By Nangamso Mabindla
4 September 2007

ARMED with his trademark Afro and hilarious characters, comedian Marc Lottering will be in East London, helping the city's theatre-goers start the spring season with a laugh.

Cape Town's Lottering will not be the only act entertaining East London this September; the city's Guild Theatre has many shows lined up, ranging from dance to beauty pageants.

Theatre manager Zane Flanagan says that the East London Science College beauty pageant will kick off the season on Tuesday, 4 September. Then the three-day Buffalo City FET College Dance Extravaganza starts on Thursday, 13 September.

And on 18 September, Lottering stages his show, Hallelujah, at the Guild.

"Lottering will bring his hilarious popular characters, including the charismatic Auntie Merle Abrahams from Belgravia Road, Athlone," Flanagan says, adding that the play relates how Auntie Merle caused the undertaker to lose his prosthetic eye.

Colleen the cashier, Smiley the taxi dude and Galatia the aspiring singer also put in an appearance. "The audience should also prepare to meet his brand-new character, Pastor Brandon, who is a firm believer in the laying on of hands."

Tickets are R60 and the show runs from Tuesday, 18 September until Saturday, 22 September. It aims to raise funds for the King William's Town SPCA.

On Heritage Day, 24 September, the East Cape Opera Company, in collaboration with the Rhodes Vocal Ensemble, present a song revue titled Ain't Misbehavin'.

"This is a community development programme fund-raising event for the Loaves and Fishes network that cares for children affected by poverty, violence and Aids. Theatre goers are guaranteed a fun ride, filled with clowns, racehorses, swindlers and pickpockets; and getting lost in Duke Ellington's swing," Flanagan says.

Tickets for the one-day show are R100.

Rounding off the month, is the Crown of the Russian Ballet, an Edouard Miasnikov presentation. The programme features George Bizet's one-act ballet Carmen; Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet (one act); The Sleeping Beauty pas de deux; The Nutcracker (adagio and pas de deux); and Symphony No 5 (finale).

Tickets range from R160 to R220. For more information about this and other shows, contact the Guild Theatre on 043 743 0704.