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SCENE IT: A musical romp with COLLEEN to chase the end-of-year blues away
- Barbara Loots
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Barbara Loots
Marc Lottering’s latest character to get her own musical, Colleen the Cashier, is currently jiving up a vibe at the Baxter Theatre. And audiences are lapping up every song and joke on offer as much needed humour-mana to survive the last bit of a rather tough 2025. This year has been trying for many, much like true love tests the name character in COLLEEN THE MUSICAL, directed by Lara Foot.
COLLEEN is perhaps best described as a comedy set to music, rather than a musical in the traditional style that you would associate with Andrew Lloyd Webber or David Kramer. I say this not to force comparison or to argue that one type or style is better than the other, but rather to encourage you to adjust your focus and intent when you step through the doors of the Baxter Theatre and give yourself over to sheer joyful shenanigans of Marc Lottering’s humour and the antics of his character Colleen the Cashier.
The central story is not a new one, but a relatable one. Colleen the Cashier works at the Bye Bye Supermarket and sees herself as nothing more than the ugly duckling sidekick to her friend who is blissfully in love and wants the same happiness for Colleen. But Colleen is staying far away from any such emotional a gamble to protect her own heart. Then a cruel TikTok dare (think She’s All That but reliant on social media) sees Colleen and her love interest, Randall the Shelf-Packer (Carlo Daniels) viewing the world and each other through different eyes. But before there can be true happiness, there needs to be heartache which reaches a climax with the selective reveal of the initial cruel prank. Along with Colleen’s journey towards a happy ending, the love-related trials and tribulations of at least five other characters are also explored.
The musical direction/arrangement and orchestration design by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder adds a cohesive feeling to the music that runs through the show. It takes the audience on an emotional journey with Colleen, and amplifies what Lottering brings to the character in terms of energy –the level of energy that would make a toddler on a sugar rush jealous. And that’s part of the fun of the show: It’s so absolutely over the top and it does not care one bit. That level of zany energy is after all why one goes to a Marc Lottering stand-up show, so that’s exactly the type of energy you would expect and want from his musicals.
Lottering’s terrifically blunt Colleen is supported by a strong ensemble cast. A real standout being theatre legend Kate Normington as Colleen’s supervisor, Tracey. Normington offsets her character’s splendid prickly pear personality with a hidden dose of soul and great comedic timing. She plays well off of the charming David Chevers as Bye Bye Manager, Tommy. And as always, it is an absolute delight to see Sizwesandile Mnisi step onto the stage, this time as Andile, fiancé to Colleen’s bestie Bronwyn played by Jill Levenberg. Levenberg’s calm performance brings stability to the show as a counter to Lottering’s high octane Colleen.
The overall design (set, lighting, costume, video and sound) serves the bright aesthetic of the production, as well as the fluidity required between scene changes. The choreographyby Grant van Ster is of a high standard and brilliantly showcases the talent of the three professional dancers, with Sasha Nkonyana absolutely shining in that trio. The actors occasionally appeared to struggle to keep up with the professional dancers, and at times looked a bit left behind in terms of skill level –a little bit like halfway through a Strictly Come Dancing season when the celebrities have found their rhythm but you can still differentiate between celeb and pro. Perhaps there’s a workaround to be considered to even out the difference in skill level. That being said, the contrast between the professional dancers and the rest of the ensemble does not detract from the high energy that the dancing adds to the fun of it all. Everyone clearly gives it their all, and then some.
The show does at times drag a bit in terms of build-up and momentum, and can benefit from a 15-minute cut. There’s arguably one too many storylines unfolding simultaneously. Tightening up the script, and evaluating what is really necessary to drive the true heart of the story, as opposed to padding it with nice moment, may do the trick. One can have too much of a good thing, as the saying goes. The overall concept itself is a good one and a much needed end-of-year romp, it just needs to settle and shift a bit to really come into its own as a final product.
COLLEEN is such a vibrant and broadly appealing show that everyone will walk away with a favourite moment. For me that’s when Colleen appears in her pyjamas in a dream-like state, as it gives one the same emotional tone as the number ‘Beauty School Dropout’ from the musical Grease.
COLLEEN reveals some heartfelt life lessons through all the characters’ antics, especially Colleen’s own sharp quips.
Ultimately, Colleen finds herself upstaged by a cameo character: Aunty Merle. As soon as Aunty Merle, who has some beef with Colleen’s attitude towards customers, steps onto that stage, Colleen becomes the second favourite. It’s a universal truth that Aunty Merle will forever be queen in the hearts of Marc Lottering fans.
COLLEEN THE MUSICAL runs at the Baxter Theatre until 7 February 2026. The show is billed as PG and there are some adult themes that may need explaining to inquiring minds if you bring the young ones along to this comedy musical. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets.