People of Note: Recent Episodes
Fine Music Radio
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon.
Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve always felt there to be a need for a programme that allows an in-depth discussion with these personalities. Whether their fields are music, literature, theatre, dance, opera or even politics and economics, we’ll invite them into the studio to talk about their lives, inspirations and role models, among other things. “Rather like the famous BBC programme, Desert Island Discs, I’ll ask my guests to bring with them their six or seven favourite pieces of music to share with us.”
Among the long list of guests on the programme so far have been people such as Rhoda Kadalie, Lord Robin Renwick, Petronel Malan, Pieter Dirk Uys, Ruby Wax, Jonathan Roxmouth, Imam Rashied Omar and many more.
Pieter Toerien’s hugely successful production of The Rocky Horror Show is returning to The Theatre on the Bay after it’s massively successful run in Johannesburg. The show stars Craig Urbani as Frank n further and has been directed by Stephen Stead. In the role of the narrator, a traditional male role, is Natasha Sutherland and Rodney Trudgeon invited her into the People of Note studio to talk about the challenges the character has to face during the show.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
In a career spanning over 50 years, Aviva Pelham has enchanted audiences, brightened stages and spread the love of song in South Africa and abroad. Aviva’s passion for mentorship and inspiring young talent is legendary. The fifth Aviva Pelham Operetta Competition is on Tuesday, 18 August, at the Baxter. On People of Note this week, Rodney speaks to Aviva Pelham about her remarkable career.
People of Note, Sunday at 6 pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. And Agatha Christie’s thriller The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is on at Theatre on the Bay.
Cape Town Opera has recently appointed a Librettist-in-Residence to help their new project called Staging Stories, an incubator for new South African Opera. ALAN OLEJNICZAK is based in San Francisco, although he has numerous Artist in Residence around the world. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Alan about his work.
People of Note, Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. And Agatha Christie’s thriller The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is on at Theatre on the Bay.
In People of Note this week, a look behind the scenes at a theatre, where so much magic happens. Rodney Trudgeon’s guest will be set designer DENIS HUTCHINSON who has worked on shows ranging from experimental theatre via contemporary dance and musicals to ballet and opera. He’s also worked on South African productions in New York, Senegal, Uganda and Tanzania.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP. Agatha Christie’s thriller The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is on at Theatre on the Bay.
A fun musical has just opened at the Arena theatre called Something Rotten and it is being presented by the Waterfront Theatre School. In People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the founder and director of the Waterfront Theatre School, Delia Sainsbury who founded it with her husband Keith Galloway 34 years agao.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP. And Agatha Christie’s thrilling play The Murder of Roger Ackroyd opens at Theatre on the Bay this week.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the young, dynamic violinist Miclen LaiPang who has established himself as one of the most compelling and versatile artists of his generation. He stunned Cape Town audiences recently with his performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and he is now playing at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP. And A Little Night Music is on at Theatre on the Bay.
G&S Cape Town is presenting one of the most loved comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan, The Pirates of Penzance. The production promises to be not only great fun but also beautifully and originally staged. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the Music Director and Conductor of G%S, Alistair Cockburn about the opera.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. Killer Queen is in its final week at Theatre on the Bay.
The award winning musical by Stephen Sondheim, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC opens on 30 June at Theatre on The Bay. It involves a world of seduction, wit and aching romance and the all start cast includes Kate Normington as Countess Charlotte Malcolm. Rodney Trudgeon invited Kate into the People of Note studio to talk about this fascinating play.
People of Note, Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP and Killer Queen continues its run at Theatre on the Bay.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the newly appointed chairperson of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra – Lucien Lewin. A former trombonist with the orchestra, he went on to build a distinguished legal career, now bringing both musical and legal insight to this new role.
People of Note with Lucien Lewin on Sunday at 6 pm and again on Thursday at midday, is brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the editor of TGI Food, the Daily Maverick’s popular food platform TONY JACKMAN. Tony has won a number of awards for his writing and he has also written plays and books and his latest is called Retro Karoo Food. He has been in journalism for some 50 years with food writing his main foucus.
People of Note with Tony Jackman. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP and Killer Queen, a LAMTA production is on at Theatre on the Bay.
Recently, you would have heard us talking about a concert in Stellenbosch with the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra. This exciting, relatively new venture is the brain child of Reghardt Kuhn, who is also the orchestra’s conductor. I spoke to him about the orchestra, its members and its repertoire and the challenges these enthusiastic amateurs of all ages have to face in an orchestra.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at 6pm, brought to you by PTP and then Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" is on at Theatre On The Bay from 30 June to 12 July.
Cape Town City Ballet is presenting "Orpheus in the Underworld", based on Offenbach’s music and choreographed by Veronica Paeper. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Tracy Li, the Artistic Manager at CTCB, about the production and about her career in ballet
An interesting new play has just opened at the Arena Theatre. It was written by Louis Viljoen and is called The Killing of a Union Leader, described as a gripping political thriller, the plays stars, among others, John Maytham, well known as a broadcaster here in Cape Town. Rodney Trudgeon invited John into the People of Note studio to talk about the play.
People of Note – Sunday 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. And the production of Rocky Horror Show is running to packed houses at The Theatre on the Bay.
Artscape is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year and one of the highlights for this celebration is a production of Bizet’s hugely popular Opera CARMEN with a star cast, Cape Town Oper and the Cape Town Philharmonic. The conductor will be the British conductor TIM MURRAY who has a growing reputation as a conductor of opera, ballet and contemporary repertoire. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to him about his career and his approach to Carmen.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP and the Rocky Horror Show continues its packed run at the Theatre on the Bay.
For thirty years ELIZABETH TRIEGAARDT has presented Invitation to the Dance on Fine Music Radio. In celebration of this milestone, Elizabeth is my guest on People of Note this week.
On Sunday at 6 pm and again on Thursday at midday.
Brought to you by PTP
On now at Theatre on the Bay: The Rocky Horror Show, until 30 May
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the young Spanish pianist Leo De Maria who was in Cape Town recently to play the Piano Concerto No 1 by Tchaikovsky. Leo won gold at the 2024 Unisa Piano Competition in Pretoria and subsequently made contact with the CPO. Leo comes from a musical family and says that he simply can’t live without music.
People of Note Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. And the Rocky Horror show continues to draw the crowds at Theatre on the Bay.
We’ve had a really distinguished choral conductor in Town with the Cape Town Philharmonic. NICHOLAS CHALMERS is one of the leading conductors in the UK and he conducted two concerts with the CPO, including Mendelssohn’s Lobegesang. Rodney Trudgeon caught up with him for an interview for People of Note.
Nicholas Chalmers on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP and their production of The Rocky Horror Show is pulling in the crowds at the Theatre On The Bay.
Many of the engineers who have come through the doors at Fine Music Radio, were trained at the Cape Audio College. Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is Jonathan Pike, who has worked at the College for over two decades. His deep passion for music has shaped his career.
This Sunday on People of Note, I’m in conversation with award-winning actor Craig Urbani. Craig takes on the role of Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show.
Presented by Pieter Toerien and LAMTA, this much-loved rock ’n’ roll musical returns to Theatre on the Bay from the 7th of April to the 31st of May.
Join me, Rodney Trudgeon, Sunday at 6pm, with a repeat on Thursday at 12 noon, only on Fine Music Radio.
The Musical Pretty Woman is pulling in the crowds here at Artscape and the show has been brought to South Africa by Showtime Management the company run by Hazel Feldman. Hazel has been responsible for bringing many world famous shows and artists to South Africa over many years and in People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon asked Hazel about he phenomenal career.
People of Note, Sunday 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP and Jonathan Roxmouth is on stage at the Theatre on the Bay with Key Change.
This week on People of Note, join us for a captivating conversation with Carolynne Waterhouse – acclaimed teacher, and passionate advocate for the arts. Discover her journey through music, her inspirations, and the stories behind her remarkable career. Don’t miss People of Note with Carolynne Waterhouse, Sunday at noon and again on Thursday at midday, only on Fine Music Radio. Brought to you by PTP. And on stage at Theatre on the Bay is Jonathan Roxmouth and Key Change.
A recent visitor to Cape Town was one of the founders of the hugely popular acapella ensemble THE REAL GROUP. Anders Edenroth wanted to create a group of singers with an emphasis on jazz, pop and folk music with a distinctive unaccompanied sound. The group has enjoyed international fame but now Anders is involved mostly in composing, arranging and coaching choral ensembles. In fact while he was in Cape Town he had a rewarding session with Vox.
Anders is Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6m and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. And at Theatre on the bay this week, there’s Key Change with Jonathan Roxmouth.
Jonathan Roxmouth's vast career has many highlights, but perhaps nothing can quite beat his titular role as Phantom of the Opera, a role he performed locally and abroad. He is our guest on People of Note this week, where he talks about his show at Theatre of the Bay, Key Change – My Favourite Pianists, running from 4 to 28 March 2026.
To find out about the man behind the phantom’s mask, listen to People of Note on Sunday at 6, with a repeat on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP.
Maynardvilles's open air theatre is one of South Africa's most enduring cultural institutions, celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Jaco van Rensburg, Executive Director of the festival, is my guest on People of Note this week Sunday and again on Thursday at midday brought to you by PTP
An exciting new ballet with a somewhat unlikely subject has just opened here at Artscape. Dracula has been choreographed by David Nixon a while ago and, over the years it has become one of his most celebrated ballets. Cape Town City Ballet are presenting this work and one of the lead dancers playing Dracula is JEROME BARNES who trained at the Royal Ballet School and has danced principal roles with comnies around the world, including Cape Town. I invited him into the People of Note studio this week.
People of Note Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. And on stage this week at Theatre on the Bay, Rocco and Coenie De Villiers in 88.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the much respected and admired jazz pianist Ramon Alexander. Ramon works extensively in recording studios, CD production, composition and session work and he has performed and recorded with a host of artists both locally and internationally in a variety of genres.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. People of Note is brought to you by Pieter Torien Productions – Conrad Koch and Chester Missings Puppet Power is on stage at the Theatre on the Bay from 10 to 14 February.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Kathleen Tagg, a South African pianist, composer and producer who has been based in New York since 2001. Kathleen has toured extensively on the international circuit and has performed at some of the world’s most famous and iconic concert halls. Her work includes inter-disciplinary programmes using loops, samples and visual mediums.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the newly appointed CEO and Artistic Director of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Adriaan Fuchs. Adriaan comes to the post with a wealth of experience in music, fund raising, music administration and artist liason. He has worked not only here at Cape Town Opera, but at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Carnegie Hall.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the cellist, conductor and broadcaster Kutlwano Masote. Although he was trained as a classical musician, he has conducted concerts across the genres of operas, symphonic operas and jazz. Kutlwano has just had his book published called The Imperfect Harmony – a sort of autobiography and I chatted to him about the book and his exciting life.
The UCT Summer School is well underway with its vast array of subjects including some very interesting musical lectures. One of these is a series of three lectures under the heading Music and the Sensuality of Harmony. These will be presented by the composer Grant McLachlan on the 19th, 20th and 21st of January. I invited Grant into the People of Note studio to talk about this most fascinating serues.
Pieter Toerien’s production of CATS is about to end it’s phenomenal run to packed houses in Cape Town and it moves to Montecasino in Johannesburg before embarking on an international tour. One of the people I spoke to who was deeply involved in the success of the musical was Gareth Hewitt Williams, who lives in London now but who came out to South Africa as one of the producers of Cats. Gareth is a producer with the company GWB which co-produced Cats and he shared some inside material with me on People of Note.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Marthinus van Bart who has just published a fascinating book called Wolraad Woltemade 250 Gedenkboek all about this most fascinating character and his heroic horse who rode into rough seas to save people from a ship wreck in Table Bay. Marthinus is a retired journalist who has put together a most beautiful and well researched bookwith amazing photographs.
People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP
Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week, is one of South Africa’s most distinguished ballet dancers who is now retired after an illustrious career as principal dancer with CAPAB having joined them in 1966. His name is Eduard Greyling, who also travelled extensively in Europe and especially in The Netherlands and in Cape Town where he became famous partnering with Phyllis Spira.
People of Note, Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursfay at midday, brought to you by PTP and don’t forget that CATS is wowing audiences hgere at Artscape
In People of Note this week, we continue our coverage of the musical CATS for Pieter Toerien who sponsors this programme each week and whose production of this amazing musical is absolutely spectacular. This week I’ll be talking to MATT KRZAN who is the Assistant Director of Choreography and who has worked on many musicals both on the West End and Internationally.
For decades Pieter Toerien has brought us magnificent theatre! An hour before the opening of “Cats”, at Artscape, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the legend himself about this extraordinary production.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is WENDY ACKERMAN who, apart from being well known as the Honorary Life President of Pick n Pay, is one of this country’s most dedicated philanthropists whose major sponsorships and support of our orchestra among numerous other artistic companies, as well as her personal work for the underprivileged, has earned her the Mayor’s Medal for Philanthropy.
Wendy Ackerman on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP and the show Cats is drawing the crowds at Artscape.
We in Cape Town are in for a major theatrical treat this festive season when Pieter Toerien presents the smash hit CATS at the Artscape Opera House from 10 December to mid-January. The show with its amazing costumes, music and dance is likely to stun our audiences and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the Music Director LOUIS ZURNAMER for People of Note this week.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Kyle Shepherd, a leading South African jazz pianist and film score composer celebrated for his distinctive style. Kyle has travelled extensively internationally playing in major venues such as the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. His notable credits include the popular Netflix series Water and Unseen.
Kyle Shepherd on People of Note this week, Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
I wonder if you remember a famous international David and Goliath style court case where a lawyer from South Africa took on the mighty Disney organisation. It was about the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight for which the composer nor his family were never credited nor paid out for the use of the song in The Lion King. The lawyer who spear headed the case was Owen Dean and on People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to about this ground-breaking case.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the celebrated Italian pianist Filippo Gorini. Filippo was in Cape Town recently to play various recitals as part of his project called “Sonata For 7 Cities” which he has performed in Vienna, Hong Kong, Portland , Milan and also Cape Town. Filippo’s musicianship has drawn unanimous acclaim in major musical concert halls in Italy, Berlin, Amsterdam London and Paris to name a few.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
The magical world of recording and recording studios is in the spotlight on People of Note this week when Rodney Trudgeon speaks to Murray Anderson, who founded Milestone Studios some 35 years ago. Over the years Milestone has become a famous studio where many famous artists have recorded award winning albums and where Murray himself has written jingles and scored the music for local and overseas film and TV programmes.
