Purrfect for little ones: Puss in Boots opens at The Baxter next weekend

The Rehearsal Reef: Where Carnival Meets Craft

Rehearsal room 3A at Durban’s Playhouse still throbs with last week’s pulse. Tambourine jangles echo off the walls, and curling call-sheets carry scribbles such as “Rory - drop an extra ‘¡hola!’ after the flip” or “Belinda - sparkle burst on count 17.” These half-berserk memos read like love-notes between two muses: disciplined stagecraft and open-air mayhem. By Friday the set will be packed into two scarlet shipping crates bound for Cape Town, and the air will hang heavy with cane-sugar haze, sea-salt talc, and fresh sawdust - the signature scent of a KickstArt pantomime on the move.

Designer Greg King has drafted Esperanza as a pop-up pop-culture pop-up book: pages swing open to expose rum shacks, surf shacks, and bakeries, then swivel again and - voilà - an LED-cored volcano erupts stage left. King’s pièce-de-résistance is the “skypool,” a scrim onto which animated koi, mermaids, and the occasional WhatsApp emoji swim, wink, and vanish. Even parents sneaking a peek at their screens feel singled out and, miraculously, welcomed.

Music director Rowan Bakker fuses steel-pan calypso with power-ballad belting, TikTok-ready hooks, and the stubbornly catchy chords of “Dragostea Din Tei.” The band camps in the loading dock because the drum kit refuses the stairwell. Trumpeter Thandi Nkosi claims the concrete echo makes every horn line “sound like it’s galloping uphill.” Eight bars are all Bakker needs to surf from twangy guitar to full salsa hurricane - fitting for a feline who supposedly prowled Andalusian courtyards with Columbus.

Tail-coat Tactics: How the Cat Learned to Sashay

Rory Booth’s boots - three inches of drag-queen glory re-soled with sneaker gum - let him land in silence even after a back-flip. He studied silver-screen swordfolk from Fairbanks to Banderas, yet the choreographic DNA borrows more from Havana salsa: coat flicks that snap scarlet silk, tight spins ending in crouch, and a phantom guitar-solo struck mid-air. His face-off with Selina Swiftclaw happens on a rotating disc the crew calls the “lazy tortilla,” where rapier, frying pan, and inflatable ukulele trade places in gleeful chaos.

Belinda Henwood drifts about wielding a hollow starfish that sneezes biodegradable glitter. Calypso Honeybunch’s wings - fishing net dipped in resin - flash like noon on Caribbean waves. Henwood begins each warm-up with a Trinidadian road-march inhale and a street-gossip exhale, morphing Tinkerbell into island-aunty wisdom: “When the tide forget your name, swim in another direction.” Expect to hear kids chanting that adage for weeks, unaware they’re quoting elder-speak.

Meanwhile, Bryan Hiles tests Grimsby Withergood’s LED barnacle-cloak, a garment that snaps from kingly blue to bruise-purple faster than a curse. Lockdown taught him vocal fry and smoke-pellet swallows; now he wields three laughs - entry cackle, seduction croon, and rap-battle death-rattle. His makeup blends seaweed green with disco-ball gold so that follow-spots turn him into a venomous yet club-ready fish.

Sugar, Sass & Systemic Change: Meet the Rest of Esperanza

Tom Marzipan - wide-eyed, surfboard-toting Kyran Brady Taylor - slips ocean-conservation PSAs between pratfalls. Offstage he practices kick-flips on a skateboard, keeping the physiotherapist on speed-dial. In Act Two he inherits a golden shell-phone that dishes voice notes from tomorrow, letting the script rib Eskom memes and current load-shedding slots without breaking fairytale skin.

Tristram, the panto “thickhead,” has been reimagined as a fitness influencer. Lyle Buxton pads his biceps to cartoon altitude; the code-word “Bun-buster!” forces audience members into a 30-second HIIT squat-fest. Security guards at lunch break serve as guinea pigs, ensuring every dad in the third row can read the moves through scratched face-shields. A hidden linoleum-painted crash-mat turns his bakery backflip into illusionist poetry.

Blessing Xaba’s Mother Merry rules the stage like a gossip-queen and gluten-goddess combined. Her oven doubles as a cinnamon-fog cannon, while self-rising croissants - foam confections on RC cars - circle her feet like ducklings. When she belts “Whisk Me Away,” choux swans spin across the floor, and front-row nostrils flare in sugary bliss.

King Magnum - Mthokozisi Zulu on a throne of conch-shells and bar-stool hydraulics - exudes the benevolence of a bodega kingpin who secretly owns yachts. His driftwood crown sports a magnetic release for instant humility. Princess Miranda, a.k.a. Roshanda Lewis, unfolds an accordion-pleated skirt to flash “GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUNDS,” slipping systemic reform into sparkly protest sequins.

Cargo Crates, Conga Lines & the Final Purr

Come June 26 the Pam Golding Theatre will vibrate like a gargantuan sub-woofer. Outside, Baxter’s foyer will smell of glühwein and vetkoek; inside, 10 000 sequins will twinkle under one indefatigable cat. Every cue - from the first stealthy ukulele pluck to the silver-mylar snowstorm - aims to prove that theatre is a renewable happiness grid no outage can dim.

