JOBURG THEATRE PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE CONTINUATION OF ITS ANNUAL PANTOMIME TRADITION
Joburg City Theatres’ Acting CEO, Solomon Mphakathi is delighted to announce that writer and director Janice Honeyman with executive producer Bernard Jay will be presenting the next three annual festive season pantomimes on the Mandela Stage at Joburg Theatre.
“The pantomimes have become Joburg Theatre’s culture and a celebration of the festive season for the people of Johannesburg. This annual tradition now runs for 72 performances each year and is attended by over 60,000 patrons, including seventeen daytime shows for school learners. Our relationships with both the creative and the marketing partners have proven to be a winning formula over the years. We are excited about these partnerships and they are valuable in the sustainability of our business,”
says Mphakathi.
The fairest panto in all the land, Snow White, will run on The Nelson Mandela Theatre stage at Joburg Theatre from October 31st to December 23rd 2018; a giant of a pantomime, Jack and The Beanstalk, will run from October 30th to December 22nd 2019; and the fairy godmother of all pantomimes, Cinderella, will run from October 28th to December 20th 2020.
Janice Honeyman was excited about the news.
“I feel as though I’ve come home! I and my close family - three dogs and all - have just made the Great Trek back to Egoli from Cape Town,”
she declares.
“Over many years Joburgers have regularly welcomed me with open arms; for thirty years they’ve been loyal to me and embraced my pantomimes and musicals with joy and delight. So you can imagine how excited I am right now to be preparing Snow White as a Christmas panto-party! But to add to the thrill of coming back home, I’ve been asked by Joburg Theatre to do another two pantomimes in 2019 and 2020,”
Janice continues.
“It means more story-telling, more music, magic and mayhem and more working with the wonderful young talent we have in Joburg!”
Bernard Jay has been the executive producer of all the Honeyman pantomimes since 2000.
“I first produced a show on the Joburg Theatre’s mainstage in 1997 – the musical The Fantasticks starring Jason Donovan,”
says Bernard.
“I couldn’t be more delighted and grateful that the theatre’s executive management and board of directors have invited me to take this association into a 23rd year going forward. Joburg Theatre is my theatrical home.”
Janice Honeyman’s Snow White is presented by Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay in association with MNET, 94.2 Jacaranda FM and Your Family Magazine. 40,000 tickets have already been sold for this year’s pantomime, starring Desmond Dube and John Robbie.
Tickets will go on sale for next year’s Jack and The Beanstalk on October 31st 2018.
