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Fahiem Stellenboom
Marianne Thamm returns to The Baxter with her latest instalment of conversation and comedy, just before the elections, with Round of Applause Reloaded from 10 to 27 April.
Following the sold-out success of her season last year, Daily Maverick associate editor, Marianne Thamm, returns to the Baxter Studio, live with her show, Round of Applause Reloaded, from 10 to 27 April 2024 at 8pm with Saturday matinees at 3pm.
Join her, as she takes the audience on an evening of comedy, celebrating the strengths and weaknesses of South Africa’s democracy - just in time - as the country gears up for the 2024 big elections.
With 40 years’ experience as an investigative journalist, columnist, author, satirist and stand-up comedian, she has been playing to standing ovations with high praise from audiences and critics. Last year the production was extended by a week and sold out at The Baxter. Fresh from an Afrikaans season at the KKNK (Klein Karoo National Arts Festival), she is ready to bring Round of Applause Reloaded to Cape Town audiences, with some insightful updates on the political landscape.
Seasoned arts critic, Diane de Beer said, “What she is doing is Performance Journalism and she’s got a show. With the information at her fingertips, how could she not share on stage? And she does it brilliantly. It’s not a big ask though. The story has all of us hanging on every word – even though we’ve heard all of it before, it still renders us all speechless.”
Jaime Uranovsky for Broadway World wrote, “Thamm indeed deserves a round of applause … magnetic stage presence … she had me, and the rest of the audience, in stitches from start to finish … traces current affairs with wit, intelligence, and optimism … Her excitement and passion about South Africa are inspiring.
The idea for Round of Applause – South Africa Still Standing came from her being invited to participate in the Spier Talking Heads series in Stellenbosch a few years ago.
Thamm says theatregoers can expect a “condensed trip through state capture and where the constitution managed to hold us all together”. With Round of Applause Reloaded, she brings some updates to the original show, about what is going on in the country, with hilarious anecdotes and surprising facts.
She continues, “A general election is around the corner and with the new Electoral Act as well as, a wider range of candidates to choose from, the political landscape is about to become even more exciting. This is a pivotal moment in South Africa’s history. Are you ready for the ride?”
Thamm has worked in the media space for nearly four decades and her work has appeared in a variety of local and international newspapers and magazines. She has published several books which include the best-selling I Have Life: Alison's Journey, When All Else Falls Away - The Nigel Fairhead Story, How to be a South African, Shooting the Moon, To Catch a Cop: The Paul O'Sullivan Story, Mental Floss and Fairlady Collection: Forty Years of Fine Writing. In 2016, she released the memoir, Hitler, Verwoerd, Mandela and me.
Round of Applause Reloaded runs in the Baxter Studio, from 10 to 27 April at 8pm nightly with Saturday matinees at 3pm. Ticket prices are R150 throughout and booking is through Webtickets online or at Pick n Pay stores.