Audience enjoys a tapping good time at Riverdance screening
The screening was two hours of entertaiment bliss.
Dancing is certainly one way to ward off the winter chill.
But for those less energetic the next best option for a Sunday afternoon was settling into a comfortable seat for a two-hour screening of Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show, right here in Benoni.
Presented by Nebula Entertainment at the E John Butler Centre for the Arts on May 22, the screening was the gala performance filmed live at the 3Arena, in Dublin, on February 9, 2020.
Founder of Nebula Music and Production Co, Graham Roderick, said that since the commencement of the Nebula Entertainment cinema screenings at the E John Butler Auditorium on the St Dunstan’s campus in September last year, they have enjoyed exponential growth in audience numbers.
“This has become especially popular with our more mature patrons and is purposely screened on a Sunday afternoon to enable them to get home before dark.
“The increase in popularity, we believe, is due to world-class and current content and the collaboration with St Dunstan’s College and use of their state of the art auditorium providing an excellent patron experience visually, sound-wise and in the comfort of a climate-controlled environment,” he said.
“The Lakefield Social Club, which is part of South African Associations of Retired Persons, brought 20 members to Riverdance. It is a special outing for them.
“Nebula Entertainment is the sole distributor for the Royal Opera House’s cinematic content for South Africa,” Graham explained.
“Typically we receive the live show recording 14 days after the show begins at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, enabling us to screen this material at the same time as it actually is on stage in London.
“Not only do we screen the very best in ballet and opera, but we also screen lighter event theatre-type content like Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show, Andre Rieu’s Cinema Only shows, and other West End musicals, such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.
“We believe we have a recipe for success and distribute to cinema exhibitors across the country, to outlets in Durban, Cape Town, Sasolburg, and Johannesburg.
“We are looking to identify suitable exhibitors in all the other major centres across the sub-continent.”
Upcoming screenings not to miss:
June 26: Swan Lake.
July 10: Romeo and Juliet.
July 24: Miss Saigon.
August 28: André Rieu 2022 Maastricht Concert, Happy Days are Here Again!
For more information about the upcoming shows, contact Graham on 082 303 4299 or at info@nmpc.co.za
About Lakefield Social Club
The club, for seniors aged 60 and over, falls under the South African Association of Retired Persons (SAARP).
Pam Harvey, founder and chairperson of the club, which was started in June 2014, said she decided to form the club for seniors who live alone or in an old age home to have the opportunity to meet new people and enjoy social outings.
“When I went overseas to visit my dad, he was attending various clubs to keep busy and making lots of friends. When I got back from my trip I decided we should start a similar social club in Benoni,” said Pam.
“The SAARP head office is based in Cape Town and when I did some research I found there are only two clubs in Gauteng.”
Pam said the club managed to keep going during the Covid-19 lockdown by hosting outdoor events like bowls, croquet, braais and picnics.
When regulations permitted, they held social meetings at the Northfield Methodist Church and these were well attended.
The group will meet at the church in Aerodrome Drive, Airfield, at 10:30 for 11:00 on June 7 and is celebrating its eighth birthday.
Anyone interested in joining may contact Pam on 082 457 3947 or email pamh1008@gmail.com.
ALSO READ: The birth of Lakefield Social Club
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