People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP.
For this week’s edition of People of Note, I invited in to the studio Ricardo MacKenzie who is the Provincial Minister of Cultural
Affairs and Sport in the Western Cape Government. His political journey began when he was elected to the DA in the Western Cape in 2014 and I asked him about his portfolio and about his views of the arts in the Western Cape.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP
I wonder if you are one of the lucky ones who have seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicoulor Dreamcoat at Theatre on the Bay. It has just returned to Cape Town after a sold out season in Johannesburg and bristles with energy, slickness and fantastic choreography. In the lead role as Joseph is Dylan Janse Van Rensburg who has just graduated from Lamta and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to him about the show.
People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP
David Kramer’s musical Orpheus McAdoo returns to the Artscape Opera House this week after it’s hugely successful run last year in October. With its evocative mix of old spirituals, ragtime, early American folk and South African musical influences celebrate the story of Orpheus McAdoo and his Jubilee Singers. In the role of Orpheus is the distinguished Cape Town Opera soloist, the baritone Conroy Scott and Rodney Trudgeon him to People of Note to talk about his riole.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the broadcaster, financial journalist and author DAVID WILLIAMS whose latest book is called On The Railway – The Great South African Rail Story. The book is a fascinating, nostalgic and loving look at the golden days of rail travel in South Africa. From the starched linen table cloths in the dining cars, to the goods trains that once served as the economic lifeblood of the country.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
After a decade cloaked in silent and stardust the legendary Royal Countess Zingara is making a triumphant return to Cape Town with a show called La Dolce Royal. Zingara’s was a hugely popular venue and concept in Cape Town and this dazzling new chapter is being brought to life by the acclaimed South African theatre visionary Craig Leo. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Craig Leo ab0ut the new show and his collaborators.
People of Note, Sunday 6pm and again on Thursday at midday.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a well established and mush respected jazz musician, composer and recording producer ANDREW FORD. Not only has Andrew produced many albums in his studios know as The Nuthouse. But Andrew has also composed and recorded all the jingles for FMR and, more recently, our FMR Overture which opened our Gala Concert in May. Andrew talked about his creative life as a jazz musician.
People of Note , Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the much respected Cape Town born composer, pianist, multi-instrumentalist and raconteur HILTON SCHILDER. Hilton has undoubtedly helped to mould the sound of what has become known as Cape Jazz. He is recognised globally and has featured on numerous albums.
People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
One of South Africa’s most iconic satirists and social activists is undoubtedly PIETER DIRK UYS. Pieter is also known internationally for his fearless satire and for his alter ego Evita Bezuidenhout. Pieter turns 80 this month and there are a number of tributes to him including some of his plays. I couldn’t resist inviting him into the People of Note studio to talk about his extraordinary career.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Greg Karvellas who has directed the one man show MOFFIE, a compelling novel by Andre Charl van der Merwe which was made into a film in 2019. The play received a critically acclaimed run in London which left audiences transfixed. The actor at the Baxter production is David Viviers and Greg Karvellas discusses the play on People of Note this week.
Sunday 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
One of my favourite comedies for the stage is Noises Off, a hilarious farce by Michael Frayn that takes the audiences behind the scenes of a disastrous theatre production. The play is being presented at the Theatre on the Bay by young actors from LAMTA, directed by Chris Weare. My Guest on People of Note this week is one of the actors, AIDAN SCOTT, who plays the role of the director in the play.
People of Note, Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week, is the exciting and award winning young tenor Innocent Masuku. Not only was he a finalist in Britain’s Got Talent, but he is enjoying a hugely successful career with English National Opera. Innocent has just been in Cape Town to sing in Cape Town Opera’s production of the Barber of Seville as Count Almaviva, a role he also sang to great acclaim with English National Opera.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
There is a play running at the Baxter Theatre called FEEDBACK, which is described as an extraordinary murder mystery that, under the unique and unconventional vision of Andrew Buckland who also wrote the play. Andrew is one of South Africa’s most celebrated theatre-makers and actors with a career spanning several decades in stage, film and television and I spoke to him on People of Note about this latest play and about his career.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday.
Cape Town Opera’s sparkling production of Rossini’s hugely popular opera The Barber of Seville is playing to packed houses at the Theatre on the Bay. Playing the leading role of the barber is the baritone William Burger and I spoke to him on People of Note this week about the role which is a tour de force for the baritone.
People of Note Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
A new 9 part series is about to be aired on SABC 3 in the channel called True Crime. It’s called Looking Into Darkness and has been directed by the award-winning film and documentary maker Peter Goldsmid and presented by the Forensic Investigator David Klatzow. The series concentrates on femicide featuring dramatic re-enactments , often using Confessions in the story telling. I spoke to Peter on People of Note this week about what seems to have been a traumatic experience putting it all together.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
I wonder if you’ve ever heard bells emanating from the City Hall bell tower? And I don’t mean the bell of the clock. There is a fascinating instrument in the bell tower called a Carillon which as an interesting history. It has been re-furbished and completely overhauled by someone who is passionate about such an instrument. His name is Alexios Vicatos and I invited him into the People of Note studio to talk about this instrument an to play some recordings of him on the instrument.
People of note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday – brought to you by PTP.
Cape Town City Ballet’s production of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet Swan Lake opens at the CTICC this week. Dancing the role of Odette is the South African ballerina Kirstel Paterson who has enjoyed a hugely successful career and has won numerous prestigious awards. Rodney trudgeon spoke to Kirstel on People Of Note this week to find out about her career and about the role in Swan Lake.
Cape Town, with all its attractions, doesn’t seem to have that many pantomimes in the true sense of the word. Johannesburg and Durban are famous for their annual pantomimes and now the Durban company Kickstart Theatre Productions have brought their latest pantomime to Cape Town. It’s called Jack and the Beanstalk and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the founder of Kickstart, Greg King about the production and its appeal to both children and adults and which is running at the Baxter Theatre.
People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
Starting this coming week on July 4th is one of the undoubted highlights of the classical music scene in South Africa. The Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival is celebrating it’s 20th year this year with the usual line up of local and international musicians. The scope of the festival is wide with concerts, recitals, masterclasses and interviews. The Artistic Director of the festival is the cellist Peter Martens and Rodney Trudgeon invited him into the People of Note studio to talk about this year’s festival.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a distinguished journalist, writer and consultatnt. Bruce Cameron has spent most of his professional life in the media, most importantly in personal finance and has written a book on retirement. He has won numerous awards and appears regularly on radio shows and is in demand as a public speaker.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Jan Glazewski who has just written a book called Blood and Silver which tells the true story of survival and a son’s search for his family’s treasure in Ukraine. Jan was born with severe haemophilia and then, on top of that, he developed HIV having been given contaminated blood during a transfusion. Despite these setbacks, Jan has had a remarkably successful legal and academic career, including involvement in drafting an environment clause for our new constitution.
Jan Glazewski on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is drawing huge crowds at the Theatre on the Bay and one of the most famous and iconic roles in the musical is that of Pharaoh which is played by Chris Jaftha. Chris is enjoying a very successful career in film, television, theatre and presenting and he has carved out a space as one of South Africa’s most dynamic and respected entertainers. He is clearly relishing his role as Pharaoh and I invited him on to People of Note to talk about the musical and about his career.
Chris Jaftha on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is certainly a dynamic go getter. Her name is Alte Mare who is, among many other things, the founder of the non-profit company called The Choral Celebration Network Foundation which sets out to make choral music accessible to all who have an interest or talent – a platform where choirs can celebrate music together, build networks and embrace diversity.
People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
A recent visitor to Cape Town was the pianist Rebeca Omordia who is a mix of many things – a love for western classical music, a passion for Nigerian classical music and a particular love of African Art Music. The BBC hailed her as An African Music pioneer and she demonstrated her art at a recital for the Cape Town Concert Series a week or so ago. Rodney Trudgeon invited her into the People of Note studio to talk about her fascination for the African Art Song as opposed to traditional African music.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP
Excitement is mounting for the opening of Cape Town Opera’s lavish production of Verdi’s grand Opera Aida on Friday 23 May. In fact, by all accounts, the entire run is very nearly sold out. Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Magdalene Minnaar who is directing the opera and who has chosen an intriguing African Futuristic approach.
People of Note, Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
On People of Note this week Mike Mills stands in for Rodney Trudgeon, and Mike's guest is three time Grammy award winning flautist Wouter Kellerman. People of Note is on Sunday at 6 pm with a repeat on Thursday at 12 noon. Brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions
Pieter Toerien’s Theatre on the Bay will be the venue for an exciting and vibrant new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s evergreen musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It is being presented by Lamta and has an all-star, young and enthusiastic cast. The musical director for the show is award-winning Amy Campbell and Rodney Trudgeon invited her into the People f Note studio to talk about what sounds like a thrilling production as well as about her own life as a jazz vocalist, pianist, vocal coach and actress.
People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
Cape Town opera is presenting one of the grandest operas in the repertoire, Verdi’s AIDA. It opens on the 23rd May directed by Magdalene Minnaar who will unveiling bold African Futurism reimagining of the opera. Part of the huge team putting the opera together is BRENDA REIN who is in Cape Town as opera coach for the production. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Brenda about her unique role and about her distinguished career in Vienna with people like Deon van der Walt and Johann Botha.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a multi-award winning composer, choir conductor, instrumentalist and producer whose musical voice has come to be recognizable as truly innovative and unique.
Pieter Bezuidenhout is also the creative director at a South African base production company, Vektor Productions and he is the conductor of 5 choral ensembles across Tshwane. He is commited to developing the South African choral genre and has premierd more than 70 new works by South African Composers.
Pieter Bezuidenhout on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PtP
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is someone who can really be called a veteran of radio, television, theatre and variety shows. Anne Williams was one of the first continuity announcers on SABC television back in the 70s and she has broadcast on5FM, SAfm, LM Radio and Classic FM. Now Anne is back on stage for the first time in many years in the Agatha Christie play Black coffee which is pulling the crowds at the Theatre on The Bay. Rodney discussed her many faceted career and her role in Black Coffee.
Anne Williams of People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
An exciting Agatha Christie thriller has just opened at Theatre on the Bay. It’s called Black Coffee and, as always with Agatha Christie, you’ll be guessing right to the end with all the usual red herrings. The play is directed by Alan Swerdlow with Allan Committee as Hercule Poirot and Ashley Dowds is Captain Hastings. I spoke to Ashley on People of Note this week to find out more about this play and its large cast, and we were careful not to give anything away.
People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PtP
On People of Note this week concentrates on ballet and the forthcoming production by Cape Ballet Africa called Breathwords. One of the chorographers for this varied production is the Master Spaniard Nacho Duato who enjoys an international career. His work in Breathwords is called Ramanso which features 3 male dances and with Gerard Joubert as the pianist. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Nacho about his distinguished career and about Romanso.
People of Note with Nacho Duato. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PtP
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon talks to Paige Nick who, apart from being the editor and host of FMR’s Book Choice programme, is an internationally awarded advertising copywriter, a Sunday Times Columnist and has published nine, soon to be ten novels. Paige is passionate about books and reading and she has fascinating stories to tell about the world of literature.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Clive Ridgway who is a songwriter, musician, music producer, author and teacher. He has composed songs for many of South Africa’s most successful recording artists and has performed both locally and internationally. He also runs the Cape Town School of Songwriting and the AFDA School for the Creative Economy.
On People of Note Rodney Trudgeon talks to ALEX GABRIEL who was appointed a few years ago as CEO of Cape Town opera. As a musician in his own right and with years of experience combining art with business, Alex is well-equipped to drive decision making to ensure a prosperous future for Cape Town Opera. He spent 8 years teaching at UCT and also taught piano privately. We also discuss some of the plans Cape Town Opera has for this year.
An extremely interesting and original book on Mozart has just been published. It’s called “Meetings With Mozart” and is written by William Charlton-Perkins who for many years was well known in theatre and media circles in KwaZulu Natal. He was head of publicity at the Playhouse Company in Durban and has had a life long love of the music of Mozart. His debut book presents us with an original and fascinating angle on Mozart
And makes for interesting reading.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Hans Huyssen - composer, baroque cellist and conductor with a special love for early European Baroque music as well as rare traditions of indigenous South African music. Last year Hans turned sixty and to celebrate he has been involved in what he calls his 60@60 Project. Many performers both local and international have been involved and on People of Note, Hans spoke about his compositions and his fascinating life.
This week on People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to ALBIE SACHS, the South African lawyer, activist, writer and former judge who was appointed by Nelson Mandela to the first Constitutional Court of South Africa. Albie, who has just celebrated his 90th birthday, famously survived an assassination attempt in 1988 and lost his right arm and the sight in his left eye.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the distinguished South African flautist Liesl Stolz who not only lectures Flute at UCT but has a very busy life playing chamber music, solo works and she’s played in all the major orchestras in South Africa as guest principal. Liesl has also launched the first Woodwind Festival in South Africa which takes place from the 8 – 11 April at the Baxter Theatre. Her passion for the flute and music is most infectious and she is also a great ambassador for South African flute music.
Liesl Stoltz on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
A fascinating new CD has just arrived here at FMR featuring the world premier of a cello concerto by Widor, coupled with the Lalo Cello Concerto. There is a fascinating story about the Widor concerto which has been re-constructed from fragments by the cellist Graham Du Plessis who is the soloist on the recording. Graham is based in Cape Town and is a Cello Lecturer at the South African College of Music and occasionally plays with our orchestra. Graham will be my guest on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note was Adrienne Haan who is hailed as an exceptional song interpreter with a grand voice and an entertainer of the highest calibre. Adrienne tours internationally with her show Tehorah in which she commemorates the Holocaust. Now she has brought this show to South Africa along with other productions such as a lecture on Degenerate Music and an evening of French Chanson. Adrianne will feature her songs during People of Note.
Brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions
On the first edition of People of Note for 2025, we’ll be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Cape Town Concert Series which is an integral part of Cape Town’s music scene, featuring as it does some of this country’s finest musicians as well as international artists, all of whom are superb chamber musicians. I invited Louise Howlett, the General Manager of the Cape Town Concert Series into the studio to talk about the history and current activities of the Society.
