Santa’s Story at the Theatre on the Bay

Esteemed opera singer Aviva Pelham recounts her mother’s fascinating tale of Holocaust survival through song

Multi award-winning and internationally acclaimed singer Aviva Pelham returns to the stage to perform her moving one-woman show, Santa’s Story, at the Theatre on the Bay from Tuesday, 3 to Saturday, 14 February 2015 (the 3 February performance is a fundraising show in support of Zakheni Arts Therapy Foundation).

Directed by Janice Honeyman, the powerful tale tells the story of Aviva’s mother, Santa, who had to navigate life under Nazi oppression. The story follows Santa as she flees from Germany to Spain, where civil war rages, and then as she moves to even poorer conditions in an occupied France and (by ship) to Zimbabwe, where under arranged circumstances, she marries a man she has never met – a decision that ultimately saves her life.

It is a tale of trials, tribulations and triumph, one that depicts deeply personal issues within a harrowing broader political context. And it is performance that addresses themes that still resonate today: racism, xenophobia, lost years and broken dreams.

To evoke a sense of place and culture as the story unravels, the gifted Aviva sings in German, Spanish, French, Yiddish, Hebrew and English and is accompanied by a vibrant Klezmer band that shifts through multiple genres.

In essence, as Aviva emphasises, Santa’s Story is an evocative piece that, through poignant music, explores the possibility of “pushing through the darkness to ultimately find strength, spirit and light again”.

Santa’s Story in aid of the Zakheni Arts Therapy Foundation

Proceeds from the show on Tuesday, 3 February 2015 will be donated to the Zakheni Arts Therapy Foundation and used to put at least 25 Cape Town street children through a three-month drama therapy programme. The non-profit organisation uses music, dance and more to help vulnerable children battling internal challenges express themselves and start to heal. Tickets are 200p/p and can be booked by emailing febfundraiser@gmail.com or by calling +27 (0) 81 243 4771. They include an arrival drink and the performance.

2015 Tickets & Show Times for Santa’s Story at the Theatre on the Bay

Otherwise, tickets are available via Computicket.com, Computicket outlets or the theatre’s box office. Prices are listed below and discounts apply for certain parties (check the Theatre on the Bay’s website for details).

The production runs Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8pm, and there is also a 5:30pm performance on Saturday. Do note: The only exception to the above is the Saturday, 14 February 2015 show, which starts at 8:30pm.

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Keen on watching other productions? Read about David Kramer’s Orpheus in Africa, another must-see play at the Fugard Theatre. 

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