows.

The festivals’ winning plays over the past 4 years were:

2017 - Kopskoot

2018 – Too Bad

2019 – (V)LUG

2020 - Wentelkind

2021 - Hansie Slim

This year, to accommodate school entering from far and the limitations some schools have placed on their Drama departments – the festival will have both live and digital options and is open to primary and high schools. Schools can enter full-length one act plays, shorter one-person plays or monologues.

Schools can find out more about how to enter or participate by emailing dspijkers@pvallei.co.za

Helderberg Academy of Theatre presents GREASE the Musical!

By special arrangement with DALRO, this smash hit classic is back with the SHIRAZ band live! Named after the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as greasers, the musical is set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School and follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of peer pressure, politics, personal core values, and love. The score borrows heavily from the sounds of early rock and roll. ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Born to Hand Jive’ and ‘We Go Together’ are just some of the fantastic numbers you will experience in this full musical with Sandy, Danny, Rizzo and many more!

Directed by Darryl Spijkers and Jon-Paul Ruschenbaum.

Bookings open on Computicket in March 2022!

Back at the Playhouse theatre by popular demand – South African comedy icon Barry Hilton!

His delightful knack of finding the ludicrous and the humorous turns daily situations on their head to make us laugh at life. He’s been performing for over 30 years.

His face is as funny as his repartee, with lugubrious looks tailor-made for mirth. Barry’s gregarious personality makes him a people’s person, happy to engage with the audience before and after his shows.

Enjoy non-stop laughter with this versatile and dynamic performer with his magnetic charm, deft timing, tap dancing mind, unpredictable hairline and a gaze that doesn't miss a thing.

Popular pianist Rocco de Villiers brings a selection of favourites hit tunes: BALLADE FOR ADELINE liewe hemel liewe aarde CHARIOTS OF FIRE anna aeroplane MUSIC BOX DANCER kortbroek langkouse LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING wat om te dra agter op 'n bakkie AMAZING GRACE reen kan jy nie koop nie HOE GROOT IS U kla 1 kla 2 kla 3 kla 4. And then the surprises. Maybe BEETHOVEN WITH A BEAT or even LORD OF THE DANCE? Not to be missed! ONE SHOW ONLY! ONE ROCCO, ONE PIANO, ONE SUIT - but so much more!

The Little Mermaid is a well-known story about a little mermaid, Ariel, who falls in love with a human prince, gives up her voice and tail to kiss him, and then lives her happily ever after on land. While this rendition of The Little Mermaid starts off the same, it will not end as you expect.

Ariel has eight sisters who bring sass to the stage, while trying to be the best big sisters. Her closest and most forgetful friend, Dory, tries her best to help, but often just makes things worse. Sebastian is a clever little crustacean, but can he handle Ariel's desire to make her own choices? Perhaps Scuttle's crazy ideas and love for human artifacts inspire Ariel to make the decision that get her into trouble.

This adapted story of The Little Mermaid will have you laughing, maybe crying, and sitting on the edge of your seat wondering how this story will end. What will Ariel decide in the end?

Join a group of wonderful entertainers for a great night out!

Darryl Spijkers and Jon-Paul Ruschenbaum headline this sassy yet heartwarming little jukebox drag musical, which is presented by SCRUMPTIOUS PRODUCTIONS and HELDERBERG ACADEMY OF THEATRE!

Belinda’s Boutique in Bonnievale can’t seem to make ends meet in her aging costume shop. When an old friend and iconic performer, the much younger Scrumpy Holly pays her a surprise visit on old year’s eve – her comfort is challenged as they muse love, life and everything in-between. A fun filled one act musical that will make you laugh just a little bit more than it will make you cry!

The perfect way to celebrate the arrival of a new year! Especially with the Playhouse bar serving their amazing drinks!

Following a successful run of “Dancing through the Seasons” in 2018, BeGraceful Studio brings you their 2nd Playhouse Theatre show, “A New Season”.

BeGraceful Studio has students from as young as 5 years old right through to 65+ years, all of which will be performing on stage in this dance showcase!  They will be showcasing the many styles on offer at BeGraceful Studio, including contemporary, jazz, solo latin, hip hop, couples dancing, bhangra and more!  A New Season is a joyful celebration of dance suitable for the whole family.

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Come stroll/tap along with us at FanTAPstic Tap Dancing Studios Tap Demo, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱 running at the Playhouse Theatre, Somerset West from 20 - 23 October.

This exciting Tap Dancing Show, based on the beloved book "The Gruffalo" promises to entertain young and old from start to finish. We are beyond excited that we can accommodate 100 people per show! Don't miss out!

Book your tickets at fantapstictapping@gmail.com or WhatsApp 074 886 0187.

Catch The Greatest Show and enjoy a variety of musicals showcased by the Helderberg Academy of Theatre's amazing musicians, singers and dancers. From the classics Les Miserable and West Side Story to more recent hits like Waitress and Dear Evan Hansen - this show is a real treat presented by Gretel Shulze-le Roux and Matthew Martin! Don't miss out.