People of Note with Louise Howlett. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday . Brought to you by PTP
The Pieter Toerien production of My Fair Lady is proving to be incredibly popular and is playing to packed houses. And, rightly so because it is an epic production in every way. Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is Mark Richardson who plays the iconic role of Alfred P Doolittle in a true tour de force which brings the house down!
Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is Patric Solomon, who is the Executive Director of Molo Songololo, a registered and designated non profit organisation that promotes the rights and protection of children. It also facilitates children's participation in public decision making.
This week on People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to David Watkyns, a singer-songwriter, producer, teacher, actor and SAMA Award winner. David's songs are often described as nostalgic, catchy melodies with soaring lyrics, and his solo album No Other Love won him a SAMA Award in the category Best Produced Album. David is also known for his performances with Arno Carstens and the Springbok Nude Girls.
Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is the South African born viola player, educator and philanthropist Louise Lansdown who is serving as Head of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Professor of Viola at the Yehudi Menuhin school. Louise also directs two major viola competitions in the UK and has been in Cape Town to play principal viola with the Mzanzi National Orchestra.
One of the undoubted highlights of the forthcoming festive season is the Pieter Toerien production of My Fair Lady, the musical that for years has been a huge favourite. Craig Urbani will play Professor Henry Higgins and the role of Eliza Doolittle is being shared by Brittany Smith and Leah Mari. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to both Elizas for People of Note this week. My Fair Lady opens on the 18th of December at the Artscape Opera House.
Rodney Trudgeon’s People of Note this week features an inspiring conversation with Bernado Oostehuizen, a former addict who has transformed his life and now dedicates himself to helping others do the same. As the head of the West Coast Skills Centre, Bernado equips individuals with essential skills to build a brighter future, making his story a powerful testament to resilience, hope, and the impact of giving back.
People of Note this week takes the form of a tribute to one of South Africa’s most distinguished singers and singing teachers. A year ago Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Sarita Stern about her long career and about her recently published book. Sarita died recently and so we’ve decided to rebroadcast that interview in which she talks about her career and the tragedy that struck her as she was about to make her debut in Carmen.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the young South African composer Braam Du Toit. Braam is also a choral conductor and is the recipient of a number of awards and accolades
He stated he has "always been interested in combining music with other art forms," and that he finds "the reciprocal influence between music, visuals and performance intriguing and exciting."
An exciting new play has opened at the Theatre on the Bay. It’s called My Brilliant Divorce, written by Geraldine Aron and stars Kate Normington. It’s a one woman show during which Kate has to take many other parts and it’s described as a tragic/comic exploration in the world of a newly divorced woman after 20 years of marriage with searing humour, slapstick comedy self-analysis and drama.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Maria Du Toit, the South African and also now Dutch clarinettist who is internationally in demand as a soloi8st and Chamber musician. Maria was principal clarinet with the Cape Philharmonic, before marrying the Dutch conductor Arjan Tien and moving to Holland. In the previous symphony season, Maria was here to perform two 20th century Clarinet Concerts by the South African composers David Earl and Conrad Assman. Maria speaks passionately about these works which will be broadcast here on FMR next Thursday the 30th.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a man who is something of an institution in Afrikaans music. Jannie Du Toit is a singer songwriter who has had a long and distinguished career in the world of music. He enjoyed a 25 year collaboration with the accompanist Christa Steyn and has been won numerous awards. He remains hugely involved in shows and composing with a long list of productions on the go at the moment.
A new ballet company here in Cape Town is called Cape Ballet Africa and they’ve just had their inaugural season at the Baxter called SALT. Diane van Schoor has been appointed Guest Teacher and Patron of the new company and she brings a life of experience as a ballet dancer and now teacher who has won many awards, including the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Cecchetti Council of America.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Clive Ridgway who is a songwriter, musician, music producer, author and teacher. He has composed songs for many of South Africa’s most successful recording artists and has performed both locally and internationally. He also runs the Cape Town School of Songwriting and the AFDA School for the Creative Economy
David Kramer’s hugely successful musical Orpheus in Africa is being repeated at the Artscape Theatre and David has reworked it to be produced with Cape Town Opera. It’s now called Orpheus McAdoo and stars Brittany Smith and Conroy Scott with the Cape Town Opera Chorus and opens on 18 October. Rodney Trudgeon invited David Kramer into the People of Note studio to talk about this exciting project.
A book which is proving to be invaluable to lovers of contemporary music in South Africa is called History of Contemporary Music of South Africa. Similar to an encyclopaedia, the book has a wealth of information on artists, bands, composers and performers with many photographs. It was written by Garth Chilvers and Tom Jasiukowicz and I invited Garth Chilvers to the People of Note studio to discuss how he went about researching and putting the book together.
The fascinating way our ears operate is the subject of this week’s People of Note. I’ll be talking to James Loock, Professor of ENT at Tygerberg Hospital, and Jenny Perold an audiologist also at Tygerberg about the remarkable technology of Cochlear Implants, that allows severely and profoundly deaf people to hear again.
Four of the concerts in the current symphony season with the Cape Town Philharmonic are being conducted by the Dutch conductor Arjan Tien. Arjan is no stranger to South Africa and, apart from the concerts he’s conducting, he is one of the judges of the 6th SA Conductor’s Competition. Arjan has selected an unusual and very interesting series of programmes for the season and Rodney trudgeon invited him to the People of note studio to discuss his concerts, which include the might Mahler 7th.
Opera UCT is going to be the first opera company in the world to present a fully staged performance of a lost opera by Donizetti, Dalinda. The score was only discovered in 2019 and has been meticulously reconstructed
As my guest on People of Note this week, the conductor Jeremy Silver will explain. Jeremy is globally recognised for conducting lesser-known Donizetti masterpieces and he was especially selected by Opera Co-Pro to bring the full opera to life in a world premier right here in Cape Town.
I wonder if you remember the name Gordon Oliver. Among other things he was Mayor of Cape Town from 1989 to 1991 during which he was privileged to welcome Nelson Mandela to the Cape Town City Hall the day he was released from prison. He also took part in the famous September 1989 march in Cape Town. Gordon has written a book called Overcoming Life’s Challengers – a personal memoir of a Cape Town Mayor and I invited him into the People of Note studio to talk about his life which includes being a minister in the Unitarian Church.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Adele Kirsten, who is the director of a Gun Free South Africa. Adele was a founding member of Gun Free South Africa, but she has been a non-violent, social justice activist in South Africa for some 40 years and has also written various books on the subject.
Tennessee Williams’s famous play, A Street Car Named Desire will open at the Theatre on the Bay on the 14th August. It is being presented by Lamta – The Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy who’s recent success with Spring Awakening brought the amazing success story of this company to a wide audience. The director of Streetcar is Prof Christopher Weare and I invited him to the People of Note studio to talk about this iconic play .
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a South African academic currently working in Norway. Alene Mari Holder is a writer, musicologist and opera singer and her interests include feminist studies of 17th and 18th Century opera including the operatic trouser role tradition and on cross gender casting in Vivaldi’s operas. Alene is also an Afrikaans novelist and poet.
One of the most dramatic of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas is The Yeoman of The Guard, which is set in the Tower of London in the 16th Century. It was premiered in London in 1888 and ran for a record 423 performances causing it to be called a true English, Dramatic Opera. G&S Cape Town will be staging this opera at the Artscape Opera House from 10 August and I invited the music director and Production Co-ordinator, ALISTAIR COCKBURN into the People of Note studio to talk about the production.
Agatha Christie’s play Witness to the Prosecution is pulling in the crowds at Theatre on the Bay. And rightly so because not only is it a superb play, but it is an excellent production with a large cast. In this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to a member of the cast, Sharon Spiegel Wagner who plays the role of Romaine Vole, the wife of the accused. Sharon talks about how thrilling it is to be in the play and about the wonderful cast, as well as her many other activities in theatre.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the South African based documentary photographer, author and professional speaker Matthew Wilman who, in 2003 was commissioned to archive and document the life and times of Nelson Mandela for the Nelson Mandela Foundation. This allowed him to develop an intimate relationship with Mandela. But Matthew has also published a beautiful book of black and white photographs of ballet dances in unusual industrial settings.
My guest on People of Note this week, is a doctor who has written a book called Ice Cream – A Doctor’s Journey to Discover what Matters. This is an engaging memoir about the highs and lows of working as a medical doctor in South Africa and how, with a little help from ice cream and heavy metal music, he was able to struggle on. He’s Alistair Mcalpine and you may find his choice of music a little unusual for FMR, but he was insistend that we gave him a chance.
One of those irresistible Agatha Christie murder mysteries is about to open at the Theatre on The Bay. Witness for the Prosecution is in the form of a gripping court room drama, leaving the audience gasping with surprises as the case proceeds. The director is Alan Swerdlow and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to him on People of Note about both the difficulties and the fun of directing one of Christie’s mysteries.
I wonder whether or not you remember the tragic fire that swept through the mountain in April 2021, in the process destroying the iconic Mostert’s Mill and leaving an awful, burnt out stump. Well, three years later and with considerable support from the public as well as from overseas companies, Mostert’s Mill has been completely restored and it opened in April and will be open on each third Saturday for the public to visit. The Chairman of the Friends of Mostert’s Mill and one of the restoration team is John Hammer and I spoke to him about this exciting project.
In People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon has an inspiring young guest in celebration of Youth Day. He is Charles Jansen who has risen from a life of crime, prison and drugs to become the Art centre Coordinator and training Materials Develop at the Butterfly art Project He has developed therapeutic art projects and art classes with children aged from 5 to 21.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the conductor and pianist Kamal Kahn who is In Cape Town to conduct Donizetti’s opera Lucia di Lammermoor for Cape Town Opera. Kamal enjoys an international career as a teacher and conductor and he has worked with most of the world’s leading opera singers at most of the world’s leading opera houses. He was also head of Opera at UCT for many year. Lucia opens at the Artscape Opera house on Friday 14 June.
Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is the distinguished jazz musician and saxophonist Mccoy Mrubata who is in Cape Town doing a series of concerts for the Cape Town Music Academy to celebrate a special birthday. Mccoy has a long career of writing and performing both here and internationally. He was discovered as a young artist by Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse who took him to Johannesburg and helped to launch his career.
With the election coming up, Rodney Trudgeon invited Professor Hugh Corder into the People of Note studio to discuss issues such as the 3 ballot papers and the South Africa’s first Bill of Rights which became part of the transitional constitution. They discussed issues such as the accommodation of independent candidates for the first time and the role of the courts and judiciary in our constitutional democracy.
With the election coming up next week on Wednesday, Rodney Trudgeon invited Professor Hugh Corder into the People of Note studio to discuss issues such as the 3 ballot papers and the South Africa’s first Bill of Rights which became part of the transitional constitution. They discussed issues such as the accommodation of independent candidates for the first time and the role of the courts and judiciary in our constitutional democracy.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the distinguished singer and author Margaretha Deysel Stemmet. Apart from her hugely successful singing career in places such as Vienna and Graz, Margaretha returned to South Africa to sing all over the country for the various arts councils. She also started the Songmaker’s Guild in 1994 with Albie van Schalkwyk. In 2014, Margaretha travelled some 2,700 kilometers through Germany and Austria to listen to South African opera singers who have made it internationally. The result is her book South African Envoys of Opea.
Paulina Malefane is a Cape Town born opera singer, who studied at UCT’s College of Music with Virginia Davids.
Later she became co-founder and co-Music Director of Isango Ensemble and has worked with members of the company since 2000. She was also an advocate for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The focus on People of Note this week is jazz and sound. Rodney Trudgeon’s guest will be a veteran sound engineer, Akbar Khan, who is the CEO and most seasoned Sound Engineer and Sound Designer of Eastern Acoustics. Aki, as he is known, has a passion for passing on his skills to the younger generation and has a host of stories to tell about his concerts during the apartheid era and working on big concerts such as the annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
Peter Shaffer’s award winning play Amadeus has just opened at Theatre on the Bay starring Alan Committie as Salieri and Aidan Scott as Mozart. This thrilling drama received worldwide acclaim with the film Amadeus and is always an incredible experience in the theatre, even though the theory Shaffer puts forward about Salieri murdering Mozart is not true. My guest on People of Note this week is Alan Committie who talks about his experience with this coveted role.
My guest on People of Note this week is the distinguished actor, director, writer, scenic and costume designer, Marcel Meyer who, with Fred Abrahamse, is co directing a newly written opera by the South African composer Conrad Asman. It’s called Trial by Media and concerns the Oscar Pistorious murder trial. It is one of three short operas in Cape Town Opera’s season called Shorts – the others are La Voix Humaine by Poulenc and Mozart’s Impressario.
Birds and birding feature in this week’s People of Note. I’ll be talking to Mike Buckham who has been passionate about bird watching since he was six years old. Now he is the Chairman of the Cape Bird Club and continues to attract new members and young people to the joy of bird watching.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Chantal Coetzee, who is an artist, feminist historian, speaker and radio presenter. Her current series of artworks is called African Queens: Restoring History and is her passion project. Her giant paintings are portraits of African Queens whose lives she has meticulously researched.
Lara Foot’s highly acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s OTHELLO is about to open at the Baxter. In the lead role is a son of John Kani, Atandwa Kani who is enjoying a hugely successful career based in New York with television, film and acting careers running side by side. Atandwa has won numerous awards locally and internationally and is very excited about this exciting new production of Othello in which he plays the title role.
My guest on People of Note this week is a highly respected and award winning journalist, author, broadcaster who has covered major events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism. His recent book with the provocative title, Why The Germans Do It Better was a best seller and his latest book is called In Search of Berlin. John is fascinated by Germany, although he is English, and has harsh words to say about Brexit.
The Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy, LAMTA, is presenting the highly anticipated musical “Spring Awakening”, the ground-breaking musical which garnered 8 Tony Awards on Broadway. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the two directors of Lamta, Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander abou the show and about the success of their academy.
My guest on People of Note this week is a true philanthropist. In the face of dwindling or no sponsorship from national, regional and local governments, ALEXANDER VALENTIN has embraced the Cape Town Philharmonic orchestra’s Composer’s Competition and an exchange of students between Germany and South Africa which he will sponsor. Alexander is a German lawyer and investment consultant with business ties in South Africa and is my guest on People of Note this week.
