My Vrou se Man se Vrou extended until 17 June

My Vrou se Man se Vrou will now be playing in Pretoria until 17 June. My Vrou se Man se Vrou is touring the country this year, with seasons in Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, the InniBos Arts Festival at Nelspruit and the East Rand of Gauteng.

Ray Rooney is a master of farce. His show Run for your Wife has been playing on the London West End for more than 25 years, and Peet van Rensburg has done a wonderful job of the Afrikaans translation, My Vrou se Man se Vrou. The two leading roles are played by Hannes Muller (John Smith) and Tobie Cronjè (Stanley Garner), undoubtedly two of South Africa’s best comic actors. Add to this names such as Lelia Etsebeth (Mary Smith), Heidi Mollentze (Barbara Smith), Hannes Brümmer (Journalist/Bobby Franklyn), Duncan Johnson (Detective Sergeant Porterhouse) and Wynand van Vollenstee (Detective Sergeant Throughton), and you have the perfect mix for a hit production. The production was sold out earlier this year at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, and Tobie Cronjè was nominated for a Kanna Award as best actor for his role as Stanley Gardener.

The tour programme will be as follows:

- The State Theatre Drama, Pretoria | 28 May to 17 June 2012 (extended until 17 June)

- Laeveld Primary School, InniBos National Arts Festival, Nelspruit | 26 to 30 June 2012

- Marcellus Theatre, Emperor’s Palace, Kempton Park | 3 July to 5 August 2012

- ArtsCape Theatre, Cape Town | 25 September to 5 October 2012

The original play, Run for your Wife, holds the record for the longest running farce on London’s West End and has shattered records in South Africa too. The main character in My Vrou se Man se Vrou is John Smith, a London taxi-driver, who lives with his wife Mary in Highgate ... and also with his wife Barbara in Finchley, only four minutes apart. Of course, both Mrs Smiths are blissfully unaware of each other’s existence, since John uses irregular working hours as an excuse behind which to hide his double life. However, an accident and a wrong address cause a chain reaction, and John has to know his moves to keep his cat from getting out of the bag. To make matters worse, he also has to dodge his nosy neighbours, a determined journalist and two suspicious policemen!

Duncan Johnson has been a freelancer for more than 25 years. He graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with a four-year B.Dram. degree, specialising in acting. In his final year, he was awarded the Fleur du Cap Award for most promising student in the Western Cape. Shortly after, he attended the University of Bologna in Italy for a few months, on a bursary from the Italian Embassy. Upon his return to South Africa, he played various stage roles, but he will especially be remembered for his work as continuity present on M-Net, presenter and newsreader on CNW TV and field presenter for Pasella. He also appeared in TV shows such as 7de Laan, Egoli and Intersexions, to name but a few.

Hannes Brümmer has often been asked whether he is hyperactive, but has never sat still for long enough to find out! He has been a member of Joe Parker’s Improv Express, followed by Starship Improvise, since 2005. After obtaining his drama degree at the University of Pretoria, he acted in a variety of television roles, among others Een Skoenlapper, Amalia, Villa Rosa, Binnelanders, a number of television advertisements and the film Skin. On stage, he appeared in Full Circle, four farces and Paul Slabolepszy’s Mooi Street Moves. Hannes was also involved, both as writer and as actor, in Blikskottel on KykNet and the SABC’s SAFTA-nominated Kompleks.

Heidi Mollentze originally intended studying radiography – after all, she didn’t slog through matric maths and science to go and study drama! However, a detour through the drama department became a long trip ... a life-journey of 20 years, in fact! Her earlier appearances in farces made her realise that discipline was the only road to a successful ‘gag’. She is a versatile actress, having played roles in musicals such as Buddy Holly, The King and I and The Little Shop of Horrors, dramas such as Liz Meiring’s Vlerkdans, Breek en Skilpoppe, soap operas like Villa Rosa, Generations and Egoli, and series such as Haak en Steek (Casper de Vries) and Dit wat Stom is (Franz Marx).

Lelia Etsebeth is perhaps more known for the role of Liezl in Bakgat 1 & 2, but has also played various other roles. Television roles include Getroud met Rugby, Last Say on Sunday, Erfsondes II and III and films such as Superhelde, Bloedspoor and ’n Saak van Geloof. She is also a stage actress and vocalist – RSG listeners will recognise her voice from the radio soapie Susters en Skandes. She obtained her master's degree at the Tshwane University of Technology in 2011 and is currently working towards her Ph.D. at the University of Pretoria.

Movie-goers will remember Wynand van Vollenstee as Kallie in the film Karate Kallie, Bennie in Platteland and the braaivleis-man in Superhelde. TV audiences will remember him as Jean-Pierre in Erfsondes, Sakkie in Villa Rosa and his role in Getroud met Rugby. On stage, he appeared as Barta in Fiela se Ander Kind and Kleinboet in Ons vir Jou. This versatile actor graduated from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2007 (National Diploma in Drama), during which year he won the Best Actor of the Year Award.

Frans Swart is the director and producer of My Vrou se Man se Vrou. Frans is the CEO of Lefra Productions and is very excited about the production. “I’m truly excited about the unbelievable cast – we have some outstanding comic talents among them. Of course My Vrou se Man se Vrou is one of those plays that has all the elements needed to get people laughing – and keep them laughing. That proverbial “laugh per minute”. And that is exactly what we would like to do with My Vrou. We want people to come and relax and laugh about the carryings-on of John Smith and his two wives. For isn’t that what all the scientists say – that laughter is the best medicine for stress? This is why it is such an honour for Lefra Productions to be putting on this performance. People are sick and tired of politics (and we all know that SA politics can make you sick and tired in a split second). We want to laugh! And that is what My Vrou se Man se Vrou will bring you.”

Swart added that it has always been important to Lefra Productions to tour the country with their productions. “Yes, it is a nightmare from a logistics point of view to go on tour with such a large cast and set, but we are definitely going to tour the country so that everyone in South Africa can see the play!”

Book your tickets for My Vrou se Man se Vrou now, at Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or www.computicket.com. For group bookings and hospitality packages, call Ana on 011 815 3000 or send an email to [email protected]. The production is also ideal for fundraising for schools, churches and sport and service organisations.