THE FINKELSTEINS ARE COMING TO DINNER Set for Cape Town Fringe

THE FINKELSTEINS ARE COMING TO DINNER, with Andrew Laubscher, David Viviers and Megan Furniss, written by Richard Kaplan, with lighting by Guy de Lancey and direction by Adrian Collins, will play City Hall 2 as a part of the Cape Town Fringe, with a second season of the show set to follow at the Alexander Upstairs.

THE FINKELSTEINS ARE COMING TO DINNER is a comedy-drama about love, death and sex. While grappling with a sense of alienation and the spirit of his tragically deceased mother, Nate, a gay artist, falls in love with James, his delightfully strange and unusual model. As their relationship grows, we discover why we are on earth, what Walt Whitman really meant, whether James Franco is gay and what happened to J. D. Salinger.

The humorous, poignant and quirky play had its first outing as a staged reading at the Alexander Bar's Upstairs Theatre earlier this year. The characters of portrait artist, Jewish mother and exuberant young gay man are brought together in a rich and enjoyable piece full of literary musings, art, hangups, Jewish culture, sex, the naked body and even how to put together the perfect Friday night dinner.

THE FINKELSTEINS ARE COMING TO DINNER marks Richard Kaplan's debut as a produced playwright. A medical doctor working in the field of HIV research at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, he has had Nicholas Spagnoletti, the owner of Alexander Bar and a playwright in his own right, play the role of consultant producer and dramaturg on this new production, which is directed by Adrian Collins. Collins made his directorial debut with the play A STEADY RAIN last year, and that production - which premiered at the Alexander Upstairs last year - will transfer to The Fugard Theatre in October.

The cast features three actors who are all prominent on local stages in the Mother City. Film and stage actor Andrew Laubscher received a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award in 2014 for his role as Riff-Raff in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. He most recently appeared on stage at Alexander Bar in Louis Viljoen's THE EMISSARY.

Megan Furniss is an actor, playwright and improvisor, a 2009 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award winner for Innovation in Theatre. Her play THE TENT was selected to be part of an exciting programme of African plays at the National Theatre Studio in London, while the Cape Town Fringe sees a return engagement of her most recent directing project, NIQABI NINJA.

David Viviers received the Brett Goldin Bursary this year and was nominated for the 2015 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Most Promising Student. He last appeared on stage at Alexander Bar in THE MAIDS.

Lighting designer Guy de Lancey is a film and stage actor and director who has worked extensively both locally and internationally. Local audiences will know him for his work as actor and director in The Mechanicals. He received a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for his lighting design of DEAD YELLOW SANDS, which was staged at Alexander Bar last year.

Evan Oberholster is a figurative artist who has provided the artworks for the play and will be exhibiting a series of male nudes in the parlour room of the Alexander Bar. The exhibition will run in conjunction with the runs of the play at Cape Town Fringe and Alexander Bar.

The Cape Town Fringe schedule for THE FINKELSTEINS ARE COMING TO DINNER, where tickets will cost R90 - R100, is 22-23 September at 20:00, 24 September at 22:00, 25 September at 14:00, 27 September at 16:00, 28 September at 22:00, 1 October at 20:00, 2, 6 and 7 October at 16:00 and 8 October at 18:00. Bookings for these performances are through the Cape Town Fringe website.

The run at the Alexander Upstairs takes place from 10 - 29 October, with shows taking place at 19:00 nightly excepting 18, 19 and 21 October. Tickets cost R140-R150 and can be booked online or at the bar, anytime during its regular opening hours. Telephone bookings can be made on 021 300 1652. Alexander Bar & Café is situated on 76 Strand Street in Cape Town's CBD. Find out more about the venue on Facebook or Twitter.

To post a comment, you must register and login.