Introducing the show Ver in die wêreld Kittie, Fili van Zyl shared how the venue, which opened on 27 July 2024, saw a group of illegal street vendors become an integral part of the commercial market where farmers have traded fresh produce for 300 years.
The beautiful facility has succeeded in bringing together the diverse population of Cape Town in a joint venture and the erstwhile ‘illegal’ vendors are now respected wholesalers and partners in the Cape Town Market project.
Historically, Cape Town has always been established as a trading post for fresh produce and many of the informal-turned-formal vendor businesses are family groups that are second or third generation family businesses, a special legacy that is part of the culture of Cape Town.
Van Zyl shares with the audience that the greater vision for the project, still under wraps, is to weave the arts into business, of which the Blik Theatre complex is just the start.
Die Blik is a beacon and perfect venue for the latest work by the beloved custodian of Cape musical artform, David Kramer.
The award-winning musical follows the intertwined stories told in Kramer’s signature musical genres - from traditional Afrikaans folk songs played on a ramkie “blik” guitar on the Pessach family farm in the Western Cape’s Worcester, to the nightlife of Cape Town’s District 6, Johannesburg and New York's R&B Jazz clubs, from London’s BBC radio and a Europe on the brink of war, to Hollywood’s 1950’s folk scene, to the finale which ultimately sees the main character embark on her own hero's journey.
The story is told by the main character, Kittie Jaftha, played by well-known TV personality and songstress Rushney Ferguson, and follows the musical destinies of three characters - Josef, the note-perfect crooner played by André Terblanché; Koos Heunigbek, played by Dean Balie, who generated spontaneous applause at every opportunity; and Jenny Stead’s Rosa de Miranda, who can also turn any tune into a party.
A key theme centres around the traditional Afrikaans folk songs such as Suikerbos, which ended up being sung by international stars such as Doris Day, but were never credited to their indigenous composers.
The music by Kramer, written in Afrikaans with English subtitles and projected as part of the noteworthy set design, is artfully done. The translations are beautiful in themselves, but the Afrikaans is some of the most lyrical rhyming gedigte you will ever hear and must go down as one of David Kramer’s most accomplished works.
Although there is not as much dancing as some of his other productions, (actually, there is none), the story and staging tick all the boxes of humour, pathos, broad cultural relevance and top notch musicality in a venue, that I overheard Ou Dawid himself say, has some of the best sound of any venue he has ever played.
A special mention must go to the three maestros who provide the live backing throughout the performance, violinist Kerryn Torrance, pianist Ivan Potts on piano and Nick Turner on percussion, holding it all together.
With great ambience, decor, lighting, signage and a vibe which makes you want to stay to network and kuier with Cape Town’s cool theatrical aficionados, the Blik looks set to be the perfectly located and equipped entertainment and events venues in the city.
The show runs until 11 August. Book at Webtickets
