Sir Toby Belch:
Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?
(Twelfth Night, 2.3,97-98)
In 2021, as South African theatre stepped tentatively (or perhaps staggered) out of the era of Covid-19 lockdowns, a group of young actors came up with a bold idea to bring audiences back.
Baked Shakespeare was launched with a production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Olympia Cafe in Kalk Bay. The famous Cape Town eatery provided baguettes for an audience participation gimmick, but that’s not the kind of baking to which the ensemble’s playful title refers. Instead, the premise is that some of the actors onstage will get “baked” - stoned, high, loaded - during the course of the performance.
Baked Shakespeare (photo: Reuben Goldblum / Die Matie)
This year, Baked Shakespeare is back with a production of Twelfth Night. Having completed short runs in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, the show now moves to Johannesburg for a once-off performance at The Baked Market in Troyeville.
Billed as “a platform for celebrating diversity and sub-cultures”, this event will take place every Saturday in October at Troyeville House (21-23 Clarence Street). Tickets are available via Quicket.