Mike van Graan’s Satirical Revue, Pay Back the Curry, Sold Out at National Arts Festival

PEN SA Board Member Mike van Graan’s satirical revue Pay Back the Curry has just finished a short run at the Baxter Theatre after selling out all eight of its shows at the National Arts Festival Fringe.

The revue is now showing at the Kalk Bay Theatre until 10 September – see the show details here.

Written by Van Graan, the play is produced by Siv Ngesi, directed by Rob van Vuuren and stars Daniel Richards. Van Graan was recently interviewed on Morning Live about Pay Back the Curry:

Press release from Pay Back the Curry:

The satirical revue, Pay Back the Curry, achieved a rare feat at the recent National Arts Festival: it sold out all of its eight shows on the Fringe! The Festival newspaper – Cue – described it as “an important production for all South Africans…clever, witty and on-point…brilliant performance”. This festival hit opened this week for a short run at the Baxter Theatre till 27 August.

With the script by award-winning playwright Mike van Graan (Green Man Flashing, Bafana Republic and Rainbow Scars), theatre icon Rob van Vuuren directs the young, multi-talented Daniel Richards in this 70 minute show that takes on many current, topical themes that have proved popular during its development with audiences ranging from Franschhoek and Rosebank to Khayelitsha and Delft.

Produced by comedian Siv Ngesi, the revue played to increasing houses during its first week (with 85% attendance on Saturday 20 August), and has one week of its short Baxter run to go. Cape Town audiences are notoriously late in “waking up” to stage plays and movies, so, to encourage you to see Pay back the Curry before the end of its run, see some of the responses received to date:

“’Curry’ is soooo, soooo funny. And this kid can act….Daniel Mpilo Richards…one of the most exciting young talents in South Africa”.
– Tony Jackman, Daily Maverick (Grahamstown)

“Sometimes, you witness something AMAZING, like this show, and all you can say is YOHHHH!”.
– Marc Lottering, comedian

“…a searing mix of wit, intelligence and social commentary…Richards is an absolute gem”.
– Lesley Stones, Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)

“…provocative, intelligent, emotive and extremely witty…”
– Siyabonga Mahomba, What’s on in Cape Town

“Be prepared to feel, laugh, to think and hopefully to continue to do all three long after you have left the Baxter Theatre.”
– Dylan Coetzee, Cape Town Theatre Scene

“Met elke satiriese en komiese hou wat in Pay back the Curry val, verminder jou frustrasievlakke en glimlag jy meer” Four star review
– Marina Griebenow, Die Burger

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