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Rabbit in a Hat Communications
While Capetonians are still bundled up in their winter woolies, there are glimpses of the long summer evenings ahead. One of these is the announcement of the Maynardville Open Air Festival's 2024 season, which will take place 18 January - 25 February.
Enjoying theatre in the woody outdoor setting in Wynberg has been a tradition since 1950, and continues to be a highlight on the summer events calendar, expanding from a Shakespeare performance into a season of theatre, music and opera. VR Theatrical, who became the custodians of the Maynardville Open-Air Festival in 2023, have revealed that the 2024 Shakespeare will be the timeless classic, Romeo & Juliet. The Maynardville 2024 Season is now open for booking with a 25% off early bird special running for the first 1000 seats booked before 31 August 2023. https://bit.ly/MaynardvilleTickets2024
Romeo & Juliet will be directed by the award-winning Geoffrey Hyland, who also directed Maynardville’s A Midsummer Nights’ Dream in 2023 to much critical acclaim and packed houses. Hyland’s playful and accessible interpretation of Shakespeare’s magical romp brought contemporary humour, fresh energy and new audiences to the event post-Covid.
The Shakespeare will be interspersed with concerts from the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Cape Town Opera and A Night at the Musicals, with beloved songs from iconic musicals such as Les Misérables, Chess, Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, and West Side Story coming to life on the Maynardville stage. The season opens with Rachmaninoff Rendezvous, featuring pianists Mike Wang and Elna van der Merwe, and will close with a group choral performance Friends in Harmony, featuring the Tygerberg Children’s Choir, South African Youth Choir and Vivox Voices.
Says VR Theatrical’s Jaco van Rensburg, “It’s a joy to present a new season at Maynardville! It feels like we are finally back to some semblance of normal in the performing arts industry and with that comes the luxury of planning ahead, giving our audiences and visitors to Cape Town the chance to see further down the line and make their summer plans now. We’re already working hard with our wonderful production and event partners to bring another memorable Maynardville into early 2024 and we’re hoping to see you all there.”
Romeo & Juliet was last performed at Maynardville in 2007 (directed by Fred Abrahamse) and the Maynardville Valentine’s night performance, already a hot date, is likely to be a hit with romantics, so book those tickets soon! For many Cape Town high school learners, their experience of Shakespeare at Maynardville is embedded in their memory and the Festival will once again host groups from schools to enjoy this special theatre experience. Schools can contact Jeff on boxoffice@maynardville.co.za to secure their bookings.
A new Evening Food Market also emerged at last year’s relaunched Maynardville Open-Air Festival with various vendors offering pizza, poke bowls, burgers, coffee, a bar and more for patrons to enjoy under threads of twinkly lights ahead of the show. The market will again be a part of the 2024 experience but those wishing to enjoy their own picnic will be able to do so beside the lake in the park (the Food Market seating is reserved for customers of the market) and please note all alcohol should be bought at the Festival bar.
VR Theatrical have continued their partnership with the Open Culture Foundation to train young technical crew members throughout the programme. This year there is also an opportunity for a select group of budding directors to learn about the craft under the mentorship of Geoffrey Hyland through the Theatre Directors Internship Programme. Enquiries can be directed through Maynardville’s website: http://www.maynardville.co.za/
Tickets are live for booking on Quicket: https://bit.ly/MaynardvilleTickets2024
Prices for all events range between R190 and R320 with concessions available for pensioners, students and families as follows:
Pensioners & Students: 15% Off On All Tiers
Please Present ID On Arrival
Family of Four Discount: R260/R200 per four Premium/Tier 2 Tickets.
Early Bird special, valid only until 31 August and limited to the first 1000 seats.
Get 25% off all tickets and packages by using code EARLY25.