Picture the scene; eight striving actors, two smoking hot brothers, one yummy mummy and a pretty lady called Tits (actually her name’s Laeticia but she’s got pretty toes). Coffee and soft drinks (sodas for my USA peeps) were flowing, the smell of Clay Oven wafted through the air and a police man, egged on by the cheers of drunk onlookers, pushed a broken down van on Long Street (what?).  It’s freezing cold outside but, the ladies are in their sexiest and shortest threads; coats are for sissies. Cape Town ain’t ready for us we’re going to party like the artist formerly known as Prince till the clock strikes twelve and the world ends. That was before the itis. . . 

PHOTO: Man in the middle - Mathew Moolman( previous South African Idol Contestant)

But before that came Blakes and the closing night of Gravy at On Broadway which is where this story begins. The extent of my musicals knowledge starts and ends with Whoopi Goldberg, a handful of geriatric nuns and a young Lauryn Hill sans Fugees or Rohan Marley. So when Mathew Moolman of Idols SA fame invited me to watch Gravy I leapt at the chance to see one in the flesh and it went like this. . . Once upon a time in the 80s Maria wanted to sing in a disco competition but her dad was a pastor and her mother made them all wear these horrible Christmas sweaters anyway she wanted to sing and they said no so but she did it anyway with a little help from her friends and there was lots of singing and dancing in spandex by everyone involved it was great! That’s the short version. Fast forward to the wrap party at Cape Town’s newest member to the bustling nightlife, the preacher’s kid (played by Belinda Davison) swaps her dreary sweater for a freakum dress and all hell breaks loose!

Steamy and hot I say steamy and hot. A little note on Blakes. My first thoughts were it’s nothing more than a posh Tiger Tiger, after a few hours I was still thinking posh Tiger Tiger but then Jacques Kallis walked in and I thought oi oi! I’m a huge cricket fan so Blakes and I are good now. Plus, the décor is a stunning combination of African and contemporary art and furniture with a touch of lavish antiquity (the ancient Indian doors were my favorite). I loved that it was not packed to the hilt leaving comfortable space to boogie on the plush carpets and the cocktails were as divine as the barmen that served them. More on Blakes soon.

Now it’s 3am and we’re scoffing the best pizza in Cape Town. Kudos to the Gravy bunch for being a wonderful cast both on and off stage. I really enjoyed myself. These are the up and comers. They’re young, gifted and fabulous. It’s all gravy baby! 

Category: Our Elegant Generation