Cape Town Culture

Cultural offerings in Cape Town range from high-brow opera to pop concerts in the park, comedy clubs and poetry readings. The city is particularly big on jazz, too. Listings can be found in the Friday editions of The Cape Argus, Cape Times and Mail & Guardian or online at www.tonight.co.za. Tickets for many events can be booked through Computicket (tel: 083 915 8000; www.computicket.com), which also has kiosks in malls including the V&A Waterfront.

Theatre

Fugard Theatre
The Fugard opened in February 2010 in the historic District Six area, and is named after Athol Fugard, one of South Africa’s best-loved theatre personalities. The converted warehouse and church is now a 270-seat theatre, which is home to the Isango Portobello Theatre Company. The company’s previous shows, A Christmas Carol and The Magic Flute transferred to London, and won awards as the best Off-West End productions.

Caledon Street, District Six
Tel: (021) 461 4554.
Website: www.thefugard.com

Vaudeville
Is it a theatre? Is it a supper club? A live music venue? Vaudeville is all of those and a whole lot more. It’s a raunchy cabaret with sexy showgirls, acrobats , strongmen, risqué singers, tap dancers, highwire acts and even breakdancers. Eye candy galore for both men and women. The show comes with a good three-course meal and makes a highly entertaining, extravagant, exuberant experience.

11 Mechua Street, off Lower Bree
Tel: 0861 787737.
Website: www.vaudeville.co.za

Baxter Theatre
The Baxter houses a theatre with 666 seats as well as a concert hall, and stages a variety of shows including opera, children’s theatre, comedy, classical concerts and mainstream and experimental theatre productions. Always worth checking because its' mission is to provide a variety of entertainment to suit all ages and tastes.

Main Road, Rondebosch
Tel: (021) 685 7880.
Website www.baxter.co.za

Music

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra
The Philharmonic is one of only two full–time professional symphony orchestras in South Africa. It was formed in 1914 and performs regularly at the City Hall in Grand Parade, at the Artscape Theatre Centre and at the Kirstenbosch Sunset Concerts held every Sunday evening in summer. Apart from traditional symphony concerts, the orchestra joins Cape Town Opera and City Ballet for their opera and ballet seasons. Performance details are available from its website.

Tel: (021) 410 9809.
Website: www.cpo.org.za

Opera

Cape Town Opera
The city’s opera company is famous for successfully Africanising the classics. That’s based on its self-declared mission to transform opera and the performing arts by bringing on board previously disadvantaged artists. Its 2010 season includes Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss and the more unusual African Songbook, a tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela.

Tel: (021) 410 9807.
Website: www.capetownopera.co.za