The Theatre Of Dreams Comes To The City Of Gold
Out of the ashes of the fire that destroyed Madame Zingara’s on Loop Street, downtown Cape Town, a tent shaped phoenix has risen in Cape Town’s Foreshore: Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams.
When the original restaurant burned down the spirit and the passion of restaurateur Richard Griffin refused to be put out. And instead of accepting fate and maybe finding a new building to re-open, he dreamed even bigger. The result of this vision is the Theatre of Dreams. The tent is one of only a handful of 1920’s Vaudeville tents left in the world. Specially shipped in from Belgium, this tent boasts rich and warm mahogany walls, deep red velour’s, plush velvet and stained glass windows. Framed in hand carved teak columns, the tent is a time machine that transports diners into a fantasy world.
The history of these Vaudeville tents dates back to the 1920’s when the tents were built to entertain patrons after the war and were designed to travel across Europe to small villages where no entertainment was available. They have immense history, mystique and beauty to them and hold myriads of secrets in the mirrors and wood walls.
The tent is a place of sensual indulgence, baroque splendour and sheer fantasy. A dreamscape where the renowned cuisine of the original restaurant is spliced with exquisite performance art that blurs the traditional boundaries between dance, acrobatics, circus acts and illusion.' Performers from Chile, Canada and Cape Town blend breathtaking aerial acts, with cabaret, comedy and contortion.
Irit Noble, singer, DJ and chanteuse is your anchor for the night, singing seductive melodies, and linking the show into an effortless, spell binding whole. Guests feast their eyes on Jenny Lill, whose tiny waif like appearance defies her strength and flexibility as she gracefully performs aerial ring acts and trapeze. Orlando Rivieras from Chile and Nataly Roberts from Cape Town and part of Cirque du Monde draw gasps of amazement as they twist and turn on rope and perform awe inspiring acrobatic and aerial suspension acts.
The evening evolves slickly and smoothly into a fusion of fine food served between the acts by waitresses in costume.
Up until now, this feast of luxury, fantasy and fun has only been available in Cape Town. But from Saturday, 1st of September, Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams will move up to Johannesburg for a two-month stay that promises to be filled with exactly the kind of magic and mystique of the travelling dinner theatres of the 20’s.
Watch the press for details of the location and grand opening of the Theatre of Dreams after an epic travel by rail and land from Cape Town as it sets up home in Gauteng for the rich summer months, combining the glitz and glamour of Jozi City with its old world charm, mystery and opulence. Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams is coming soon. Make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to escape for maybe even just one night, into a whole new world….
