Andrew Lyndsay of the Spaza Gallery is hosting a fab Valentine’s event.    Starting at 4 pm at 19 Wilhelmina St Troyeville there is a Valentine’s exhibition followed by a show by Venus Mercedes. Book via email emp@intekon.co.za or on 082 494 3275/ 082 957 0052. Cost R150 per head.

From Gingko’s newsletter: 

With February being the month of love, we thought we’d put together a programme that would celebrate some of the world’s greatest love songs. Michèle Corbin (soprano) and Donato Somma (tenor) will perform a wonderful selection of operatic, traditional Napolitan and more contemporary works to the accompaniment of pianist Susan Harrop-Allin.

Works include (among others) the beautiful Libiamo from Verdi’s La Traviata, Morrcone’s Nella Fantasiamade famous by Sarah Brightmanand more recently by Il Divo, the fabulous-for-singing-in-the-shower-on-your-own O Sole Mio,

We’ll be serving a special array of typical Italian street food, including antipasto platters, bagnacauda with grissini & raw veg for dipping, loads of different but equally delicious bruschetta, polenta fritta croccante otherwise know as polenta chips with muffaletta to dunk them in, popcorn w garlic & parmigiano and then luscious strawberries with balsamic glaze and tiramisu for dessert!

The concert is R100.00 per person. Book your table soonest as seats are limited as you know! Email Catherine@gingko.co.za. You’re welcome to come earlier for lunch and simply stay on, or plan on a late lunch accompanied by some of the world’s most delightful music.

Jozi Carnival   The 2011 theme of the annual Joburg Carnival is Jozi my Jozi 125 celebrating the anniversary of the city’s existence.  It will take place on 31 December from 12pm and leaves from Kotze Street, moving across Nelson Mandela Bridge to Newtown.  

Laser show at Carnival City   On 31^st go along to Carnival City at 7 pm where their annual fireworks display will be replaced by a more animal-friendly but equally spectacular laser light show.  The show is free. Carnival City is situated on the intersection of the N17 toll road Snake Road (Heidelberg Road or R23) and Elsburg Road (R554) Johannesburg, South Africa

Nutcracker on Ice at Monte Casino   There are still tickets for Pieter Toerien’s  presentation of the  Imperial Ice stars in The Nutcracker on Ice at Monte Casino at 7.30 pm.

The Market Theatre’s write up summarizes the play:  

Death of a Colonialist tells the story of Harold Smith, an aging, eccentric, unpredictable but extremely passionate history teacher at a high school in Grahamstown. His passion is South African history, most specifically the history of the amaXhosa. Harold is at the end of his powers and his increasingly erratic teaching techniques are making the school’s hierarchy look for some new blood in the history department. He is aware of the moves against him but believes his passionate teaching will always win the day.

What Harold is not aware of is that his wife has terminal cancer and has decided not to tell him. His two children, who have moved overseas, decide to come home for an unconventional family reunion. Some hard truths await Harold, who is so wrapped up in his own life and his passion for history that he is unaware of the personal tragedy unfolding in his own life. Dealing with questions of identity, history and terminal illness, this is a funny, sad, profound and passionate play that weaves between the tragedy of our past and the challenges of our present. Ultimately, Latter’s play reinforces what it means to be South African.

The Girl in the Yellow Dress, written by Craig Higginsons and directed by Malcolm Purkey,  is another excellent production which is returning for a re-run at the Market.  I missed it last time around so am going to make sure I see it this time before it comes off on the 18th December.  The Market Theatre’s synopsis : ‘Originally inspired by Ovid’s story Echo and Narcissus and psychoanalytic writings on narcissism, The Girl in the Yellow Dress is set in contemporary Paris and deals with the exchanges between Celia, a beautiful English teacher in her late twenties, and Pierre, her younger French-Congolese pupil.  

Brimming with humour, rage and longing, this internationally celebrated South African play provides a minute exploration of an increasingly hazardous romantic entanglement and an insight into some of the tensions between the ‘first’ and ‘third’ worlds.