Through all these crazy times, all we want to do is entertain you. “Tonight Belongs to Us” promises to take you on a journey where you can just sit and enjoy a night of dance and so much more.

Take a tumble down the rabbit hole and join Alice in her adventures in Wonderland; filled with mayhem, dancing, heart and lots of fun. This fantastical adaptation of the classic story we all love features a new villain out to ruin fun for everyone in Wonderland… can Alice and her friends, the Hatter and Cheshire Cat stop him? Come see for yourself at a show that will certainly keep you and the little ones happily enthralled for a day or night out.

After a sabbatical of 20 years “Simply Rudy” and Guests will be taking a trip down “Memory Lane” featuring amazing songs from the past. Enjoy a relaxing evening with us as we perform epic songs like “The Nearness of You”, “Danny Boy”, “Misty”, “Be Back Home Again”, “Mr Bojangles” and many more! Also featuring “Donvino” on sax - on the 4th only - and the “Tony Drake Band” on both evenings.

Dear Primary and High Schools, we are so excited to invite you to Somerset West as we partner with the Playhouse Theatre to present a 4th School Drama Festival. In 2020 our online version was successful and the winners were able to perform live once the lockdown level lifted.

Popular pianist Rocco de Villiers brings a soulful selection of the most beautiful hymns ever: Amazing Grace - How Great Thou Art - Blessed Assurance - The Holy City - Hallelujah - You'll Never Walk Alone - Pie Jesu - Down By The Riverside; a journey of beauty and hope in difficult times. Rocco gives a new jacket to some of these hymns, but always with the age old message still intact. Not to be missed.
Rocco merchandise at the door.

The story of the orphan Annie with all those hit numbers such as 'Tomorrow', 'Hard Knock Life', 'NYC', 'Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile' and more. As she escapes the grips of time honoured villain Miss Hannigan, she finds a new deal and a new family! The perfect pick me up!

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have the intriguing, thrilling and unmissable comedy. The show features a notorious fugitive and a spellbound leading Lady from a London music hall all the way to Scotland's most remote highlands. Will they save Britain from a den of devious spies? A cast of four actors plays over 50 characters in this fast-paced tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily hilarious adventure. You'll be sure to leave the theatre entertained and in stitches.

Theatre lovers will have an opportunity to see one of Athol Fugard’s more unusual plays when People Are Living There opens at the Playhouse. This is one of only two Fugard plays that do not concern Apartheid or township life and instead focuses on four South African downtrodden white people living in the centre of Johannesburg. Fugard garnered material for the play when he and his wife stayed in lodgings in Braamfontein, when he was employed by the Johannesburg Native Commissioners courthouse. Darryl Spijkers creates the realist design of this show with immense attention to detail. Rene Frylinck, Thomas Agates, Hugo Botha and Tanya Erasmus headline this four-hand comedy drama.

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(V)LUG was a TOP 5 National production for the ATKV Tienertoneel in 2019. The Parel Vallei High School Afrikaans production won the Playhouse Drama Festival, the PV-Pearson Exchange and the Durbanville ATKV-streeksfinaal and placed 2nd at the Durbanville High School Drama Festival. It ran 3 sold out shows at the Playhouse in August 2019.

(V)LUG is based on a true story about a boy that begins to uncover some truths in his life as teenage pressures settle in. In his mind he finds ways to cope - but facing reality is the only way he can truly move on.

One of the most remarkable plays of our time; Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning southern drama comes to life on the Playhouse stage for its final four performances. Blanche DuBois, a faded and delicate Southern Belle, has mysteriously arrived on the doorstep of her younger sister, Stella, and her husband, the brutish Stanley Kowalski. Blanche makes herself at home in the couple's small apartment, however, her web of lies covering up her past soon begins to crumble. Her downward spiral brings her face to face with Stanley, leading to a final plea of passion and desperation that changes them both forever. 68 years after it was written, A Streetcar Named Desire is as spellbinding as ever. Don’t miss Samantha Taylor and Matthew Martin in this struggle for power and sanity as directed by Darryl Spijkers.

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A Murder is coming to Somerset West this spring. Look out for Agatha Christie’s ‘The Hollow’ directed by Two Tall Ladies, Gretel Schulze-le Roux and Gillian Jones.
An unhappy game of romantic follow-the-leader explodes into murder one weekend at The Hollow, home of Sir Henry and Lucy Angkatell, arguably Christie’s finest comic grande dame. Dr. Cristow, the Harley Street surgeon, is at the center of the trouble when, assembled in one place, we find his plain but devoted wife Gerda, his mistress and prominent sculptor Henrietta and his former lover and Hollywood film star Veronica. Also visiting are Edward and Midge whose romantic affections are likewise thrown into the mix. As the list of romantic associations grow so does the list of potential suspects when there is an unexpected murder. Nearly everyone has a motive, but only one of them did the deed…

A new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice`s multi-award winning musical returns to The Playhouse Theatre for a limited run! Released as a concept album in 1969, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has become one of the world`s most iconic musicals, featuring songs that have gone on to become pop and musical theatre standards, including Any Dream Will Do and Go Go Go Joseph. The beloved show about the ability to dream has been performed hundreds of thousands of times including multiple runs in the West End and on Broadway, international number one tours, and productions in over 80 countries.

