THE REWARDING RISK OF BEING RISQUÉ
By Daniel E. Dercksen

Writer-director Fred Abrahamse is very happy with the outcome of his gay-themed parody musical Bangbroek Mountain, the 'Boere-version of Hollywood's serious 'Oscar-winning cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain.

This naughty and high-camp revue is drawing full audiences at On Broadway, one of Cape Town's favourite cabaret venues that has been home to similar fresh and invigorating shows the past decade.

The show very much reflects Abrahamse's jovial and playful personality. Talking to him after the opening night of the show, it's understandable why the response of audiences has been so overwhelming. In fact, during the opening night performance, there was such a vibrant interaction between cast and audience that an infectious uproar of laughter from an audience member spilled over onto the stage during a 'serious' moment and brought the show to a halt, causing Marcel Meyer and Grant Almirall to forsake their characters and share the joke.

"It's deliberately naughty and tongue in cheek," giggles Abrahamse with twinkle in his eye. "It pushes the envelope every now and then. I don't think there's anything offensive. We lead you along the garden path and then, when you turn a corner, it's not what you'd expect."

The journey to this wacky show started when Abrahamse and his creative partner Charl-Johan Lingenfelder (who is responsible for the music) approached Russell Shapiro to do an end-of-year show. Their fruitful relationship with Shapiro began a decade ago with the equally risqué 'AbbAtoir', which was banned after 14 weeks.

Bangbroek starts at a Voortrekker Camp in the Bangbroek Mountains of South Africa in the 60s, and follows the lives and relationships of two boys who dream of building a B & B.

Initially, their idea for a Christmas revue was anything but a 'Musical about Camping'.

It was only after Abrahamse and Lingerfelder, along with co-writer and star Marcel Meyer, saw Brokeback Mountain that they decided to turn the much talked about film inside out and spice it with sexual innuendos and a 'local is lekker' mentality.

"We've created a show cause it's the festive season," says Abrahamse, "deliberately catering for the holiday mood and fun."

Musically, the show is an amalgamation of different musical styles and musicals, particularly Little Shop of Horrors, with the sensational Three Tons Of Fun stepping into the glitzy shoes of the Cowletts.

"We deliberately went through different themes and genres," says Abrahamse. "All the music is original but it sounds like 80s music. It definitely appeals to the gay market but there's a nice crossover with the heterosexual market as well."

Abrahamse enjoys his unconventional status. "I like to push the envelope, to keep trying new things, not keep producing the same stuff."

He finds that the younger generation, television and the Internet influence him. "In South Africa we've grown up with the American sitcom humour during the cultural boycott and we've developed our own genre of slapstick. It's a valid form of comedy but I don't think we have sophisticated, intelligent comedy."

He enjoys British humour and is a great fan of shows like Little Britain and League of Gentlemen, and comedians like Eddie Izzard, Mr.Bean and Billy Connolly.

Abrahamse believes that the evolution of comedy in South Africa is in the hands of our stand up comedians.

"It goes across all races. You don't have to be precious anymore. When it comes to religion people are still sensitive, but in terms of race and gender orientation, it's fantastic that people are developing really witty humour. We're far enough into democracy to be able to laugh at ourselves."

"Comedy is definitely on the rise. You can see it with all the comedy festivals. What we need are some really good comedy writers to tell our stories in our kind of lingo. We need to encourage writers to write."

He enjoys working in venues like On Broadway where it "challenges you to create in a confined space in contrast to a conventional theatre space where you can do everything."

If there's one thing that keeps Abrahamse on his feet during his 25-year-career, it's being challenged.

"The day I stop being challenged then I think it's time to give up."

Before Bangbroek he enjoyed an extensive career in theatre across South Africa and also worked as Creative Director at Century City, where he was involved with the shaping of the shopping centre and Ratanga Junction, a 5-year-coprporate-stint that "challenged me to use my creativity in other ways."

For Abrahamse, it all started with his parents. His sister was a ballet dancer and his father has a vaudeville act with Joe Stewardson.

"As children we went to see everything. I saw and was exposed to a lot of theatre, dance, opera, puppet shows, and through that passion for theatre my interest was sparked."

When he left school he enrolled at a drama school to be an actor but soon got bored.

"The longest run I did was 14 weeks," he laughs. "I was bored out of my head. I realised what interested me was the process of the magic, putting it together, making it all work."

For a director whose highlights include some memorable productions (Beautiful Thing, District Six The Musical, Joe Barber, Angels in America), there are a few regrets.

"My biggest regret would be having grown up in the 70s in South Africa. I played rugby and did drama, but desperately would love to have played the piano or learnt an instrument."

Despite this, he feels great when looking back at his life in theatre.

"If I think that I've done almost 77 productions over the last 25 years I've had 70 jobs! Most people I went to school with maybe changed jobs three times in the last 20 years. That's what keeps me alive."

On a more serious note, Abrahamse is concerned about the possible closure of On Broadway.

"While so many people are working so hard to regenerate the city centre, there are those that want to turn it into a mausoleum," he says. "It's definitely going to bring a death knoll to Long Street, Heritage Square and all these independent cabaret venues. It would be a tragedy because so many people were discovered in shows like 'Bangbroek'. One needs a venue like On Broadway for those who want to write true cabaret that is more risqué and over the top, and not accepted by mainstream theatre."

At the beginning of next year Abrahamse is directing Romeo and Juliet at Maynardville with a cast of 20, and promises that it is going to be different and "won't be a conventional production!"

Behind Abrahamse's facade of the naughty and provocative creator, hides a different person.

"I'm a highly insecure person and hide it very well. I'm a control freak and constantly tell people what to do. I force actors to open up their emotions and it conveniently keeps everybody away from prying. I'm a very private person."

Abrahamse's life will always be the theatre.

"Everyday is new, working with new actors, that's what keeps me alive. It's my passion. I'm sure people who work in a bank is passionate about what they do. My passion is to create. I think the day I stop, I'll retire up to the Piketberg and live a 'Bangbroek' existence!"

Copyright © 2006 Daniel E. Dercksen
Published with Permission in Weekend Argus, December 9, 2006