Before that, two refrigerated trucks will haul flats, lights, and dreams across 1 600 kilometres. During the layover in Salt River, the company hosts “shed sessions,” where domino champions clack tiles in clave rhythm and retired magicians teach card tricks. On closing night a conga line snakes through the parking lot, performing the chorus of “Nine Lives to Live.” A stranger hurls celebratory rice; costume designer Neil Harris bags every grain - tomorrow’s wedding-scene snow.

Director Steven Stead keeps a flip-chart titled “Audience Hostage Negotiation Tactics.” Cue the toddler who shrieks “Behind you!” three times and you must answer by name. Dad heckles? Retort with 10% extra funny. References - load-shedding, Rugby debates, pie specials - swap nightly, keeping the razor sharp. Even eco-messaging sneaks in: trash-bag jellyfish ballet during “The Plastic Waltz,” ending with the translucent horde morphing into reusable tote bags flung like rock-concert tees. Bring the tote back next season, and KickstArt knocks a few rand off the ticket - one small nudge toward a culture of return.

So when the overture gallops uphill and the LED skirts ripple like bioluminescent coral, remember: none of it is magic in the wand-waving sense. It is the calculated collision of sugar fog, sawdust, cardboard volcano, and human beings who treat happiness as a resource worth rehearsing, reusing, and refusing to ration.

[{"question": "

What makes KickstArt\u2019s Puss in Boots a unique pantomime experience?

", "answer": "KickstArt\u2019s Puss in Boots is unique due to its vibrant fusion of stagecraft and spectacle. It features a pop-up book set with LED effects, calypso-infused music, dynamic choreography inspired by salsa, and engaging performances that blend traditional panto with modern pop culture references and even eco-messaging, creating an immersive and interactive show for all ages. The set, designed by Greg King, features a pop-up book style with LED-cored volcanoes and a \"skypool\" scrim displaying animated koi and mermaids. The music, directed by Rowan Bakker, mixes steel-pan calypso with power-ballads and TikTok-ready hooks. The choreography incorporates Havana salsa moves, and the actors bring unique interpretations to their roles, such as Rory Booth's Puss in Boots with his drag-queen inspired boots and martial arts precision, and Belinda Henwood's Calypso Honeybunch. The show also subtly integrates environmental messages through elements like biodegradble glitter and a trash-bag jellyfish ballet that transforms into reusable tote bags."}, {"question": "

Who are some of the key creative talents behind KickstArt\u2019s Puss in Boots?

", "answer": "The production boasts a talented team. Greg King is the set designer, known for creating the innovative pop-up book set with its LED effects and \"skypool.\" Rowan Bakker is the music director, responsible for the unique calypso-infused soundtrack. Key performers include Rory Booth as Puss in Boots, Belinda Henwood as Calypso Honeybunch, Bryan Hiles as Grimsby Withergood, Kyran Brady Taylor as Tom Marzipan, Lyle Buxton as Tristram, Blessing Xaba as Mother Merry, Mthokozisi Zulu as King Magnum, and Roshanda Lewis as Princess Miranda. The show is directed by Steven Stead, ensuring a cohesive and dynamic performance."}, {"question": "

What kind of musical styles can audiences expect from the show?

", "answer": "Audiences can expect a lively and eclectic mix of musical styles. Music director Rowan Bakker masterfully blends steel-pan calypso beats with power-ballad belting and contemporary TikTok-ready hooks. The soundtrack also features the 'stubbornly catchy chords of \"Dragostea Din Tei,\"' ensuring a vibrant and dance-inducing experience. The band even performs from the loading dock due to the drum kit's size, with trumpeter Thandi Nkosi noting the unique concrete echo enhances the horn lines."}, {"question": "

How does Puss in Boots incorporate modern themes and environmental messages?

", "answer": "Puss in Boots cleverly integrates modern themes and environmental messages without detracting from the fairytale magic. Characters like Tom Marzipan deliver ocean-conservation PSAs between gags, and the script includes humorous references to current events like 'Eskom memes and current load-shedding slots.' The show also features a 'trash-bag jellyfish ballet during \"The Plastic Waltz,\"' which culminates in the jellyfish transforming into reusable tote bags. The production even encourages audience participation in eco-friendly practices by offering a discount on next season's tickets for returning these totes."}, {"question": "

What unique performance elements and choreography are featured in the show?

", "answer": "The show is packed with unique performance elements and dynamic choreography. Rory Booth's Puss in Boots performs impressive feats, including back-flips, with choreography drawing from Havana salsa, incorporating coat flicks, tight spins, and even a 'phantom guitar-solo struck mid-air.' Belinda Henwood's Calypso Honeybunch uses a hollow starfish that \"sneezes biodegradable glitter.\" Bryan Hiles's Grimsby Withergood sports an LED barnacle-cloak that changes color rapidly, and Tristram, reimagined as a fitness influencer, leads audience members in a 'Bun-buster!' HIIT squat-fest. The show also features a 'lazy tortilla' rotating disc for chaotic sword fights and special effects like a cinnamon-fog cannon from Mother Merry's oven and choux swans on RC cars."}, {"question": "

Where will KickstArt\u2019s Puss in Boots be staged, and what happens between locations?

", "answer": "KickstArt\u2019s Puss in Boots will be staged at the Pam Golding Theatre. Before its run, the entire set, lights, and dreams are transported across 1,600 kilometers in two refrigerated trucks. During a layover in Salt River, the company engages in 'shed sessions,' where domino champions play to clave rhythms and retired magicians teach card tricks. This logistical feat ensures that the magic of the production can be shared with audiences in different locations, maintaining the show's high standards even on the move."}]