A vibrant musical review featuring all of your favourite songs from movies - performed by a cast of talented young singers and dancers, with live music by the very popular Shiraz Band, choreography by Leanne Angles (BeGraceful Studio), and directed for the HHDS by Darryl Spijkers. Featuring songs from "The Greatest Showman", "Footloose", "Sound of Music" "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" and many more!

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Do you believe in magic? We know the old story of a dark forest, bread crumbs and two children getting lost before finding the delicious trap of the sweetie house. But surely some of the details must have got jumbled over the way? Despite their parents’ warning, adventurous Gretel convinced Hansel to venture into the gloomy woods. Along their path they found Mystical and Woodland creatures and a cat and his creepy friends. And why are witches always made out to be the villain? There must be more to the story… Come and meet our fun and colourful cast and see for yourself! A musical rendition of the classic Hansel and Gretel on their journey to discover a magical house made of sweet treats. Along the way they discover some strange and wonderful creatures and of course a witch and her cat…

An absurdist, dark comedy, Baby with the Bathwater starts with new parents John and Helen staring lovingly at their baby, Daisy. The scene quickly takes a turn, however, as the couple show absolutely no knowledge of how to adequately care for their child. Needless to say, as the play continues, Daisy grows up to be quite an unstable child, with a tendency to run in front of moving objects, sleep with inordinate numbers of partners, and take thirteen years to get through his first year at university. After three hundred and seventy-seven sessions with a therapist, Daisy is told, “Pull yourself together! You’re smart, you have resources, you can’t blame them forever. Move on with it!” Somehow this reprimand is the advice Daisy finally needed to hear to move on with his life.

HHDS proudly present their end of year musical - the classic smash-hit Broadway production of `Annie Get Your Gun`. Annie Oakley (Nicoline Murray) is a poor yet spirited and happy sharp-shooting country girl who becomes the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Here she meets and falls in love with expert rifleman Frank Butler (Rory Eliot, former Plush frontman). Tough, outspoken, rough and tumble Annie is not Frank's idea of what a wife should be and the two remain at competitive odds. This fictionalized version of the life of real-life sharpshooter Annie Oakley and her romance with Frank Butler boasts a score of Irving Berlin gems including `There's No Business Like Show Business`, `I Got the Sun in the Mornin`, `Anything You Can Do,` and many more.

One of the most famous accounts of living under the Nazi regime of World War II comes from the diary of a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, Anne Frank. The author and her family fled the horrors of Nazi occupation by hiding in the back of a warehouse in Amsterdam for two years with another family and a German dentist. Aged thirteen when she went into the secret annexe, she kept a diary. An all new production based on the 2016 London adaptation.

A three act play about three wildly incompatible married couples who spend three consecutive Christmas Eve dinners together. The play is based on the changing fortunes of these diverse couples. Imagine that all your worst Christmases have arrived at once! A delightful comedy of errors! Alan Ayckbourn at this best!

Shrek The Musical will be proudly presented by the Hottentots Holland Dramatic Society in November 2017 at the Playhouse Theatre Somerset West! Following a record-breaking US, UK and Ireland Tour, the smash hit blockbuster is now in Cape Town – and larger than life!
Based on the story and characters from the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks Animation film, this hilarious and spectacular production turns the world of fairytales upside down in an all-singing, all-dancing, must-see musical comedy. Join Shrek (Travis Pitout), our unlikely hero, and his loyal steed Donkey (Jarred Pitout) as they set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful (if slightly temperamental) Princess Fiona (Elena Mitchell) from her tower, guarded by a fire breathing love-sick dragon. Add the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad (James Bone), a gang of fairytale misfits, and a biscuit with attitude, and you’ve got an irresistible mix of adventure, laughter and romance, guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages!

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Ann Coetzee and the ever-popular Shiraz band team up to present another smash hit! It's Saturday Night at the provincial "Club A-Go-Go" and three blokes and four birds are out on the pull. The girls, chalk-faced, pale lipped and lacquered to perfection are desperate to look like Twiggy, Sandy Shaw or Dusty Springfield. The lads in their button-down collars and leather caps are all would-be Beatles or embryo Donovans. However, beneath the girls' skimpy Mary Quant and St Laurent copied dresses beat virginal Barbara Cartland hearts, while inside the lads' cool, hipster trousers lurk the impulses which have driven adolescents to distraction since the dawn of time. With names like Jarred Pitout, Sashka Petersen, Winston Gelderbloem, Jessica Matthews and more – it is bound to have you smiling and toe-tapping at every performance.

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