Amanda Strydom : State of the Heart
Studio Theatre, Montecasino
19 July – 6 August
Accompanied by Coenraad Rall on piano
Multi award-winning doyenne of the cabaret stage, Amanda Strydom, wrote “State of the Heart” in 1993 and won the Dalro and Showtime awards for Cabaret of the Year and Show of the year. ”State” was the first of her six self-penned one woman plays to date, in which she integrates a storyline with music to create a one woman musical theatre experience.
This iconic piece of musical theatre has reached cult status through the years and it gives Strydom great pleasure to celebrate the 30th birthday of “State of the Heart” at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Studio Theatre.
This timeless love story gently pokes fun at the Afrikaner soul and gives a glimpse of the history of South Africa from the twenties to the late seventies. It was a time when women had to know their place, peroxided their skins (because freckles were considered common) and men wore braces and smoked Springboktwak and Boeremeisies had to marry Boereseuns.
The heroine, Maxie de Meyer (a boeremeisie) falls in love with Raymond G. Bartlett (a dashing rooinek) who also happens to be a R.A.F fighter pilot – and a drama in the tradition of Springbokradio serials unfolds.
Strydom sings in English, Afrikaans, French, German, Dutch and Zulu and is accompanied by her long-standing pianist and musical director, the brilliant Coenraad Rall.
Pieter Toerien Productions