A new play premiered at the Baxter Theatre to rave reviews. It’s called "Expelled" and focuses on the largely ungoverned world of social media in which a matric pupil at an elite school gets caught up in a viral scandal and is suspended. On People of Note Rodney spoke to the husband and wife team of Rosalind Butler, who wrote the play and Craig Freimond who directed it.
A new ballet has opened at the Baxter Theatre. It’s called The Gold Rhino of Mapungubwe and it has truly imaginative choreography by ANGELA REVIE and is described as a fusion of classical and afro ballet and contemporary dance, enhanced by poetic narration. In People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Angela Revie about his new ballet which has a powerful storyline that connects the mythical world with an ancient African civilisation.
In People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to BIANCA AMATO who you may remember from the long running cast of Isidingo, but Bianca also had a stint in the American series Sex In The City. Now Bianca is directing a new production at the Theatre on the Bay called LUNGS, in which a young urban couple consider whether or not to have a child in today’s toxic and insecure environment.
Cape Town City Ballet has announced the appointment of David Nixon CBE as its new Artistic Producer with immediate effect. The appointment coincides with the company’s 90th anniversary. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to David about his long and distinguished career both as a dancer, artistic director and choreographer in his home in Canada and in Europe. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2022.
My guest n People of Note this week is the British guitarist Michael Watts who is in South Africa to collect a brand-new guitar which has been specially made for him by Casimi Guitars, a duo with an international reputation as two of the greatest guitar makers of their generation. Michael brought his new guitar to the studio and demonstrated it during the programme. We also took pictures of it which are available on our Facebook page and on Instagram.
People of Note this week features news of the UCT Summer School which opens this weekend. I’ll be talking to Medee Rall who is the Director of the Centre for Extra-mural Studies at UCT and who is also responsible for arranging the Summer School. UCT is celebrating 100 years of continuous , life long learning with the Summer School being established in 1950.
On People Of Note this week, Mike Mills stands in for Rodney Trudgeon to chat with Jonathan Crossley who is a renowned South African guitarist in the fields of both Classical music and Jazz. He's also an acclaimed musical innovator and experimenter, exploring new technology and techniques in creating music. He's now a lecturer at Liverpool University. He explains the latest trends in music.
People of Note is brought to you each week by PTP and this week my guest is ROBYN TAYLOR , the recently appointed Executive Manager of Cape Town City Ballet. Robyn has had a long and distinguished career in ballet and various other forms of dance and she is one of 3 Founding Trustees of the South African National Dance Trust. She also spent some 15 years raising funds and creating awareness for various South Afican dance organisations.
On this week’s edition of People of Note, brought to you by PTP, I’ll be talking to a recent visitor to South Africa, the Canadian born, Berlin based cellist Bryan Cheng who stunned us with his performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the CPO under Robert Moody. Bryan has won a number of major international awards and made his sold out debut in Carnegie Hall when he was only 14. He plays the Dubois Stradavarius Cell from 1699.
On People of Note this week I’ll be talking to Brent Van Rensburg who is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Zip Zap Circus which was launched 30 years ago and which has had more than 20,000 students passing through it and which has been on numerous international tours. It was formed to bridge socio-economic gaps and to inspire and empower young people to build a new culture of peaceful co-existence in South Africa. It’s a fascinating story and you can hear it in this week’s edition of People of Note, brought to you by PTP.
On People of Note this week, brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions, my guest will be the children’s author Lesley Beake, whose latest book is called The Time Trackers and tells the story of the child Tana who lives in the Tankwa Karoo. The book is brought alive with illustrations by Michael Pattison and expert input by archeologist Emily Hallinan. Lesley began writing when she was 6 and now has over a hundred of her books published.
People of Note on Fine Music Radio is brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions and my guest this week is Virginia Davids, one of this country’s most distinguished and respected singing teachers. Virginia studied at Stellenbosch University and made her debut at CAPAB with the title role in Verdi’s Aida. After a long singing career, during which she won all the major awards, Virginia is now Associate Professor in Singing at UCT and among her many successful students are Pretty Yende and Pumeza Matshikita as well as my guest last week Brittany Smith.
Arguably the most famous family musical of all time is The Sound Of Music and in this week’s edition of People of Note, brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions, I’ll be talking to Brittany Smith who will be singing Maria in the production which opens here at Artscape on December 14th for a month’s run during the festive season. Craig Urbani will play Captain Von Trapp. Brittany has just stunned opera lovers with her glittering performance in Verdi’s La Traviata and I asked her about moving from grand opera to the world of musicals.
In this week’s edition of People of Note, brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions, I’ll be talking to the well-known and much love South African pianist Rocco De Villiers who will be collaborating with the guitarist James Grace in a new show called 5 Nights In November at the Theatre on The Bay from 15 November. James and Rocco couldn’t be more different in personality, style, dress, hair and age, yet they meet in the middle of the theatre and music landscape to bring you this show.
During the recent Baroque Festival, I was lucky to be able to attend a recital of music played on harpsichords, spinets and organs in a small concert hall in Noordhoek on the property of Bill Robson who actually built all the instruments we heard. Bill is a well known maker of organs and harpsichords which he carefully and loving builds with his bare hands using tools that used to belong to his grandfather. He gets orders from South Africa and all over the world for his instruments and the small concert hall on his property was restored by him from plans and foundations he discovered on his property.
I invited Bill to the People of Note studio this week to talk about his fascinating operation.
In this week’s edition of People of Note, brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions, I’ll be talking to travel writer, author, poet and photographer JUSTIN FOX who has just had a new book published called Place. This is a gripping travelogue in which Justin sets off to explore the places of his favourite books. All the big names are there – Olive Schreiner, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, JM Coetzee, Zakes Mda among others. Justin calls his book a love letter to South Africa, merging literature and landscape.
There’s an unusual and exciting production happening in the trees and bushes at the Spier Wine Estate in November. It’s called Constellations and is directed by Brett Bailey who invites you to expect a unique cultural experience in the forested wilderness at Spier where atmospheric encounters await in the dark woods under a starlit sky. I spoke to one the performers , Megan Choritz on People of note this week about this unique theatrical experience.
Cape Town Opera and the UCT Opera School invite you to step into a world of passion, tragedy, magnificent melody and visual extravagance in their production of Verdi’s timeless masterpiece, La Traviata. The opera will be conducted by Jeremy Silver and directed by Mari Borstlap. Mari is an established theatre director, designer, actor and playwright. She is also a film maker and promises something exciting in this La Traviata. Mari will be my guest on People of Note this week.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Zoe Beyers, who has established a reputation as one of the finest and most versatile violinists based in the UK. Zoe is also an accomplished chamber musician and is a member of the internationally famous Dante Quartet, which has just arrived in Cape for a series of concerts both in the city as well as in Stellenbosch and Johannesburg. Zoe is also passionately interested in education.
This week’s People of Note takes on a somewhat different format. Pieter Dirk Uys has had a lifelong love affair with the great Sophia Loren. They have remained close and dear friends over many years. Sophia Loren has just turned 89 and only a week or so ago, she fell in her bathroom, broke her hip and had to have it replaced. Pieter suggested we pay tribute to this great actress and singer by playing some of her songs and with Pieter reminiscing about their friendship.
This week’s People of Note focusses on orchestras in South Africa, specifically the Cape Town Philharmonic and new and somewhat controversial plans to fund orchestral music. My guest will be Louis Heynemann, who is the CEO and Artistic Director of the Cape Town Philharmonic and has been for some 23 years guiding the orchestra through various difficulties including the Covid disaster.
Two years ago a production at the Baxter Theatre was so successful during its debut run that it has been brought back to the Magnet Theatre. It’s called SNAPPED and it was written by Jennie Reznek and directed by Mark Fleishman. The play explores the relationship between fathers and daughters and it tackles loss and grief, and how to overcome these. The play intersects two stories – that of a woman stuck in grief over the loss of her father and of a young South African stretcher-bearer who was killed in action during World War 2. I spoke to Jennie Reznek about her play on People of Note this week.
This week Cape Town Opera’s magnificent production of Puccini’s Tosca opens at the Artscape Opera House. The production, which is directed by Magdelene Minnaar, has just moved from Johannesburg, where it enjoyed rave reviews. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the conductor, Bjorn Bantock, about Puccini’s magnificent and opulent score and about the many challenges that face the orchestra and soloists, as well as a large children’s choir.
For many people, the opera The Tales of Hoffman is Jacques Offenbach’s masterpiece. It was written right towards the end of his life and in fact he died during the rehearsals. The opera is being presented by the UCT Opera School with an exciting cast and Jeremy Silver is conducting the Cape Philharmonic. The director of the opera is Steven Stead who has many credits to his name including opera, musicals and plays. I spoke to Steven in People of Note this week and asked him about his approach to this magical opera.
In what promises to be one of the most thrilling theatre highlights of the year, the stage production of Damon Galgut’s Booker Prize winning novel The Promise has been adapted for the stage and will have it’s world premier in Cape Town on 14 September. The dazzling cast line up includes Rob van Vuuren, Kate Normington, Frank Opperman and Chuma Sopotela. The production will be directed by MULTI award-winning director SYLVAINE STRIKE AND Rodney Trudgeon caught up with her between rehearsals to fin out more about the play.
In celebration of Women’s Month, Abrahamse and Meyer Productions are presenting the world premier of a new play called “Why Do Moths Fly Like Crazy in the Night”. The play was written by award winning actress Sue Pam-Grant who stars in it as well. It’s a one woman show inspired by the work of Louise Bourgeois, one of the most prolific and fascinating visual artists of the 20th century. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Sue Pam-Grant about her life-long fascination for Louise Bourgeois and about how her life story and thinking have been influenced by her.
At the Mzanzi National Philharmonic concert next Saturday at which the main work will be Mahler’s Fifth Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop, the first half will feature dramatic soprano arias sung by Masabane Cecilia Rangwanashe who is based in Europe and who has been dazzling audiences with her radiant voice. She has just sung the Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss at a Proms concert in London and works regularly with Antonio Pappano at the Royal Opera House. Masabane has given solo recitals at the Wigmore hall and has appeared in Washington, Hamburg, Dresden, Atlanta and Chicago. I managed to get her on a zoom connection for this week’s People of Note.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Charmaine Weir-Smith who is directing a play which has won 5 Naledi Theatre awards called The Beauty Queen of Leenane. The play was written by the Tony Award Nominee Martin McDonagh and has been described as a masterpiece and a darkly comic tale about the turbulent, dysfunctional and often savage relationship between a mother and daughter. The play opens at The Baxter Theatre on the 2nd August.
The first think I thought when I saw Darrel Bristow-Bovey’s latest book called ENDURANCE was do we need yet another book about Shackleton’s attempt to reach the South Pole. Yet, once I’d started reading it, I realised that Darrel has unearthed all sorts of new material and that he carefully intertwines the story with his own life and family – especially his father. The result is a truly gripping story that takes us deep into the frozen ice and all the incredible obstacles Shackleton and his team faced, all written in Darrel’s beautiful and evocative prose.
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon.
Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve always felt there to be a need for a programme that allows an in-depth discussion with these personalities. Whether their fields are music, literature, theatre, dance, opera or even politics and economics, we’ll invite them into the studio to talk about their lives, inspirations and role models, among other things.
“Rather like the famous BBC programme, Desert Island Discs, I’ll ask my guests to bring with them their six or seven favourite pieces of music to share with us.”
Among the long list of guests on the programme so far have been people such as Rhoda Kadalie, Lord Robin Renwick, Petronel Malan, Pieter Dirk Uys, Ruby Wax, Jonathan Roxmouth, Imam Rashied Omar and many more.
A NEW PRODUCTION OF Willy Russell’s classic comedy Educating Rita has just opened at the Theatre on the Bay. It’s produced by Tally Ho productions and the original music is written by Jonathan Blair. I invited Jonathan to the People of Note studio to talk about his score and also about his many commissions which include, opera, concertos, chamber music, song cycles and stop motion film scores. Although Jonathan was born in San Diego California, he new lives in Cape Town where he has collaborated with some of this country’s most important artists.
We’ve been telling you about the forthcoming production of Cinderella here at Artscape which opens next week. It’s an operatic production presented by Cape Town Opera in association with Abrahamse Meyer productions and the director is Fred Abrahamse. I caught up with Fred earlier this week to talk about what promises to be an enchanting, family friendly production and he will be my guests on People of Note this week.
My guest on People of Note this week is one of the international judges at the 10th South African International Ballet Competition. Javier Monier Jr is from Cuba and is currently a member of Mzansi Ballet in Johannesburg. Javier is a hugely talented and well-travelled dancer who brings a wealth of experience to the competition, which runs from the 23 to the 26 July at the Artscape Opera House and attracts dancers of the highest caliber from across the globe.
Have you ever thought of including the Cape’s local wild foods in your recipes? My guest on People of Note this week is LOUBIE RUSCH who is a food system entrepreneur and who aims to develop the production of indigenous plants and to teach consumers how to use them. Her project is called Making KOS and because there are virtually no indigenous ingredients available to buy she is exploring ways to achieve more widespread growing of this kind of food.
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon.
Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve always felt there to be a need for a programme that allows an in-depth discussion with these personalities. Whether their fields are music, literature, theatre, dance, opera or even politics and economics, we’ll invite them into the studio to talk about their lives, inspirations and role models, among other things.
“Rather like the famous BBC programme, Desert Island Discs, I’ll ask my guests to bring with them their six or seven favourite pieces of music to share with us.”
Among the long list of guests on the programme so far have been people such as Rhoda Kadalie, Lord Robin Renwick, Petronel Malan, Pieter Dirk Uys, Ruby Wax, Jonathan Roxmouth, Imam Rashied Omar and many more.
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon.
Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve always felt there to be a need for a programme that allows an in-depth discussion with these personalities. Whether their fields are music, literature, theatre, dance, opera or even politics and economics, we’ll invite them into the studio to talk about their lives, inspirations and role models, among other things.
“Rather like the famous BBC programme, Desert Island Discs, I’ll ask my guests to bring with them their six or seven favourite pieces of music to share with us.”
