Traditionally shown on television on New Year’s Eve,
Dinner For One (also known as
The 90th Birthday) was originally filmed in Hamburg in 1963, and went on to become a cult hit around the world. In fact, so popular was this short comical play that the
Guinness Book of Records listed it as the most frequently repeated TV programme ever.
Dinner For One and
Dinner For One Too will be back on stage at Joburg’s Promusica Theatre in Roodepoort on 3 July by popular demand. Bookings for this timeless comedy, with Wilson Dunster as the Butler and Elize Cawood as Miss Sophie, have opened at Computicket. Phone them on 011 340 8000 or visit
www.computicket.com. Groups of 10 or more people qualifie for a group discount by phoning Lauren on 011 815 3000, or by sending an email to
[email protected].
Both productions are available for your next corporate event. This is wonderful entertainment for clients; staff; motivational events; weddings; private dinners; Christmas functions; and more. For more information, contact Charl Senekal on 011 815 3000 or email him on
[email protected].
Today, the slapstick humour of
Dinner For One remains evergreen and irresistibly funny to all generations. Set in a musty English mansion, the piece concerns the 90
th birthday celebration of Miss Sophie (Elize Cawood), the last remaining member of the family. She sits primly at the head of the dining room table, with places laid for her 'guests' – all of whom she has outlived.
Wilson Dunster plays James, the butler, who has to serve a four-course meal to Miss Sophie and her imaginary guests. An added comedy treat for audiences is that a spoof on
Dinner for One – called
Dinner for One Too – will also be staged after the interval. In this version, directed by Johan Engelbrecht, Cawood and Dunster swap roles – Elize plays the butler, James, while Wilson plays Miss Sophie. All with a South African flavour!
“Our intention with doing a second version (or spoof) of
Dinner for One has been firstly to set ourselves a different challenge by reversing the roles - in other words - for Wilson to play Miss Sophie and for me to play the butler, James, without turning it into a ‘drag show'”, says Elize. Wilson continues: “Secondly, we wanted to South Africanise it, and thirdly, we wanted to have a really good time doing it. The plot is identical - it remains a slapstick jol! The classic version is so well-known, the audience knows exactly what to expect, but with
Dinner for One Too we’ve played around a bit and taken some liberties.”
André Stolz directed
Dinner For One and Johan Engelbrecht
Dinner For One Too.