People of Note

Pieter Toerien’s production of CATS is about to end it’s phenomenal run to packed houses in Cape Town and it moves to Montecasino in Johannesburg before embarking on an international tour. One of the people I spoke to who was deeply involved in the success of the musical was Gareth Hewitt Williams, who lives in London now but who came out to South Africa as one of the producers of Cats. Gareth is...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Marthinus van Bart who has just published a fascinating book called Wolraad Woltemade 250 Gedenkboek all about this most fascinating character and his heroic horse who rode into rough seas to save people from a ship wreck in Table Bay. Marthinus is a retired journalist who has put together a most beautiful and well researched bookwith amazing...

Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week, is one of South Africa’s most distinguished ballet dancers who is now retired after an illustrious career as principal dancer with CAPAB having joined them in 1966. His name is Eduard Greyling, who also travelled extensively in Europe and especially in The Netherlands and in Cape Town where he became famous partnering with Phyllis Spira. People...

In People of Note this week, we continue our coverage of the musical CATS for Pieter Toerien who sponsors this programme each week and whose production of this amazing musical is absolutely spectacular. This week I’ll be talking to MATT KRZAN who is the Assistant Director of Choreography and who has worked on many musicals both on the West End and Internationally.

For decades Pieter Toerien has brought us magnificent theatre! An hour before the opening of “Cats”, at Artscape, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the legend himself about this extraordinary production.

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is WENDY ACKERMAN who, apart from being well known as the Honorary Life President of Pick n Pay, is one of this country’s most dedicated philanthropists whose major sponsorships and support of our orchestra among numerous other artistic companies, as well as her personal work for the underprivileged, has earned her the Mayor’s Medal for Philanthr...

We in Cape Town are in for a major theatrical treat this festive season when Pieter Toerien presents the smash hit CATS at the Artscape Opera House from 10 December to mid-January. The show with its amazing costumes, music and dance is likely to stun our audiences and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the Music Director LOUIS ZURNAMER for People of Note this week.

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Kyle Shepherd, a leading South African jazz pianist and film score composer celebrated for his distinctive style. Kyle has travelled extensively internationally playing in major venues such as the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. His notable credits include the popular Netflix series Water and Unseen. Kyle Shepherd on People of Note this...

I wonder if you remember a famous international David and Goliath style court case where a lawyer from South Africa took on the mighty Disney organisation. It was about the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight for which the composer nor his family were never credited nor paid out for the use of the song in The Lion King. The lawyer who spear headed the case was Owen Dean and on People of Note this week, R...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the celebrated Italian pianist Filippo Gorini. Filippo was in Cape Town recently to play various recitals as part of his project called “Sonata For 7 Cities” which he has performed in Vienna, Hong Kong, Portland , Milan and also Cape Town. Filippo’s musicianship has drawn unanimous acclaim in major musical concert halls in Italy, Berlin, Amste...

The magical world of recording and recording studios is in the spotlight on People of Note this week when Rodney Trudgeon speaks to Murray Anderson, who founded Milestone Studios some 35 years ago. Over the years Milestone has become a famous studio where many famous artists have recorded award winning albums and where Murray himself has written jingles and scored the music for local and overseas...

For this week’s edition of People of Note, I invited in to the studio Ricardo MacKenzie who is the Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport in the Western Cape Government. His political journey began when he was elected to the DA in the Western Cape in 2014 and I asked him about his portfolio and about his views of the arts in the Western Cape. People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on...

I wonder if you are one of the lucky ones who have seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicoulor Dreamcoat at Theatre on the Bay. It has just returned to Cape Town after a sold out season in Johannesburg and bristles with energy, slickness and fantastic choreography. In the lead role as Joseph is Dylan Janse Van Rensburg who has just graduated from Lamta and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to him about the show....

David Kramer’s musical Orpheus McAdoo returns to the Artscape Opera House this week after it’s hugely successful run last year in October. With its evocative mix of old spirituals, ragtime, early American folk and South African musical influences celebrate the story of Orpheus McAdoo and his Jubilee Singers. In the role of Orpheus is the distinguished Cape Town Opera soloist, the baritone Conroy S...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the broadcaster, financial journalist and author DAVID WILLIAMS whose latest book is called On The Railway – The Great South African Rail Story. The book is a fascinating, nostalgic and loving look at the golden days of rail travel in South Africa. From the starched linen table cloths in the dining cars, to the goods trains that once served as...

After a decade cloaked in silent and stardust the legendary Royal Countess Zingara is making a triumphant return to Cape Town with a show called La Dolce Royal. Zingara’s was a hugely popular venue and concept in Cape Town and this dazzling new chapter is being brought to life by the acclaimed South African theatre visionary Craig Leo. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Craig Leo ab0ut the new show and his...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a well established and mush respected jazz musician, composer and recording producer ANDREW FORD. Not only has Andrew produced many albums in his studios know as The Nuthouse. But Andrew has also composed and recorded all the jingles for FMR and, more recently, our FMR Overture which opened our Gala Concert in May. Andrew talked about his crea...

On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the much respected Cape Town born composer, pianist, multi-instrumentalist and raconteur HILTON SCHILDER. Hilton has undoubtedly helped to mould the sound of what has become known as Cape Jazz. He is recognised globally and has featured on numerous albums. People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you b...

One of South Africa’s most iconic satirists and social activists is undoubtedly PIETER DIRK UYS. Pieter is also known internationally for his fearless satire and for his alter ego Evita Bezuidenhout. Pieter turns 80 this month and there are a number of tributes to him including some of his plays. I couldn’t resist inviting him into the People of Note studio to talk about his extraordinary career....

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Greg Karvellas who has directed the one man show MOFFIE, a compelling novel by Andre Charl van der Merwe which was made into a film in 2019. The play received a critically acclaimed run in London which left audiences transfixed. The actor at the Baxter production is David Viviers and Greg Karvellas discusses the play on People of Note this wee...

One of my favourite comedies for the stage is Noises Off, a hilarious farce by Michael Frayn that takes the audiences behind the scenes of a disastrous theatre production. The play is being presented at the Theatre on the Bay by young actors from LAMTA, directed by Chris Weare. My Guest on People of Note this week is one of the actors, AIDAN SCOTT, who plays the role of the director in the play. P...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week, is the exciting and award winning young tenor Innocent Masuku. Not only was he a finalist in Britain’s Got Talent, but he is enjoying a hugely successful career with English National Opera. Innocent has just been in Cape Town to sing in Cape Town Opera’s production of the Barber of Seville as Count Almaviva, a role he also sang to great acclaim...

There is a play running at the Baxter Theatre called FEEDBACK, which is described as an extraordinary murder mystery that, under the unique and unconventional vision of Andrew Buckland who also wrote the play. Andrew is one of South Africa’s most celebrated theatre-makers and actors with a career spanning several decades in stage, film and television and I spoke to him on People of Note about this...

Cape Town Opera’s sparkling production of Rossini’s hugely popular opera The Barber of Seville is playing to packed houses at the Theatre on the Bay. Playing the leading role of the barber is the baritone William Burger and I spoke to him on People of Note this week about the role which is a tour de force for the baritone. People of Note Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to yo...

A new 9 part series is about to be aired on SABC 3 in the channel called True Crime. It’s called Looking Into Darkness and has been directed by the award-winning film and documentary maker Peter Goldsmid and presented by the Forensic Investigator David Klatzow. The series concentrates on femicide featuring dramatic re-enactments , often using Confessions in the story telling. I spoke to Peter on P...