Among the long list of guests on the programme so far have been people such as Rhoda Kadalie, Lord Robin Renwick, Petronel Malan, Pieter Dirk Uys, Ruby Wax, Jonathan Roxmouth, Imam Rashied Omar and many more.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is MELANIE VERWOERD, a former Member of Parliament, South African Ambassador to Ireland and Executive Director of UNICEF. Melanie is a political columnist and has written a number of books. Her latest book has the intriguing title “Never Waste A Good Hysterectomy” and I spoke to her about the book, her career and her famous surname.
I’m excited to bring you a special edition of People of Note this week which I recorded on board Queen Mary 2 somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. On board was the man who actually designed the ship, the Nautical Architect DR STEPHEN PAYNE OBE and he gave a fascinating series of lectures on board which I found completely satisfying. So I approached him and asked him to share some of his achievements with this massive ocean liner on People of Note. He agreed and we had a fascinating conversation which you can hear on People of Note this week.
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon.
Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve always felt there to be a need for a programme that allows an in-depth discussion with these personalities. Whether their fields are music, literature, theatre, dance, opera or even politics and economics, we’ll invite them into the studio to talk about their lives, inspirations and role models, among other things.
“Rather like the famous BBC programme, Desert Island Discs, I’ll ask my guests to bring with them their six or seven favourite pieces of music to share with us.”
Among the long list of guests on the programme so far have been people such as Rhoda Kadalie, Lord Robin Renwick, Petronel Malan, Pieter Dirk Uys, Ruby Wax, Jonathan Roxmouth, Imam Rashied Omar and many more.
Aviva Pelham is one of South Africa’s most gifted and most loved artists. She sings an exceptionally wide range of music from the repertoire of opera, musicals, operetta and cabaret. And more recently, she’s been directing Community Spectaculars with the Cape Town Philharmonic and a range of artists. Now Aviva has released a coffee table book called “Aviva – A Musical Odyssey” and it is a treasure trove of memories of her career with photographs, reviews and programmes.
Lift airlines is known as the “flexible” airline and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the brand manager of Lift, Haydn Henning, who shares his love of flying with his love of opera, having studied opera at UCT.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the recently appointed Director of the South African College of Music at UCT., Prof Andrew Lilley. This is the first time a jazz musician has been appointed to this post and Prof Lilley is highly regarded both as a player and an educator having played with everyone and anyone in the South African jazz scene. His latest release for solo piano is called “Silhouette”, which will be featured as our CD of the week next week.
Cape Town Opera has announced the appointment of Maestro ADAM SZMIDT as the company’s Resident Conductor and Head Coach. Adam has conducted extensively around Europe and has had masterclasses with Neeme Jarvi, Ben Zander, Nicolas Pasquet and Jorma Panula, among others. Adam will be conducting Rossini’s Stabat Mater in Paarl on Saturday 8 April as well as Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers in May.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is twice nominated Naledi Award actor SCHOEMAN SMIT whose credits include major musicals such as Sweeney Todd, The Producers and Evita. Schoeman Is staring in a new South African production called Devil Song, which is described as a glittering cabaret of villainous proportions. This one man show was inspired by Audra McDonald’s song cycle The Seven Deadly Sins and is directed by David Fick.
Undoubtedly, one of Cape Town’s most beautiful, tranquil gardens is the ARDERNE GARDENS in Claremont. With its shady glades, romantic nooks and Japanese style ponds it’s been a place for Cape Tonians to bring their children and relax away from the increasing hubbub of city life. A man whose name is inextricably linked to the Gardens is Hank Lith who devoted his time to curating the gardens and to getting them worldwide acknowledgement. Sadly Hank died suddenly earlier this year, so Rodney Trudgeon invited CLARE GIBBON, a founding member of the Friends of Arderne Gardens to talk about Hank’s legacy and to play music that was special to Hank.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is one of South Africa’s most versatile and popular actors, JONATHAN ROXMOUTH, who’s new show Key Change is about to open at Pieter Toerien’s Theatre on The Bay after a hugely successful run in Johannesburg. Jonathan has travelled the world with productions such as Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, and has wowed local audiences with his appearances in West Side Story, Grease and, famously, a Handful of Keys.
I’m sure you may know what a wine sommelier is? Those experts in restaurants and hotels who advise you which wine to select with which meal. Well, have you ever heard of a honey sommelier?
My Guest on People of Note this week is in fact a honey sommelier – in fact South Africa’s first honey sommelier. NATASHA LYON is also a bee keeper and bee guardian who studied in Italy and who quickly established herself as a leading authority on honey bees and bee conservation in South Africa. We’ll be talking about tasting honey and we’ll also taste some honey in the course of the programme.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is RAYMOND GOLDSTEIN who is a distinguished musician, composer and arranger, born in South Africa and who now lives and works in Jerusalem.
He’s been on the faculty of the Jerusalem Faculty of Music and, since the opening of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue in 1982, he has held posts of music arranger and associate conductor of its world famous choir, travelling internationally. We discussed Jewish music both folk and liturgical.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Johaar Mosaval, a retired South African ballet dancer who has just turned 95 and who rose to considerable prominence as a principal dancer of the Royal Ballet in England. Apartheid prevented Johaar from pursuing a dance career here in Cape Town but in 1950 he was noticed by visiting ballet celebrities who invited him to London. He spent 25 years with the Royal Ballet and retired and returned to Cape Town on 1976.
What promises to be a fascinating and absorbing play opens at the Theatre on the Bay 0n 20 February. It’s called Masterclass and it stars Sandra Prinsloo as a retired Maria Callas giving master classes to young opera singers at Juilliard School in New York in 1971. The production is in collaboration with Cape Town Opera and features singers from the company being taught by Callas who is both witty and, at times quite harsh. I spoke to Sandra Prinsloo about this challenging new role for in this week’s edition of People of Note.
In this week's episode...
- The Pale Blue Eye
- House of Gucci
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness The Pale Blue Eye · House of Gucci · Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
It’s all about prima ballerinas on this week’s edition of People of Note where Rodney Trudgeon talks to Principal Dancer at Cape Town City Ballet, KIRSTEL PATERSON. Kirstel will be dancing the title role in the upcoming production of Cinderella here at the Artscape Theatre. Kirstel started training as a ballet dancer when she was 5 and in the course of her career, she has won many awards including, very recently, a number of awards at the Friends of Cape Town City Ballet 2022 Awards.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is MERVYN WILLIAMS who has just celebrated 36 years with Cape Town City Ballet. Mervyn has been making magic both on and off the stage for all those years – first as a dancer and now as Head of Wardrobe, as well as managing education skills. He also performs as a character dancer and will be appearing in the forthcoming production of Cinderella as one of the Ugly Sisters.
I’m very excited to introduce you to my guest on People of Note this week. Tracy Edwards MBE is a British sailor who, in 1989, skippered the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round The World Yacht Race and went on to become the first woman to receive the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy. Now days she’s a highly competent and resourceful leader, manager, project professional, fund raiser, team builder, motivational speaker and writer. Tracy is in Cape Town briefly to visit her yacht Maiden and its crew.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the former diplomat Glenn Babb whose new book called “In One Era and Out Of The Other” has recently been published. As most people are aware, the mid-1980s
Was a very difficult time internationally for South Africa. Demands for sanctions against South Africa were becoming more and more intense with the country’s diplomats at the forefront of resistance. Glenn Babb’s new book tells a fascinating story of trying to sell South Africa abroad and trying to persuade the government to follow up on its commitment to change, despite the catastrophe of PW Botha’s Rubican speech.
For his first guest on People of Note for 2023, Rodney Trudgeon has invited the concert pianist Gustavo Romero into the studio. About a year ago, Gustavo performed all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas for the Cape Town Concert series at the Baxter Concert Hall. Now, from 7 January, Gustavo is back, this time with the 13 completed piano sonatas of Schubert over 4 concerts. We discussed the differences between these two great composers and the various difficulties of their piano sonatas.
Fine Music Radio has a veritable treat for you on Christmas Day. The guest on People of Note on Sunday is probably the most famous guest Rodney Trudgeon has interviewed - the internationally famous conductor MARIN ALSOP. Classic FM in London voted Marin Alsop as one of the top 18 conductors of all time. Quite an accolade because others on the list include Karajan, Abbado, Klemperer and Bernstein. In fact Marin was a pupil of Bernstein’s and then had to fight an immense battle to conquer the male dominated world of conductors. Marin was in Cape Town to conduct the Mzanzi Orchestra in Beethoven’s 9th.
Imagine being a bee lover ad research and yet you are violently allergic to bee stings. This is the situation with Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week, GEOFF TRIBE. Despite the ever present danger of an anaphylactic attack, honey bees have been a perpetual source of fascination for Geoff during his 40 year career in entomology. He has just published a fascinating book called Honey Mountain. This is the story of the Heuninberg since ancient times – its history of occupation, exploitation, development and the miraculous Cape honey bees who survived it all.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week has a remarkable story to tell. His name is Guy Deacon and. 10 years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He realised how lucky he was in the UK with access to neurologists and medication, in contrast to many people across Africa who don’t. So, he set out in his VW Camper and travelled from Sussex in England, down the west coast of Africa, to Cape Town to disseminate his knowledge
of the disease.
It’s always exciting when a new musical opens and this is what will happen on the 8th December when the Abrahamse and Meyer production of Star Crossed opens at the Artscape Arena. It tells the story of the eccentric Elizabeth Klarer who, in 1910, alleged that she was abducted by aliens where she had a son. The music was written by the South African composer and music director Wessel Odendaal and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to him about his score for the musical and about his many musical activities.
Arguably South Africa’s most famous cartoonist is Zapiro, whose real name is Jonathan Shapiro. His cartoons have the ability to make us laugh but also to make us cringe and feel uncomfortable as he snipes at our politicians, including international figures, and, as he says, even in his crazy mind he couldn’t invent a country with our curious goings on. Zapiro has just released his 27th annual collection called It’s Not How It Looks and it makes for fascinating browsing.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a very brave and very passionate opera singer. Sarita Stern was the victim of a tragic incident in 1974 when an intruder threw acid into her face just a few days before she was due to make her debut as Carmen. Gradually she regained some sight in one of her eyes and went on to sing and to becoming a much sort after singing teacher. Many of her students are now singing internationally and, at 91, her passionate search for beautiful sound along with her hunger for spiritual fulfilment is a story of triumph over setbacks. All this is now published in her memoir called The Inner Voice of Sound.
Arguably one of South Africa’s best known performers and songwriters is Coenie De Villiers. He has released 22 albums of his own works, received a huge number of awards, he’s written and opera and a ballet and he anchored the kykNet flagship magazine programme Kwela for 17 years. Coenie began his career as an announcer on several radio stations after lecturing in Media and Communication Sciences at the University of the Free State. The play he does with author Deon Meyer, Karoo Suite 2, has just ended a hugely successful run at the Theatre on the Bay.
Cape Town Opera in collaboration with the UCT Opera School are presenting Handel’s exciting, fantasy opera ALCINA at the Artscape Theatre from the 12th to the 16th of November. The opera is being directed by Matthew Wild who is widely recognised as the leading music theatre and opera director of his generation in South Africa and he is now increasingly in demand in Europe where his productions are earning praise for their conceptual intelligence, visual bravura and musicality.
The world of bikers takes centre stage on People of Note this week. Not the noisy, aggressive type, but a group of friends who have fun riding their Harley Davidson motorcycles to interesting places together. They are members of First Free Chapter Cape Town, who number about 58. Apart from their twice monthly breakfast and lunch rides, they attend rallies around the country but, most importantly they do an enormous amount of charity work, focusing on at least 3 bigger a year.
Rodney Trudgeon spoke to LISA CUMBERLEDGE who is the organisations charity officer.
Since its inception in 2009, the Ndlovu Youth Choir has become one of the world’s most treasured ensembles. Their unique musical arrangements, powerhouse vocals, combined with mesmerising choreography and infectious energy have inspired millions across the globe. They were the first choir in history to make both America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent finals. Their dynamic conductor is Ralph Schmitt, a South African musician, conductor, composer and producer who has led the choir to great heights locally and international and he will be Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week.
An important and powerful play is opening this week at the Baxter theatre. The play is called THE UNLIKELY SECRET AGENT and it has been adapted by Paul du Toit from Ronnie Kasrils’ Alan Paton Award novel of the same name. The play explores the brave journey of Ronnie’s wife, Eleanor, who was also a clandestine agent for the underground ANC, and who survived torture and a mental hospital and then navigated her escape from apartheid South Africa. Playing the lead role of Eleanor is Erika Marais and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to he about the production.
Arguably one of the most charming operas in the repertoire is Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore and you'll have a chance to see a production of it at the Theatre on The Bay from the 13th of October. It’s a Cape Town Opera production with the music performed on a piano by the music director Jose Dias. Rodney Trudgeon invited Jose into the People of Note studio to talk about this innovative production and about his career as soloist, chamber musician and vocal accompanist who is in great demand locally.
One of the spectacular operatic success stories from South Africa is the exciting young tenor LEVY SEKGAPANE WHO STUDIED IN Cape Town, won the Belevedere Singing Competition, the Montserrat Caballe competition as well as the Placido Domingo competition known as Operalia. Levy has gone on to sing at the world’s leading opera houses and dazzling people with his sparkling, high tenor in roles by Rossini , Donizzetti and Mozart. Rodney Trudgeon caught up with him on a brief visit to Cape Town and he will be this week’s guest on People of Note.
An exciting and unusual exhibition is on at the Southern Guild gallery at the Waterfront. It is the first exhibition by Congolese artist PATRICK BONGOY and is called “Unseen Dimensions of the Known”. Patrick works predominantly with waste materials such as inner tubes from tyres, industrial packaging, hessian sacking and textiles. And his works are often trapped in dense, knotted webs of rubber and jute strips, a visual metaphor for the abuses Congolese people have suffered from corrupt regimes.
