OddBody Theatre proudly brings 1 man brings and 36 characters to the National Arts Festival 2013.
This devastatingly funny one act follows
a day in the life of Sam Cooper, an out-of-work actor who mans the red-hot
reservation line at Cape Town's number one restaurant. Desperate callers will
stop at nothing – coercion, threats, bribes, and histrionics – in their zeal to
land a prime reservation. Meanwhile absentee managers, an oversexed maître d’
and the celebrity chef from hell threaten to drive Sam over the edge. One
restaurant, one actor, 36 characters, and over 200 character changes.
Award-winning Director, Megan Furniss, and Bosch Botha have cleverly localized the story in a way that never seems forced and adds new layers of comedy. “It’s a gastronomical explosion of virtuosic brilliance that leaves the audience hungry for more”, says producer, Richard Antrobus. He adds: “This is the perfect festival piece: it’s light, funny and different and showcases Bosch Botha’s skill and talent to slide effortlessly from one character to another. The audience share Sam’s frustrations and delights and identify with all the crazy quirks of the various characters he encounters. We know these people very well. Heck, we related to half of them!”
Here’s what the critics had to say:
“**** – it’s breathtaking to watch and hugely entertaining…you hysterically laugh your way through all the antics…” – THE STAR, Diane de Beer
“9 out of 10! …near perfect one man show…This is unrelenting humour at its best…” – THE CITIZEN, Sibusiso Mkwanazi
“Bosch Botha has got it just about perfect…an absolute delight.” – THE DAILY MAVERICK, Lesley Stones
“Bosch Botha se trefsekere spel, tesame met ‘n stewige skeut humor en patos, sorg vir boeiende teater.” – BEELD, Rudolf Stehle
“We are mesmerized by the continual switch of characters, laughing at the insane demands, marveling at the skill of the quick portrayals.” – SATURDAY STAR, Jennifer de Klerk
“Bosch Botha is fabulous as he morphs seamlessly from one character to the next!” – Robyn Cohen, Weekend Argus
"I was gobsmacked at how Pieter Bosch Botha keeps track of them all, making them unique and distinct characters. A highlight!" - Moira de Swardt, Artslink.co.za
Pieter Bosch Botha has been active in the industry since the age of 6. He trained at the National School of the Arts and has performed in numerous productions including JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, CINDERELLA, the sold-out comedy hit DAMES & HERE, the musical review SPOOF FULL OF SUGAR at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, the off-the-wall cabaret EAT ME!. His television adventures include the SABC 2 sitcom, ASKIES!, and the E-TV soap, BACKSTAGE. In 2008 and 2009 he portrayed the controversial role of Lammetjie Koekemoer on Kyknet’s daily soap VILLAROSA.
As a director, he has been responsible for the physical theatre show, HATS, which has received high critical acclaim and has played to full houses at 12 arts festivals since its premiere in 2009. HATS went on to be hailed as the highest grossing physical theatre production at the National Arts Festival in 2010 and 2012. Pieter co-created and directed, ROSE RED, a one-woman show starring Dianne Simpson, which has received a deluge of critical acclaim and has been performed in Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Cape Town and most recently the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in Johannesburg. Recently Pieter co-created and directed the highly acclaimed SWOOP, which enjoyed a sell-out run at Kalk Bay Theatre and will tour extensively in 2013.
