Jervis Pennington, lead singer from pop group The Soft Shoes, has loved "doo wop" music ever since he was a kid. And so he began writing A Town Called Fokol Lutho (inspired by the time he got lost in Colesburg and met some fascinating people in a shanty town) to live his out his dream.
As expected from a composer whose musical Scribble won two Naledi Awards and toured New York, the harmonies are heavenly and heartfelt, with plenty of catchy tunes to get stuck in your head.
"I really wanted to be involved in this show because of the great cast line-up and the chance to direct a new a cappella musical," said director Tara Notcutt (Three Little Pigs, Mafeking Road). "I worked closely with our dazzlingly talented musical director, Paul Morrissey, to bring the story alive alongside his amazing arrangements of Jervis' songs. We think we have got something pretty special with this team."
And she's right! The production stars Pennington alongside Carlo Daniels, Moenier Adams, Waasief Piekaan, and Nkosekhaya "Jack the Bass" Mgoqi. Each of these misfits gets a chance to tell his story. And even though they may not be good at falling in love, it's hard not to come away from the performance without a spring in your step, a tear in your eye, and your heart open wide.
A Town Called Fokol Lutho (PG-13 due to some strong language and sexual innuendo) is at Cape Town's Kalk Bay Theatre until 10 August. Tickets are available from www.kbt.co.za.