This week on People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be discussing PETS AS THERAPY, A COMMUNITY BASED, VOLUNTARY OUTREACH ORGANISATION THAT COORDINATES ANIMAL ASSISTED ACTIVITIES IN A RANGE OF SETTINGS SUCH AS HOSPICES, FRAIl Care facilities, special needs schools and many others. The Chairperson of Pets as Therapy is clinical Psychologist Dr Leigh Adams Tucker and Rodney spoke to her about the work of this
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People Of Note is a composer, musician, director and philosopher. His name is NEO MUYANGA, WHO WAS BORN IN Soweto and grew up during the hard years of student protests. He began studying natural sciences and Philosophy in Italy but he was soon introduced to a teacher who acquainted him with choral music and the tradition of madrigals. Since then, Neo has written a number of operas as well as plays, chamber music and large choral works.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People Of Note this week is the novelist and poet Finuala Dowling, whose latest book, “The Man Who Loved Crocodile Tamers”, has been receiving rave reviews. It is a fascinating book, written in an unusual but fascinating style and which traces the family history. The book weaves fact and fiction together and Rodney asked her about her writing style and about how important poetry is to her. Reviewers speak about the book making them laugh and cry.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is DES LINDBERG part of the iconic South African folk duo with Dawn Lindberg who died tragically a year ago. They enjoyed a 55 year career – singing, composing, dancing and even being activists. A new book has just been published called “Every Day is an Opening Night”, written by Des and Dawn and which is both a deeply personal memoir as well as a glimpse into their socio-political activism. The book is filled with over a hundred photographs chronicling their extraordinary careers.
An exciting and thought-provoking permanent exhibition has just opened in Cape Town. It’s called “Truth To Power: Desmond Tutu and the churches in the Struggle Against Apartheid”. The exhibition is curated in partnership with the Apartheid Museum and celebrates the life and legacy of Archbishop Tutu. A man who has been very closely associated with Archbishop Tutu since 1986 is John Allen, who has written a number of books including a much acclaimed biography of The Arch called Rabble Rouser For Peace. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to John Allen about the exhibition and also about the work he did with Desmon Tutu.
This week on People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be discussing PETS AS THERAPY, A COMMUNITY BASED, VOLUNTARY OUTREACH ORGANISATION THAT COORDINATES ANIMAL ASSISTED ACTIVITIES IN A RANGE OF SETTINGS SUCH AS HOSPICES, FRAIl Care facilities, special needs schools and many others. The Chairperson of Pets as Therapy is clinical Psychologist Dr Leigh Adams Tucker and Rodney spoke to her about the work of this
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is ELIZABETH FOLGEN who is the founder and one of the directors of an organisation called Redrhino, which designs and sells exquisite wilderness-inspired scarves specifically for the corporate gift market as well as for selected boutiques. Importantly, all net profit goes to the Lapalala Wilderness School in the Waterberg for the nurturing and mentoring of the conservation leaders of the future. A recent bespoke scarf features the octopus as seen by Craig Foster in his award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher.
I wonder if you know what “magic realism” is in literature? Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week uses this technique to enhance her novels and poems. PATRICIA SCHONSTEIN is an author, poet and publisher whose latest book called Thrown Among The Bones is her memoir in which she gives us an intimate glimpse of her life experience and introduces us to her amazing skill with words and atmosphere. Extracts from her 7 novels are included as end notes.
Rodney Trudgeon will have a husband and wife team in the People of Note studio this week. Mike Rossi is an Emeritus Professor in Jazz at the University of Cape Town who performs regularly at jazz clubs and jazz festivals and who has made numerous recordings and international stage appearances. His wife, Diane, is the recipient of the 22nd Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz Honours and is a highly regarded music event organiser and booking agent. This most influential couple in the jazz scene are leaving South Africa at the end of March to go and live in Italy.
This is Rodney Trudgeon and I’m very excited to introduce you to my guest on People of Note this week. Her name is KIRSTEN NEUSCHAFER and she is a hugely experienced solo yachtsman who has spent the last 5 years cruising the Southern Ocean alone while working for Skip Novak, including sail training and deliveries. Now she is about to undertake her biggest challenge as the only woman taking part in the notoriously difficult and dangerous Golden Globe Race which sets off from France in September. It is a solo race which means Kirsten will be completely alone at sea for some 7 months and the competitors are not allowed to call into a port at any stage of the race.
As we watch the humanitarian tragedy unfold in Ukraine, we are reminded of the horrors of war. In People of Note this week Rodney Trudgeon spoke to DZVINKA KACHUR, who is the co-founder and honorary president of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa and who is passionate about promoting Ukrainian culture, uniting Ukrainians and building strong, resilient communities. Dzvinka is traumatised by what’s happening in her country and Rodney spoke to her about the plight of the Ukrainians, day to day life in Ukraine and how she feels about the county’s future.
At a glittering event at the V&A Waterfront last week, Cape Town Opera announced a diverse, innovative and creative programme for 2022, encompassing both the artistic and educational. Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week to discuss the programme, is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Cape Town Opera, MAGDALENE MINNAAR. Magdalene is a celebrated South African operatic soprano, director and producer, well known in the music industry locally and abroad for setting new trends and challenging conventional boundaries.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to FEE HALSTEAD who has made an extraordinary name for herself living in the Natal Midlands at her home called Ardmore. Here, Fee teaches a group of talented rural people all about ceramics. Fee’s home bustles with over 70 African artists whose ceramic works have been recognised as modern day collectables by such distinguished auction houses as Christies, Bonhams and Sotherbys. More recently, the group has extended to making wallpaper and scarves. Fee was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga by President Ramaphosa in 2021.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the South African pianist and composer PAUL HANMER who is perhaps best known for South African Music Award winning jazz albums such as Trains to Taung and Tananas, but he was also chosen as composer in residence for the 2012 Johannesburg International Mozart Festival. Paul is almost as active in classical music as in jazz and in fact he had a song cycle premiered at the Baxter Concert Hall a few days ago. His new show Homecoming premiers here at Artscape on 1st March.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Dr Jean Moorcroft Wilson who was in Cape Town recently to present a series of lectures called “Literature For Troubled Times”. Dr Wilson is a leading authority on British poets of the First World War and has been described as the doyenne of war poet biographers. She has written highly acclaimed biographies of, among others, Siegfried Sassoon, Isaac Rosenberg, Charles Hamilton Sorley and Edward Thomas.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is one of South Africa’s most successful crime writers both locally and internationally. DEON MEYER has published 11 novels, collections of short stories and film scripts and his latest crime thriller, The Dark Flood, is a page turner in the truest sense of the phrase with the most unexpected twist at the end. The book is filled with the incredible characters for which Deon is famous, including his flawed but empathetic police officer, Benny Griesel.
A ‘Sprig of Rosemarie’ is an unusual cookery book as each recipe connects with a memorable story of my cooking career.
Savour the likes of the classic Coq au Vin or titillate your guests with Florentine Nutty Tart or whip up a batch of Jonah’s Gingers for a teatime treat, whatever recipe you try it will be a winner. Elegant or homespun, within these covers are a lifetime of magical meals that are in themselves a memoir. With their beautiful photographs and the accompanying stories that make you laugh out loud, you will turn the pages in anticipation of the next adventure.
From prepping in hangars, restoring power or ducking under garden sprinklers – I’ve seen it all. Making a plan is my mantra, even if it does means sending legs of lamb to friends in the French countryside to be cooked in their home ovens when the power tripped: there is a solution for everything. As with all good parties the guests sometimes overindulge – whether it be the vodka trip while playing bridge or a g-string floating in the pool after a wedding – slightly saucy but for ever discreet.
I recently had a book published and part of the excitement and challenge involved, I found myself fascinated by the whole publication process. So I decided to invite Jeremy Boraine, the publishing director of Jonathan Ball Publishers, to be my guest on this week’s edition of People of Note. Jeremy has worked with a number of South Africa’s top authors and Jonathan Ball Publishers specialises in South African history, politics and current affairs as well as publishing some fiction.
Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is violinist David Juritz. He is in demand as a chamber music artist and is a prolific arranger. His career has taken him to many interesting places. In 2007, he travelled around the world. On the 60 000 mile journey through six continents, he paid for the entire trip with his busking earnings by playing Bach on the street. David will be opening the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra's Summer Symphony Season when he performs Mozart’s Violin Concert No. 5 in A, K 219 on 20 January at 6 pm. People of Note is on Sunday at 6 pm with a repeat broadcast on Thursday at 12 noon.
It’s all about birds and birdwatching on People of Note this week when Rodney Trudgeon talks to the CEO of Birdlife South Africa MARK ANDERSON. Birdwatching is an incredibly popular hobby and the organisations has well over 5000 members, many of whom belong to more than 40 affiliated bird clubs. Birdlife’s vision is to promote the enjoyment, understanding, study and conservation of wild birds and their habitats. They are also involved in a number of projects for the sustainability of birds.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the internationally renowned concert pianist GUSTAVO ROMERO. Critics talk of his exceptional technical brilliance and his interpretive depth with a wide variety of composers. Gustavo is currently lecturing at the College of Music at the University of North Texas, but is enjoying a holiday in Cape Town where he has performed before. He is hoping to present a complete cycle of the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas here in Cape Town if a venue and dates can be secured.\Gustavo Romero on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday.
A magnificent new coffee table book has just been published called Cape Town’s Dockland. It has been written and compiled by the well know shipping correspondent BRIAN INGPEN and aprt from a host of personal reminiscences, it has numerous beautiful photographs, both in black and white, and in colour, of a host of dockland memories, from the iconic Union Castel ships to the hard work tugs, the massive cargo and container ships, war ships and trawlers to the actual harbour itself and its development over many years. Brian Ingpen will be Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week.
This week on People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the 2021 Booker Prize winner, the South African DAMON GALGUT. His novel The Promise won the coveted award and he joins the likes of Nadine Gordimer and J M Coetzee as a Booker Prize Winner. The book is a many layered novel of great complexity and is beautifully written. Damon will talk about the technique he used in writing the book and also about his life as a writer
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the Chief Executive Officer of Tygerberg Hospital DR MATODZI MUKOSI. He is the former CEO of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital but he is also the Pastor of the Jesus The Saviour Church and is the author of 2 books – Leading The Flock and Key to an Extraordinary Life. Dr Mukosi chats about his role at the head of one of the country’s biggest hospitals and the many challenges facing medicine today
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the veteran and much admired former editor of the Cape Times, column writer and author JOHN SCOTT. His long career in journalism included assignments in Britain, Europe, the United States and Israel and he covered the historic fall of the Berlin Wall. John is probably best known as a satirical columnist and his PS column will turn 50 next year.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be chatting to NANCY RICHARDS, an independent journalist with a good few years’ experience in both radio and print. Nancy also founded Woman Zone and the Women’s Library at Artscape Theatre Centre. She produces many podcasts and has written books, the latest of which is called The Skipper’s Daughter, which tells the story of her mother going to sea and, later on, a family tragedy.
One of Cape Town’s most well-known and enduring musical partnerships is that of the husband and wife team of Albie and Hanna van Schalkwyk. Hanna is a highly regarded and successful singing teacher – some of her pupils have won international competitions and are enjoying international careers. Albie is a highly respected piano lecturer at UCT and is held in the highest esteem as a chamber musician and voice accompanist. They are also responsible for the formation in 1994 of the Songmaker’s Guild.
This is the second year that our matrics are writing exams in masks! In fact FMR has dedicated our Keyboard Classics to our matrics during the month of November. Rodney Trudgeon invited Marc Falconer into the People of Note studio to discuss the plight of education and how it has changed during the pandemic. Marc is the principal of Herzlia High School and he is passionate about the role of reading, music and arts in schools. He has also facilitated FMR’s Book Choice Teen Podcasts.
In this uncertain world we are living in - what with the global Covid pandemic and global warming to name a few of the existential crises we seem to be facing - it's often said that "the next great war will be fought over water". Somebody who has spent much of his professional life considering this most valuable of resources, is UCT's Dr Kevin Winter. Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Dr Winter is also lead researcher at UCT's Future Water Institute, and is widely published on urban water management. He sprang to public prominence in the approach to the near calamitous "Day Zero", a couple of years ago, when Cape Town almost became the first major city in the world to run out of drinking water. Dr Winter is my guest on "People of Note"......
Prof Mike Bruton a renowned Ichthyologist (the science of fish) his book, "When I Was A Fish", has been hailed for its accessibility. Mike was born in East London, where the first coelacanth was discovered, and studied at Rhodes University in South Africa. Mike’s research on the freshwater fishes of Africa and the Middle East lead to entanglements with crocodiles, hippopotami, giant snakes and military operations but also allowed him to contribute to international efforts to conserve wetlands and endangered fish species.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note is the well-known and much respected author and columnist TOM EATON. Tom is a Business Day and Times Select columnist and the author of the bestselling novel The De Villiers Code, among other books. His latest book has the following intriguing title: “Is It Me or Is It Getting Hot In Here? – Great Expectations and boiling frogs in South Africa.” You can find out all about this book on People of Note this week
People of Note this week takes on an interestingly different format. My producer and I went to Ian Burgess Simpson’s Piano Shop in Lakeside where he had just taken delivery of a Fazioli Concert Grand for a local buyer. I invited Francois du Toit and three of his award winning piano students to come along with me and we discussed this amazing piano and all the music in the programme was played by the three students. When they had finished their pieces, I asked each of them what they thought about the piano. Ian Burgess Simson also contributed valuable insights into what makes the Fazioli pianos unique.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is a truly multi-talented South African composer, musician and teacher. LIAM PITCHER is known primarily for blending elements of classical, electroacoustic and electronica music as well as for his distinctive piano improvisations. In fact he has just released a 10 CD set of his improvisations, and apart from his piano works, he is a percussionist, orchestrator and teaches music theory and aural training. Liam will be featuring some of his work during the programme
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the highly acclaimed South African singer Niel Rademan who covers genres from folksong to opera. He is also a dynamic theatre producer and his annual festival called Hessequa Harmonie has gone for from strength to strength in the beautiful setting of Heidelberg. This year’s festival, which is almost fully booked already, runs from the 21st to the 25th of September. Niel talks about his incredible enthusiasm for this festival as well as the wide variety of artists whom he manages to attract to the festival each year.
This Rodney Trudgeon and my guest on People of Note this week is the distinguished editor and author TONY HEARD whose latest book called 8000 Days – The Inside Story of an Editor in the Corridors of Power. The book traces the career of Tony after he’d been invited to be a special advisor to Mandela and Mbeki as well as other prominent politicians. Tony Heard was famously fired as Editor of the Cape Times in 1985 after he published an interview with Oliver Tambo who was banned at the time. The book is a fascinating record of how the government works from the inside and I invited Tony into the PoN studio to talk about the book and about his career.
