This Week & Beyond

Those who don't believe in magic …

… will never find it (so said Roald Dahl, and we think it is fair to call the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory an authority on magic). For those of us who believe in all things magical, Cape Town’s own College of Magic celebrates its 45th Anniversary with the show Majika at Artscape on June 7 and 8,. The production promises “to blend cutting-edge illusions with contemporary African artistry, leaving audiences breathless with its mind-bending feats”.

The line-up includes multi-award-winning mentalist Brendon Peel; Olwethu Dyantyi, who is one of the most awarded magicians in African history; Mawonga Gayiya, who combines comedy and magic; and TV presenter, actor and magician Marcel Pretorius. More info and tickets

As of this weekend, Cape Town will have its own Museum of Illusions at 10 Kloof Street, Gardens (opens May 31). The museum will be dedicated to providing visitors with a fun, interactive and educational experience that challenges perception and inspires creativity. A variety of exhibits using optical illusions, visual tricks and hands-on interactive displays aims to create a playful environment that engages visitors of all ages. Tickets

For a little bit of culinary magic, here are a few photos from our meal at Wolfgat this past weekend. Returning after almost six years, we found every bit of the original magic intact. The wizardry in the food — the combinations, the textures, the sheer creativity — is truly otherworldly.

But perhaps the real magic lies in how all this showstopping artistry is delivered so humbly, with not even a hint of arrogance. The setting is its own kind of heaven: natural elegance on the Paternoster seaside. The team, led by Kobus van der Merwe, is as attentive and kind as ever. Not a trace of the magic of their success has gone to their heads.

Read what we said before here …

Still on the subject of magic, why don’t you put your vote behind the bid to have Lego make a set of the gorgeous flowers of the Cape Floral Kingdom. More info

🎭🎭🎭🎭There is, as ever, a veritable smorgasbord of theatre on in Cape Town 🎭🎭🎭🎭Shows include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Theatre on the Bay to Aldo Brincat’s The Moon Looks Delicious From here and Paul Slabolepszy’s Bitter Winter at the Baxter Theatre, and Verdi’s Aida at Artscape.

Something a little different playing from June 6 to 8 at Theatre Arts in the Methodist Church Hall in Observatory is Cottonwool Kid (CK), a collaboration from “award-winning theatre makers and seasoned clowns, Toni Morkel and Sylvaine Strike”. Inspired by Morkel’s autobiographical writing and crafted under Strike’s sharp creative eye, the show has been described as a “poignant and hilarious piece of theatre” that journeys into the anxious heart of the pathology that is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

And in Kalk Bay’s Holy Trinity Church on May 30 jazz fans can listen to distinguished saxophonist, educator and composer Mike Rossi’s quartet (Blake Hellaby on keyboard, Sibusiso Matsimela on bass, Lilavan Gangen on drums). Tickets

📖📖📖The Open Book Workshop Week 📖📖📖 takes place from June 2-7, mostly at Bertha House in Mowbray. Booking is recommended as space is limited for most workshops, which include the rather enticing sounding: The Tensions between Memoir and Fiction, Facing our Losses/Writing our Healing, and Queerness and the Impact of Fascism. Full programme Open Book Festival Programme. Organized by the Open Book Festival, this week-long series of workshops is designed to inspire creativity, enhance writing skills, and foster connections among writers, readers, and literary enthusiasts. Tickets.

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