Who would have thought one could drive through Delta Park at 8pm on a Saturday? And to watch a stand-up comedy show at that!
From the vision of Linden’s Lyall Ramsden, producer at Phly Media, the unique Theatre in the Park has made it possible to do just that. The latest installment was the launch of the Comedy in the Park series on 5 May.
Drawing a crowd of friends and family acts like Deep Fried Man, Mel Miller, and Sifiso Nene took to the intimate theatre stage – set snugly amidst the trees in the environmental centre. The Local Culture pop-up restaurant kept the coffee, or wine, flowing and the food warm.
Celebrity Master Chef, Chris Forrest helped make sure the laughs never stopped.
Ramsden said that through Theatre in the Park, they are bringing shows – in the park – to the neighbourhood on a monthly basis.
“The event launched in February with Amanda Strydom and in March we hosted Chris Chameleon,” he said. “It’s a great platform for Joburg audiences to experience the magic of intimate performances.”
Ramsden was involved in the shooting of a short film at Delta Park and he came across the theatre last year. This immediately sparked the concept of Theatre in the Park.
“We started with Amanda Strydom and it flew.”
Not only does the location offer live shows, cinema screenings of the latest theatrical shows are also shown. The seats even come from His Majesty’s Theatre in downtown Joburg. They were donated many years ago.
Tanya Coetzer and Chase Venter from Randpark were very surprised to learn that there was a theatre in Delta Park.
Coetzer said there are not many comedy venues in the area.
“It is nice to have something small but also something that people will recognise and that is established,” she said.
Venter said it is really close and convenient and something different to do on a Saturday night.
More future shows and events are planned and you can stay up to date by visiting the Theatre in the Park’s Facebook page.
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Comedy in the Park heads to Delta Park this Saturday
