The classical Dinner for One and the satirical local version Sopper vir Een will be on stage at the Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace on Friday, 19 April at 19:00 after a series of sold-out shows across South Africa, with Justin Strydom as James the butler, and Elma Potgieter as Miss Sophie. Bookings can be made online at www.LTickets.co.za. Groups of 10 or more people get a nice discount – call Lefra Productions on (011) 815-3000 or send an e-mail to info@lefra.com. Please also visit www.dinnerforone.co.za for more information. The production is also available for corporate functions or fundraising events. Please call Monica Booysen on 0118153000 or email to info@lefra.com. Dinner for One is presented with the generous support of Blu Blood, Lefra Productions, Hollywood Costumes, RSG, Lift, Britz Couriers and Removals and WS Pianos.
Dinner for One (also known as The 90th Birthday), which is now a New Year’s tradition on television, gained cult movie status in Germany after it was filmed in Hamburg in 1963. This extremely funny slapstick comedy takes place in a centuries-old British mansion, where the last remaining member of the family, Miss Sophie, celebrates her 90th birthday. The whole sketch takes place in the dining room, with Miss Sophie at the head of the table, and places are set for her ‘guests’ – all of whom are deceased.
The butler, James, has to serve the guests a four-course meal – and there is a drink for each course! Since none of the guests except Miss Sophie are there in flesh and blood, Miss Sophie insists that James play each guest’s role and therefore drink all their drinks on their behalf’. “Same procedure as every year, James.” As he struggles to help Miss Sophie celebrate her 90th birthday by acting out the parts of her dearly departed drinking friends at the annual dinner party, the ensuing mishaps provide unpredictably funny results.
As a bonus, Elma and Justin also perform Sopper vir Een after the break. The surprise is that Sopper vir Een makes fun of Dinner for One. Elma then plays the role of the butler, and Justin that of Miss Sophie. Sopper vir Een was adapted by Frans Swart to make it South African. “The plot is exactly the same – it’s still a big “jol”!” says Frans. “But I ‘South Africanised’ the second version, and it was a lot of fun! The audience is going to love it! The classic version is so familiar, and the audience knows exactly what to expect, but there are going to be a whole lot of surprises in the second version”.
Elma Potgieter is known as, among other things, actress, presenter, writer, language practitioner, translator, word artist, and author of more than fifty Afrikaans short stories and four novels. She graduated from the University of Pretoria with subjects such as French, German, Afrikaans/Dutch, English, Art History and Psychology. Later she took singing and drama lessons privately. After three years as a journalist at Die Transvaler and Huisgenoot, she began her stage career at the then CAPAB in 1973. Whilst there, she performed in four one-woman shows: Darling Blossom, Laetitia kom Terug, Vrou aan Flarde and Moervrug, in which she played six characters (three women and three men). More recently, she was seen in Lefra Productions’ farce My Oom se Vrou se Plekkie in 2019, after she had to take over a role the role in the farce Daa’ Gaat die Bruid! within a week the previous year. In 2021 she played the role of Mariana in Schalk Schoombe’s one-woman play, Klipgebede. Her latest novel, Skerwe, was released earlier this year.
Justin Strydom is a well-known television, film and stage actor and can currently be seen in the telenovela Diepe Waters in the role of swimming coach Gys Swarts. He played Ak in Isidingo, for which he won the SAFTA for Best Supporting Actor 2015 and was nominated for a SAFTA Best Actor 2017 for Paul King in High Rollers. Justin is also a voice artist, lecturer, writer, director and producer. He studied drama at the then Pretoria Technikon and was also the head of the drama department at the AFDA Film School. Other television roles include roles in Egoli, Zero Tolerance, Generations, Jozi Streets, Scandal!, Song vir Katryn, The Res, Villa Rosa, 7de Laan and Binnelanders.
Join Miss Sophie’s 90th birthday party at Emperors Palace on Friday, 19 April @ 19:00. Book you tickets now at www.LTickets.co.za
