Festive Season in Full Swing - with Knock-out New Year's Eve Party Planned - at the Baxter Theatre

This summer, the Baxter Theatre Centre's festive season programme is guaranteed to entertain and delight audiences and visitors to the Mother City. With three of the four wonderful productions for the whole family to enjoy now open, the festive season at the Baxter is in full swing and will culminate in the highly popular New Year's Eve party as the popular theatre centre heralds in 2016.

Alistair Izobell and his stellar cast celebrate the legendary Luxurama Theatre in REMEMBERING THE LUX, Janice Honeyman brings back the masterful art of storytelling in BANGALORY'S BACK, Stuart Taylor, Oscar Petersen and Mel Jones review the year in STUART TAYLOR'S 2015 IN REVUE and television heartthrobs Maurice Paige and Theodore Jantjies return with the sequel PLATFORM 9 TO PARK STATION.

The Mother City is rocking with Alistair Izobell and the Baxter Theatre Centre in REMEMBERING THE LUX, a brand new production that runs until 9 January. Written and directed by Izobell, in collaboration with Baxter CEO and artistic director Lara Foot, this tribute to the iconic Luxurama Theatre, one of Cape Town's grand old dames of cinema and entertainment, is set to be the undisputed highlight of the festive season. Izobell and Foot have teamed up to bring to life and celebrate its history through stories and classic hit songs in this first-ever homage to the legendary Luxurama. A stellar ensemble (featuring Izobell himself, alongside Terry Fortune, Terry Hector, Loukmaan Adams, Niesha Abrahams, Leslie Kleinsmith, Giempie Vardien, Nur Abrahams and Kashiefa Blaauw) is accompanied by a six-piece live band. The band is made up of Donveno Prins (band leader and saxophone), Dylan Roman (keyboards), Anthon Mannel (drums), Angelo Syster (guitar), Craig van Willingh (bass) and Marcell Adams (trumpet). The cast members all share anecdotes and tell stories as they sing familiar and perennially popular songs such as "Where the Boys Are", "Il Mondo", "Spanish Eyes", "Puppy Love", "This is My Life" and "Delilah", to mention just a few, guaranteed to get audiences singing along and dancing in their seats.

After decades of directing award-winning productions, the much-loved and respected Janice Honeyman returns to the stage to recreate the magic of storytelling in BANGALORY'S BACK, which runs at 10:00 and 12:00 daily on Wednesdays to Saturdays through 9 January. This charming and delightful show is ideally suited for children aged 5 to 12, but is also perfect for the whole family. From 1976 - 1977, Honeyman became a household name in South Africa when she starred in one of the first children's television shows to be screened in South Africa, BANGALORY TIME. Honeyman, along with Zoleka Helesi and Marty Kintu, bring back the masterful art of entertainment for the young and old with a morning of fun story-making, music, comedy, puppetry and tale-telling. Add in a few silly limericks, some sweet little riddles, some guessing games, a dollop of dot-to-dots, jigsaw puzzles and a sing-a-long for the children and - voila - fun for the whole family!

In STUART TAYLOR'S 2015 IN REVUE, which plays the Baxter's Concert Hall until 9 January, Taylor, Oscar Petersen and Mel Jones put the past year into perspective: the highlights, the lowlights and, also, the lack of lights, thanks mainly to Eskom. This feel-good comedy show has additional material written by Martin Evans and Yaaseen Barnes and is directed by Brent Palmer. Fresh from scooping the Standard Bank Ovation Award for comedy at this year's National Arts Festival, Taylor and his comedians will bring a smile and laughter to audiences. With stand-up sets, comedy sketches and special guest comedians, this hilarious team says goodbye (and for some of them, good riddance) to 2015, and bids a warm hello and welcome to an amazing 2016.

PLATFORM 9 TO PARK STATION is the sequel to the hit 2013 production PLATFORM 9 starring local television hunks Maurice Paige from ISIDINGO and Theodore Jantjies from 7DE LAAN, in the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio from 14 December to 16 January. It tells the story of two friends who are making a train journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Whilst travelling, the two meet very different and certainly interesting characters which include Colonel Baaidjies (an ex-soldier) and Buddrew (a pregnant woman). It is a heart-warming story about friendship, trust and human relationships.

The Baxter's usually sold-out New Year's Eve party will commence straight after the shows on 31 December and will include the traditional balloon-drop, a complimentary glass of bubbly or orange juice and a live band led by the inimitable Nur Abrahams. Abrahams and his group will get the party going as they sing popular dance hits and entertain the audience as 2016 is celebrated. Light meals will be on sale. Early booking for this event is highly recommended.

Booking for any of the exciting shows in the Baxter Theatre's festive season line-up is online through Computicket, on 0861 915 8000 or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For discounted corporate or group block bookings, fundraisers or charities contact Sharon Ward on 021 680 3962 or Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993.

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