Interview: Kirsty-Jane Povey And Nick Plummer of GAME OF NAMES: SEASON 2 at the Novalis Ubuntu Centre

Game of Names is back, and this time it’s bigger and better than before!  

Join Pinelands Players for a night of live dinner theatre that is part musical revue, part game show, part quiz night, and 100% fun! The show celebrates the music of TV and movies, and the audience picks the run of events with the spin of a wheel and a draw from a hat.

Under the directorship of Kyla Thorburn and Barend van der Westhuizen, this production boasts a cast of 12 talented performers that will keep you entertained all evening.

Tickets include a two-course meal (mains and dessert), and a cash bar is available. Doors open 45 minutes before the start of the show for food and drink service. All food is Halaal and vegetarian/vegan options are available.

In anticipation of the musical mayhem that awaits, Nick Plummer, the MC, and Kirsty-Jane Povey, one of the performers, share “the rules of the game”.

BWW: Tell us a bit about the show – How does it work and what can audience members expect?

Nick Plummer: Unless you came to see the original GAME OF NAMES in 2017, I guess you’ll never have seen a show like this before! Effectively, it’s an evening of song and dance with twelve performers, who are divided into two teams competing for the glory of being “the best.” The twist is that the teams are selected at random at the start of the show, and the songs are selected randomly by the spin of a wheel and the audience picking song numbers out of a box – nobody know what will happen, and the show will be different every night!

Kirsty-Jane Povey: The Audience can expect a fun, energetic and interactive show. The show works as a game show, with a giant “spin that wheel!” There are different categories on the wheel. Once spun, an audience member will choose a card from that category's box and we perform that song . . .the cast does not know which song will be drawn so it's both a surprise for the audience and the cast. As an added bit of fun, there is a quiz element for the audience tables too.

BWW: What kind of songs can we expect – pop, show tunes, all sorts?

NP: I can’t tell you. If I did, it would give away one of the elements of the evening, which is a quiz for the audience, who also get to play bingo during the evening as well…

K-JP: Our music theme is soundtracks from TV and movies, so there will be a range of genres performed and perhaps a little walk down memory lane for the audience.

BWW: What’s been your favourite element of being involved in this production so far?

NP: That I can’t tell you either, but it involves one of the dance routines…

KJP: Being part of the group, meeting new people and singing with everyone. It's been a lot of fun with lots of laughs along the way.

BWW:  What’s been the biggest challenge in terms of this production?

NP: For the performers, I’d say it’s having to learn their share of 43 songs, with dance moves. Fortunately for me, I’m the MC, so haven’t had to learn many songs. My role is to keep the performers in check, award points to the teams based on their performances, keep the show ticking along…and a few other things….

K-JP: For me, working full time and rehearsing in the evenings has taken a lot, and it's been challenging managing all of it; however, it's a challenge met with the driving force of passion.

BWW: How does this experience differ to your previous production experiences?

NP: It’s the unpredictable nature of the content of the show – also, everyone gets to be a different character in each song. Anything can happen, and probably will!

K-JP: I am new to the theatre community in Cape Town; my other experiences have been a lot less intense and lower key. For amateur theatre, I have been really impressed with the effort and leadership of all involved with this production.

BWW: What would you like audience members to take away from this production?

NP:  Hopefully they won’t take anything away at all. That would be stealing…But for memories, let’s hope they go home with their sides aching from laughter, and knowing that they may still have time to book for another show in the run, which will be completely different from the one they’ve just seen.

K-JP: A fun and memorable experience and perhaps inspiration to try theatre for themselves.

BWW: Who should see this show?

NP: Anyone and everyone! We’ve kept it family friendly, so it won’t be risqué at all… Anyone who enjoyed any form of music from the past 60 years will find something in the show that they’ll enjoy.

K-JP: Anyone who likes music and watching TV shows and movies.

BWW: Describe the show in three words.

NP: Unpredictable; fun; rapid-paced. Sorry, was that four words?

K-JP: A fun-filled evening.

-------------------------------------------------ENDS-------------------------------------

GAME OF NAMES: SEASON 2 runs at the Novalis Ubuntu Centre from 29 November to 8 December 2024. Tickets are available via Quicket and range from R200 (show only) to R350 (two-course meal included).

Doors open at 19:00 for evening shows (29th, 30th, 5th, 6th and 7th) and at 13:00 for matinees  (30th, 1st, 7th and 8th) for food service, with the show starting at 19:45 and 13:45 respectively.

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