WE DIDN'T COME TO HELL FOR THE CROISSANTS Offers Tales to Enthrall Audiences at the Alexander Upstairs

WE DIDN'T COME TO HELL FOR THE CROISSANTS: SEVEN DEADLY NEW STORIES FOR CONSENTING ADULTS will be back on Cape Town stages for another twelve performances at the Alexander Bar and Café's Upstairs Theatre. The eagerly anticipated sequel to the international cult hit THE EPICENE BUTCHER (which has been travelling the globe since its debut show in 2012) comprises stories that will seduce the sinless and astonish the immoral. The 70-minute kamishibai-style storytelling show stars Jemma Kahn and Roberto Pombo and features stories written by Tertius Kapp, Rosa Lyster, Lebogang Mogashoa, Justin Oswald, Nicholas Spagnoletti and Louis Viljoen. Direction is by Lindiwe Matshikiza.

Jemma Kahn is a Johannesburg-based theatre-maker with a background in both fine art and theatre. She concentrates on highly visual theatre, with particular interests in illustration and costume. In 2014, Jemma was an artist in residence at the Dutch Afrovibes festival and was one of the participating artists at THE JOHANNESBURG PAVILION at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. Her performance credits include the lead in Jane Taylor's AFTER CARDENIO, which was commissioned by Harvard scholar Stephen Greenblatt and hosted by GIPCA; her acclaimed kamishibai production, THE EPICENCE BUTCHER, and AMATEUR HOUR, directed by John Trengove, which was awarded second place for Best Theatre Production at the Fringe World Festival in 2014.

Roberto Pombo completed a four year Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dramatic Arts at the University of Witwatersrand in 2007. He has since furthered his studies, graduating from the renowned Helikos International School of performance in Italy. In addition to creating and devising much of his own theatre work, he has featured in a number of commercials, and is currently working full time as a performer on a new motion capture animation series, SILLY SEASONS.

A highly acclaimed actress and director, Lindiwe Matshikiza graduated from Rhodes University with an Honours Degree in Drama. As an actress, she has recently been seen on screen in the award winning South African film, FOUR CORNERS, and on stage in the French co-production, STERCITY, which has toured the African continent in 2014. Her most recent directing credit, THE DONKEY CHILD, is a multimedia community theatre piece, which won major critical and audience acclaim.

The writers of WE DIDN'T COME TO HELL FOR THE CROISSANTS include lecturers, playwrights, storytellers, essayists and theatre producers.

Tertius Kapp currently lectures in the Department of Afrikaans at Fort Hare University, having previously lectured in the Department of Dutch and South African Studies at Adam Mickiecz University in Poznan, Poland. Kapp has won several awards for his plays ROOILAND and OORSEE, both published by Tafelberg.

Rosa Lyster is a writer and doctoral student living in Cape Town. Her thesis focuses on reading and censorship in South Africa during apartheid. Lyster's essays and poetry have been published in various literary journals including Aerodrome, The Toast and Prufrock.

Johannesburg born Lebogang Mogashoa started his storytelling series WHEN WE WERE NEARLY YOUNG whilst teaching English in Korea. Having developed a cult following there, he returned to South Africa in 2013 where he has been presenting the same storytelling series at POPArt.

Justin Oswald is based in Johannesburg, and is a senior copywriter at Oglivy and Mather.

Nicholas Spagnoletti is a South African playwright and theatre producer. Author of the multiple award-winning play, LONDON ROAD, he has more recently penned the highly successful CIVIL PARTING.

Louis Viljoen is a writer and director based in Cape Town. He has written several successful plays including THE FRONTIERSMEN (2013) and THE KINGMAKERS (2014). In 2012, Viljoen's play CHAMP was awarded the Fleur Du Cap for Best New South African script, while his newest work, THE PERVERT LAURA, won two Fleur Du Caps awards, for Emily Child's performance and the playwright's own direction.

WE DIDN'T COME TO HELL FOR THE CROISSANTS runs from 14 - 19 December with shows taking place at 7pm and 9pm nightly. Tickets cost R120-R140 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.

WE DIDN'T COME TO HELL FOR THE CROISSANTS is nominated in the reader-submitted 2015 BroadwayWorld South Africa Awards for Best New Work. To cast your vote for this show, or any of the other nominees, click here. Voting is open to any reader of the site and runs through 31 December 2015.

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