Dear Breeder is a bellyful of laughs
The whimsical musical comedy Dear Breeder is now on at the Seabrooke's Theatre,
Parenthood is one of those major life moments which forces one to run the full, exhaustive gamut of human emotions: it can be a horrendously stressful, anxiety-inducing ordeal or a joyous, beautiful, life-affirming experience. For most people it’s both.
But it’s not just the emotions that are put through the wringer: becoming a parent is a life-changing experience from whichever angle you choose to approach it.
This makes show like Dear Breeder, which wittily delves into the life of the new suburban mother, relatable on so many levels.
The show is deceptive in its whimsy, as performers (and moms) Kasia Vosloo and Karen Logan, deliver a fresh, thoughtful take on the subject of motherhood under the expert direction of Iain EWOK Robinson.
Vosloo, quirky and charming, strums sweetly on her guitar, while singing hilariously catchy tunes about everything from baby-making to homophobic porcupines.
Logan, deft and lively, gives life to Vosloo’s melodic musings, brilliantly lampooning a range of uncanny mommy characters embroiled in the thankless task of putting together a preschool nativity play for their kids.
Together they share great chemistry, giving each other ample room to breathe on the intimate stage, with each performer’s strengths (Vosloo’s irreverent musicality, Logan’s expressive prowess) skilfully deployed throughout.
All of this is presented with the aid of brightly-coloured children’s toys and furniture used by the performers in clever ways throughout the show.
The satirical nature of the show means there’s a compelling layer of social critique as the show smartly skewers the middle-class suburban bubble while also sensitively foregrounding the human complexity therein.
The play isn’t afraid to bravely tackle harder stuff, like what it means to be a mother in the wider societal context and how motherhood impacts on women on a more personal level.
This award-winning show is a pitch-perfect blend of humor, heart and thought, and is a must-see for everyone who is a parent, has a parent or wants to be a parent.
You can watch Dear Breeder at Durban High School’s Seabrooke’s Theatre until 31 August.
Tickets for the charity show on Thursday 28 August at 7pm are R100 each and proceeds will go to the Robin Hood Foundation’s ‘Love the Babies’ project.
They are also encouraging the audience to bring a box of crayons for the Uminathi Crèche in rural Mariannhill.
Dear Breeder will also be showing on Friday 29 August at 7.30pm, Saturday 30 August at 2.30pm and 7.30pm and then Sunday 31 August at 2.30pm.
To book your ticket, please contact Karen Logan on 074 1021 371 or karen@amehlovideo.com. Your booking will be confirmed on receipt on payment.