The Children of Willesden Lane is a multi-layered programme that was presented this past week in collaboration with the Cape Town and Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centres. The programme was devised by the concert pianist MONA GOLABEK, whose book called The Children of Willesden is the moving story of her mother, Lisa Jura. Lisa was one of more than 10,000 Jewish children brought to England during World War 2 as part of the kindertransport – a mission to rescue children threatened by the Nazis.
One of South Africa’s iconic sportsmen, Ryk Neethling will be Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note. Famously, Ryk won an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics followed by a number of other prestigious international awards and medals. He went on to study in Arizona in the United States and currently works with athletes and swimmers setting them up for life after competitive sport and is CEO of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa which focuses on safety in the water.
Ryk is now shareholder and marketing director of Val de Vie Estate – a luxury property development in Franschoek
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the award winning author Thomas Harding whose latest book, LEGACY, is described as a panoramic new history of modern Britain as told through the story of one extraordinary family and one ground breaking company. That company is called J. Lyons and it grew to become the largest catering company in the world. It’s the story of an ascent from rags to riches in the face of poverty, hatred and anti-Semitism.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon speaks to Peter Soal who was a Member of Parliament for 12 years. After the 1994 elections, Nelson Mandela sent him to New York where he served as the South African representative on the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the internationally famous South African tenor and now opera director in Berlin, KOBIE van RENSBURG. His career has taken him to all the world’s major opera houses and he is in Cape Town for an exciting venture with the project called “SHANDE”. The Songmaker’s Guild in collaboration with Umculo will present two performances of Schubert songs for four singers, piano and video in this new and innovative production described as a dramatic journey in search of atonement and acceptance. Kobie van Rensburg will direct the production.
Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Dr John Hanks who has over 45 years of experience in a wide variety of conservation management and research projects. Among his many important posts have been Chief Professional Officer for the Natal Parks Board and Professor and Head of the Department of Biological Sciences. Over the last few years, Dr Hanks has been deeply involved with Operation Lock which has been fighting rhino horn poaching in Africa. His recent book about Operation Lock has revealed a number of fascinating controversies surrounding Rhino poaching.
Music lovers in Cape Town were treated recently to a musical feast and feat when Francois Du Toit played all 5 Beethoven Piano Concertos over 2 nights in the City Hall with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. The concerts were a stunning success and demonstrated just why Francois is such a superb musician and why he is so loved and admired by Cape Town audiences. The cycle was presented to celebrate his 50th birthday.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the author and journalist BRENT MEERSMAN. Brent is also co-editor of the news organisation Ground Up and his work has been published internationally. One of his latest books is called A Childhood Made UP – Living with my mother’s madness. The book has been described by Zapiro as “cathartic, insightful, funny and most of all, courageous” as it traces his mother’s battle with schizophrenia and his father’s alcohol-fuelled depression.
On People of Note this week I’ll be talking to the author and photographer JOCELIN KAGAN, whose new book, Africa’s Wild Dogs – A Survival Story, is a collection of spectacular photographs of these fascinating animals, a celebration in fact of one of the continent’s most charismatic and endangered predators. Jocelin made it her mission to bring the extraordinary lives of these often misunderstood and maligned animals into the spotlight. The result is a magnificently produced coffee table book with photographs that are truly riveting in their vividness.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the distinguished South African actor JOHN KANI. John’s extraordinary career has led to countless awards and honours both locally and internationally and in 2015 the Market Theatre in Johannesburg re-named their main theatre the John Kani Theatre. In 2004 John Kani was voted as among the Top 100 Great South Africans. His latest play Kunene and the King – a co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Fugard Theatre – has just completed a hugely successful and critically acclaimed season at the Fugard with Sir Anthony Sher starring opposite John.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is someone well known to FMR listeners as presenter of Boek keuse, AMANDA BOTHA. Amanda is a writer and journalist who has had a long and distinguished career In the world of art, music, literature and the performing arts in general. She broke the story of the world’s first heart transplant as well as of the birth of the Rosenkowitz sextuplets and has also been at the forefront of two of South Africa’s most notorious murder stories – Robin Cohen and the so-called Scissors murder.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the award winning theatre director and playwright MALCOLM PURKEY. In a long, distinguished career, Malcolm has served as the Artistic Director of the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, he formed the Junction Avenue Theatre Company and he is heavily involved with AFDA as researcher on Syllabus development and writer in residence. He has directed and written many famous productions, perhaps the most famous of which was Sophiatown.
This week on People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to MARIA BOTHA who is the founder of an exciting project called MUZUKIDZ that is committed to teaching children from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures musical instruments. To date, more than 350 primary school pupils have been given the opportunity to receive free violin tuition. Maria has a fascinating story to tell about how this project was set up, what the Suzukin method is all about and the sheer joy of seeing the youngsters from townships revel in their playing.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is one of South Africa’s most versatile musician. KUTLWANO MASOTE is a cellist, conductor and broadcaster who has spent many years at Classic FM in Johannesburg and who now presents classical music programmes on SAfm. Kutlwano has conducted concerts across the genres of symphonic, opera, jazz and popular music. He has worked with most of the country’s orchestras and leading soloists and has received many awards.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is a rather unconventional lawyer. BARRY VARKEL has his own legal practice but he also writes books with a comedy flair and in fact, was a stand up comedian once upon a time. His two latest books are called Nigiri Law and Goy Vey which has as its subtitle A Gentile’s Guide to Judaism. Barry feels that we are all far too serius ans that what we need is to laugh more.
Many people in Cape Town know and are shocked by the fire that destroyed the historic Mostert’s Mill on a few weeks ago. The remains of the mill are now covered with plastic and rope netting to save it from rain damage. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the Chairman of the Friends of Mostert’s Mill, JOHN HAMMER, about the extent of the damage, the history of this 300 year old windmill and the exciting plans to completely re-build it to its original glory.
Kom kuier saam met my, Otto van der Walt, in FMR se People of Note ateljee, wanneer oud-regter en skrywer, Andries Buys, ons vertel van sy liefde vir musiek, en sy bekroonde boek, Die dao van Daan van der Walt, wat beskryf word as die mees bekroonde Afrikaanse debuutroman, en waarvoor 'n luisterboek reeds opgeneem is wat gelees word deur Suid-Afrikaanse veteraan akteur Chris Van Niekerk. People of Note met Andries Buys word Sondag om 6 namiddag, en die daaropvolgende Donderdag om 12 namiddag hier op FMR
Interesting and exciting news for music lovers right around South Africa is the formation of a brand new orchestra The MOTHER CITY ORCHESTRA has just been launched. It is a full time, professional touring orchestra that will have its home base in Cape Town but will be travelling with popular concerts such as a Strauss Gala, a night at the opera, a Mozart even and so on. The conductor is XAVIER CLOETE who was the 2013 winner of the Len Van Zyl Conducting competition and who has spent the past 6 years teaching orchestral conducting as well as being resident conductor of the Odeion School of Music orchestra.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the exciting young, South African born opera director VICTORIA STEVENS. Victoria is based in Mannheim and her recent production of Hansel and Gretel has achieved major critical acclaim, as did her Italian directing debut with a new and innovative production of The Marriage of Figaro. She collaborates across a wide scope of artistic disciplines to re-imagine the operatic idiom from a fresh perspective and to make it more accessible to a younger audience
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the painter Jeremy Day, someone who is fascinated with the sinking of the Titanic 109 years ago on April the 14th. All sorts of theories continue to swirl around this famous and tragic sinking including some bizarre conspiracy theories. As part of the programme, the music featured will be selections from the music that was played on board, including as the ship went down.
The magical art of making and blending whisky will be in the spotlight on People of Note this week when Rodney Trudgeon talks to ANDY WATTS , master founder and distiller, who has just been inducted into Whisky Magazine’s Hall of Fame. This is a huge honour bestowed on just a handful of iconic people since its inception on 2004 as a permanent tribute to their lasting contribution to the whisky industry. And, who knows, Andy may well bring in a couple of his award winning whiskies to taste.
I wonder if you have seen that extraordinary documentary called My Octopus Teacher? It is making waves around the world and has already won a number of prestigious awards. Now it has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Documentary category and so I thought it would be interesting to repeat the People of Note programme with the composer of the music to the film. It tells an amazing story of a form of friendship that develops between a diver and film maker Craig Foster and an octopus just off Simon’s Town. The music score was written by KEVIN SMUTS who is an award winning film score composer who continues to impress with his ability to understand and enhance the emotional intensity of the films he works on.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is radio presenter, poet and music aficionado SHILOH NOONE, known to many FMR listeners for his long running series called Song Catcher. Shiloh has also written a history of rock called Seekers Guide to the Rhythm of Yesteryear, which won a Rolling Stone award. His latest book is called A Bicycle, A Chess set, an African River and tells an exciting story of teaching chess to poor children in the bush across a crocodile infested river near the Mozambiquan border.
There’s a touch of LP buying nostalgia on People of Note this week. Rodney Trudgeon invited Peter Kramer into the studio to talk about his long life in the record business, dating back to his father’s famous shop “Hans Kramer’s The Home Of Music”, and including his singing career with Capab and with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Peter is well known to FMR listeners for the programmes he used to do as well as for his regular CD and DvD sales.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is songwriter and record producer Patric van Blerk who is also a presenter on FMR. Patric has had a long and distinguished career In the music industry in South Africa and abroad and two of his most well-known songs celebrate anniversaries this year – 40th anniversary of Paradise Road and the 50th anniversary of Charlie, the hit song which helped launch Rabbit. Patric has won a number of awards and he is also well known for his theme tune to the series Shaka Zulu.
This week’s edition of People of Note, which was first broadcast last year, features an interview with one of South Africa’s most loved musicians. RICHARD COCK is not only a popular conductor, but he is known as a superb choral trainer and conductor, organist and entrepreneur. His annual Last Night of the Proms concert and Starlight Classics draw vast audiences and he also appears at many of the festivals that take place around the country.
A new and fascinating CD has just been released called “Echoes of Sophiatown”. It is a re-creation of a number of the songs which became famous in the jazz clubs of Sophiatown before the apartheid machine declared it a white area. The CD is dedicated to preserving, celebrating and reviving the original music and dance of South Africa’s swing era. The project has been initiated by Cape Town Swing, a non-profit organisation run by a volunteer team of local dancers. The project co-ordinators are Brendan Argent and Sarah Boyd and Rodney Trudgeon invited them into the People of Note studio to talk about the project and to plays some of the music from the new CD.
Mandla Langa (born 1950 in Stanger, Durban) is a South African poet, short story writer, and novelist. He grew up in KwaMashu township.[1] His novel The Lost Colours of the Chameleon won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Africa region).[2][3] Langa studied at the University of Fort Hare, graduating in 1972 with a B.A. degree in English and Philosophy.[4] In 1976, he went into exile and has lived in different countries of Southern Africa as well as in Hungary and the United Kingdom.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Western Cape High Court Judge Owen Rogers who is as adept with the violin and piano as he is with the law, according to his many supporters. He is also a member of the choir Vox Cape Town. Judge Rogers has recently had a book published called Lawyers In Turmoil – The Johannesburg Conspiracy of 1895 which has been described as a lively and, at times, provocative account of the Jameson Raid Lawyers. He will be talking about his passion for Law and his love of music in People of Note. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at Midday.
This week on People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon’s guest is the well known and much respected musician Dizu Plaatjies whose latest album, “Ubuntu The Common String” has just been nominated for a SAMA award. Famously, Dizu was the founder of the celebrated marimba group Amampondo and he has travelled the world introducing his unique blend of African and western instruments and styles, and for his passion for the development of our youth. Dizu also teaches at the Music College at UCT.
Honeybees travel the equivalent of twice around the world to produce that half kilogram jar of honey we pluck off the supermarket shelf. One in every three mouthfuls of food we eat is pollinated by honeybees. But humanity's greatest friend among the insects seems to be in trouble. Dwindling forage, new generation pesticides and a host of other problems are taking a toll on these busiest of creatures. South Africa's only full-time honeybee scientist, Mike Allsopp will be this week's guest on 'People of Note' with Chris Nicklin.
or the first edition of People of Note for 2020, Rodney Trudgeon has decided to repeat an edition of the programme done some years ago which created great interest at the time and in fact many listeners have asked us to repeat it. The interview was with JOHN HAMER who is a senior pilot in Cape Town Harbour and who has had the experience of guiding massive ships into the harbour in all sorts of weather conditions, including the iconic Queen Mary 2. John talks not only about the job of a pilot in the harbour but also about the unique topography of Table Bay.
The 16th of September marked the death in 1977 of one of the world’s most famous and iconic singers, Maria Callas. Fine Music Radio has been paying tribute to her in a series that was presented by Anton Smit over the past 2 weeks and in People of Note this week, we’ll be repeating an interview which I recorded with Robert Sutherland who was Maria Callas’s chosen accompanyist for many years.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is Jeremy Day who is a painter well known for his paintings of ships for the Ship Society’s annual calendar. The 2021 calendar has just been published with yet another beautiful, detailed and atmospheric painting by Jeremy of the war ship The Prince of Wales in Cape Town harbour in 1941. But Jeremy also paints greetings cards and has a number of other interests both mechanical and artistic.
This week we have a repeat broadcast which I hope you’re going to enjoy, especially in this Beethoven year. It is the interview I recorded in the Philharmonie in Berlin when I was there for the cycle of 9 Beethoven symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. I was lucky enough to spend some time with the principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic, Emmanuel Pahud and we had a relaxed chat about the Beethoven symphonies, the newly appointed conductor of the BPO and a host of other related matters.
My guest on people of note this week, is the author and academic Dr Dean Allen, whose new , Empire War and Cricket in South Africa, traces the story of Matjiesfontein and of James Douglas Logan, Dr Dean has produced a remarkable book with fascinating archival photographs of the early days of Logan, in Matjiesfontein and about the unbelievable origins of cricket in South Africa. PON this Sunday just after 6pm news and again on Thursday at midday brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions,
I wonder if you’ve heard our new programme on a Sunday evening at 7.30 called Just The Ticket? It an adaptation for radio of a fascinating book of the same name by Percy Tucker. The book chronicles the life in theatre and show biz of the man who invented Computicket and is a fascinating chronicle of theatres, actors, directors and audiences over many years. Some time ago I interviewed Percy for People of Note and I thought it would be interesting to repeat that interview this week in view of the new series.
On this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon’s guest will be Advocate Deon Irish, who, apart from his work as Senior Council, is the Titular Organist and Choirmaster at St Micheal’s Church in Observatory, a post he has held since 1972. Deon has contributed substantially to the community in South Africa as an organ teacher, a mentor for young choral conductors, an opera and music critic as well as through his financial and legal work for the Diocese of Cape Town. And now Dean has just been made an Associate of the Royal School Of Church Music in recognition of his contribution to church music in South Africa.
I wonder if you have seen that extraordinary documentary called My Octopus Teacher? It is making waves around the world and has already won a number of prestigious awards. It tells an amazing story of a form of friendship that develops between a diver and film maker Craig Foster and an octopus just off Simon’s Town. The music score was written by KEVIN SMUTS who is an award winning film score composer who continues to impress with his ability to understand and enhance the emotional intensity of the films he works on.
A photographic exhibition called “The Other Side Of Christmas” opened at the Deepest Darkest Art Gallery in Cape Town on 7 November 2019. The works document every day scenes across the American south during the 2014 mid-term elections in the USA which were the precursor to the divisive 2016 Presidential elections. The photographer is Barry Salzman, an award-winning contemporary artist who was born in Zimbabwe and brought up in South Africa and who now lives in the United States. Barry works with photography, video and mixed media and is the recipient of the 2018 International Photographer of the Year Award in the Deeper Perspective category.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Africa Melane, a broadcaster who hosts the Early Breakfast Show on Cape Talk and 702 and who has interviewed leading personalities, politicians and business leaders both in South Africa and abroad. Africa is currently the Interim Managing Director and Board Member of Cape Town Opera and is also the Chair of the panel of judges for the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards
On People of Note this week is a repeat broadcast of the interview with the Executive Director of Pick n Pay Stores, WENDY ACKERMAN. Among Wendy’s many achievements and awards is the Inyathelo Award for Family Philanthropy as well as being recognized as one of Africa’s most influential women. Wendy Ackerman has also been recognized by the SA Nature Foundation for outstanding achievement and contribution to environmental conservation and has been acknowledged by the World Wildlife Fund, South Africa, as a Diamond Custodian of Table Mountain. With a hugely busy schedule, Wendy still finds time to assist the community, and among many other interests, she is a Patron of FMR and is on the board of the Cape Town Opera Trust.
The month of November sees the 10th anniversary of the exciting daily, on line newspaper, The Daily Maverick which has become a major player in the media in South Africa and which has attracted some of the country’s finest journalists and influential readers. Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the Co-founder and CEO of the Daily Maverick, Styli Charalambous who talks about building a successful media organisation in this country and which has been behind some of the most ground-breaking investigative journalism stories in the country.
The sterling work of St Luke’s Hospice is the subject of this week’s People of Note interview. Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to RONITA MAHILALL who is the Chief Executive Officer of St Luke’s Combined Hospices, a well-known and much loved organisation which provides palliative care to people diagnosed with a terminal illness and facing the end of life. They also provide medical care, social work, spiritual care and bereavement care.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the multi-award winning South African flautist Wouter Kellerman, who is also the winner of a Grammy Award. Not only is Wouter a flautist, but he is also a producer and composer and part of his mission is to work with and uplift children. His 2018 collaboration with the Ndlovu Youth Choir became an internet sensation.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the distinguished, award winning pianist and teacher NINA SCHUMANN. Nina has won most of the Piano Competitions in South Africa and has received international awards as well. Recently Nina has become the curator of an exciting new on-line project called Concerts Connect which is a series streamed in support of local music societies and concert series.
This is Rodney Trudgeon and my guest on People of Note this week is not only an international respected South African viola player, but he is also a master at overtone singing. Gareth Lubbe is a regular guest artist and educator at festivals around the world and prominent composers have written works for his voice as an overtone singer and his extraordinary vocal skills have been recorded for radio, films and even computer games. You may even find him performing on the “compost organ” in the meadows of Germany! Gareth will demonstrate his overtone singing in the course of our interview
One of South Africa's most acclaimed novelists and playwrights, Zakes Mda, has been back in the country to launch his latest book, tantalisingly titled 'The Zulus of New York'. Zakes Mda has led the sort of life that could quite easily fill the pages of one of his books. From formidable political lineage - he spent time as a boy living in Nelson Mandela Soweto home - then years in exile - to a glittering international writing career based in the United States, where he continued to write about his home country, including some biting satire that could be construed to be about our current politics.
Ships and shipping will be in the spotlight on People of Note this week when Rodney Trudgeon talks to Phillip Short who is the vice chairman of the Ship Society of South Africa which is based in the harbour in Cape Town. Not only does the society’s rooms have a large collection of memorabilia to do with ocean liners, tugs, container ships and oil tankers, but they have regular meetings at which talks are given by well-known nautical personalities. Not only that, but a rather impressive books has been compiled and published by Phillip Short feature amazing, never seen before black and white pictures of Cape Town harbour between 1935 and 1955.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the award-winning director of features and documentaries, ANTHONY FABIAN. Anthony’s first feature film, Skin, won 22 international awards and his first documentary, Township Opera, featured emerging talent from South Africa. Anthony was in South Africa working on a feature documentary called “Good Hope”, which is about a crisis of confidence in South Africa and what the next generation are doing to secure a brighter future for the country.
Children’s stories and children books are in the spotlight on People of Note this week. Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to author ANDREW NEWMAN whose books include breathing meditations, value rich stories and reflection pages meant to help parents and children to spend 20 minutes before bedtime reading. With titles such as The Elephant Who Tried To Tip Toe, The Hug Who Got Stuck and the Boy Who Searched For Silence, the books are truly magical with beautiful illustrations.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the exciting and dynamic young actress, writer, producer and comedian, SHIMMY ISAACS who has won many awards and became the youngest appointed lecturer at the African Film, Television and Live Performance University. Shimmy obtained an international Certificate from the acting school Black Nexus in New York and has performed alongside some of South Africa’s leading comedians, as well as at international venues.
Rodney Trudgeon inviting you to this week’s edition of people of note where I spoke to Robin Emsley, a man who is an internationally famous and respected psychiatrist and who is also Professor of Psychiatry at Stellenbosch University. But we spoke about a book he has written which, when I first saw it, I though was yet another recipe book. I couldn’t have been more wrong! It’s called “Snoek on the Couch” and is a completely fascinating book about snoek, the people of the West Coast, language, an albino bulbul, mental health and the meaning of life. In fact, when I’d finished reading it I felt I knew myself better and quite a lot more about life!
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Dr Jamie McGregor of Rhodes University about a lecture he delivered recently at the UCT Summer School. The lecture was entitled “A Composer’s Midlife Crisis: Wagner before and after Schopenhauer”. It is generally thought that Wagner was never the same again after encountering the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer midway through his greatest work, The RING. Dr McGregor discusses these and many other aspects of Wagner and his music including illustrations from Wagner’s operas
As we continue to repeat some of the People of Note programmes during the lock down, this week it’s the turn of Gerlinda Moser who is described as Cape Town's Leading Property Personality for investment in the City's Premier residential areas. She has an International client base and is a specialist advisor to clients from the German speaking countries. Gerlinda also supports a number of charities like the Reach for a Dream Foundation, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Town Opera, Public Parks, Animal Rescue, Wild Life programs, recycling and energy saving programs. Gerlinda will talk about her fadcinating life in Vienna and her deep love of music
In August 1991, excited holiday-makers boarded the Oceanos at East London for what was meant to be a trip of a lifetime. Despite treacherous weather, rogue waves and hurricane force winds, the captain decided to set sail and this led to one of the biggest air rescue operations ever as the ship started to sink with 220 passengers on board. A new book called Against All Odds has been published by Jonathan Ball. It was written by ANDREW PIKE, one of the most senior maritime lawyers in South Africa.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on a repeat People of Note this week is the young South African soprano Goitsemang Lehobye who is enjoying a hugely successful international career. Goitsemang is currently studying at the University of Michigan and Rodney caught up with her a couple of years ago when she was in Cape Town to perform in Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony as well as to appear with the Minnesota Orchestra to sing in the premier of Harmonia Ubuntu by Bongani Ndodana-Breen
This week’s edition of People of Note will be in the form of a tribute to the Rivonia Trialist and social campaigner DENIS GOLDBERG who died earlier this week at the age of 87. A few years ago, I interviewed Denis about his long and fascinating life and also about his involvement with a music school in Hout Bay.
This is Rodney Trudgeon and my guest on People of Note this week is not only an international respected South African viola player, but he is also a master at overtone singing. Gareth Lubbe is a regular guest artist and educator at festivals around the world and prominent composers have written works for his voice as an overtone singer and his extraordinary vocal skills have been recorded for radio, films and even computer games. You may even find him performing on the “compost organ” in the meadows of Germany! Gareth will demonstrate his overtone singing in the course of our interview
As you know, I recently had a book published and part of the excitement and challenge involved, I found myself fascinated by the whole publication process. So I decided to invite Jeremy Boraine, the publishing director of Jonathan Ball Publishers, to be my guest on this week’s edition of People of Note. Jeremy has worked with a number of South Africa’s top authors and Jonathan Ball Publishers specialises in South African history, politics and current affairs as well as publishing some fiction.
This is Rodney Trudgeon and, even though the Jazz Festival has been cancelled, I managed to talk to the founder of the festival all those years ago RASHI LOMBARD, a name which certainly has clout in Cape Town’s music circles. He is the man who put our jazz scene on the world map and for more than a decade he managed to sign up top international and local jazz stars. Rashid is also well known and respected as a jazz photographer and political photo journalist.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is one of the UK’s leading song pianists and, more recently, a conductor as well. Gary Matthewman is a regular artist at London’s Wigmore Hall as well as Carnegie Hall in New York and Vienna’s Musikverein among many other international venues. His recital partners include Dame Kiri Te Kanewa, Joyce DiDonato, Sir Thomas Allen and Sumi Jo. Gary is on a six week coaching residency at Cape Town Opera, largely focussing on coaching the Cape Town Opera Young Artists.
The Woordfees festival opens in Stellenbosch on 6 March and there is a wealth of music on offer apart from many other genres. One of the performers at the festival is the violinist DAVID BESTER who, apart from his recitals and concerts, is senior lecturer in violin and viola at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth where he founded the Nelson Mandela University String Ensemble. David is passionate about research in string pedagogy and has played with all the major orchestras in South Africa. He has worked closely with people like Pinchas Zukerman, Joshua Bell and Ivry Gitlis.
In this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon’s guest will be the award winning singer-songwriter and fine artist ARNO CARSTENS. During his career as the lead singer of the Springbok Nude Girls, and subsequently as a solo artist, Arno has released multiple albums in both English and Afrikaans and has headlined every major South African music festival. He has also appeared at many international festivals and has performed with the Rolling Stones, U2 and The Police.
Pieter Toerien’s production of the Mel Brooks comedy musical THE PRODUCERS has opened at the Theatre on the Bay with an all-star cast led by Alan Committee, Earl Gregory and Terrance Bridgett. The show is directed by Joseph Pitcher who has directed major productions in the UK and internationally and who trained as an actor before becoming a director. He is also the creator of an award-winning board game called Game For Fame which reached the top of the Amazon.co.uk’s best-selling board game list.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the exciting and dynamic young actress, writer, producer and comedian, SHIMMY ISAACS who has won many awards and became the youngest appointed lecturer at the African Film, Television and Live Performance University. Shimmy obtained an international Certificate from the acting school Black Nexus in New York and has performed alongside some of South Africa’s leading comedians, as well as at international venues
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the well-known and much respected wine maker BRUCE JACK who shot to fame with his urban brewery called Flagstone but who is now the owner and winemaker of a more boutique enterprise called The Drift Estate in the Overberg. But it is not only wine on which Bruce concentrates. He spearheads an organisation called the Headstart Trust, established in memory of his mother, Elspeth Jack, and which seeks to provide and promote education and outreach programmes for educational enrichment, especially music education.
The next exciting production at Pieter Toerien’s Theatre on the Bay is the musical The Producers, adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from the 1967 fil of the same name. As in the film, the musical concerns two theatrical producers who decide to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. Playing the role of Rodger de Bris is the popular actor Terence Bridgett, well known to television audiences for his role in many soap operas such as Isidingo, where he played Chico Booysens, 7de Laan and Backstage.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Dr Jamie McGregor of Rhodes University about a lecture he delivered recently at the UCT Summer School. The lecture was entitled “A Composer’s Midlife Crisis: Wagner before and after Schopenhauer”. It is generally thought that Wagner was never the same again after encountering the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer midway through his greatest work, The RING. Dr McGregor discusses these and many other aspects of Wagner and his music including illustrations from Wagner’s operas.
The UCT Summer School opens this week with the usual vast array of fascinating lectures. Among them is a series of lectures entitle “A Brief History of Harmony, the Universe and Everything” which will be delivered by Grant McLachlan along with performers such as Vox cape Town, Albie van Schalkwyk and Lucia Scott. Rodney Trudgeon invited Grant into the People of Note studio to find out more about his subject which he says will cover 1000 years of music finding common threads which run through the history of music and even delving into physics, psychology, art and architecture
For the first edition of People of Note for 2020, Rodney Trudgeon has decided to repeat an edition of the programme done some years ago which created great interest at the time and in fact many listeners have asked us to repeat it. The interview was with JOHN HAMER who is a senior pilot in Cape Town Harbour and who has had the experience of guiding massive ships into the harbour in all sorts of weather conditions, including the iconic Queen Mary 2. John talks not only about the job of a pilot in the harbour but also about the unique topography of Table Bay.
For the last programme of 2019, Rodney Trudgeon invited one of Cape Town’s most glamourous women into the People of Note studio. Cathy Specific is the undoubted Queen of the elegant supper club known as Gate 69 where she holds court on show nights both in the theatre, on stage and on the red carpet outside where she personally greets every guest with a hug and a kiss! Cathy began life as an air hostess and shortly after deciding on a stage career, she met up with her 2 “Trolley Dollys”. Cathy will talk about her career, the various shows which are presented at Gate 69 with a slightly naughty twist and her plans for the future.
The Rocky Horror show is playing to packed houses here at Artscape with Craig Urbani in the role of Frank n Furter and Kate Normington as the narrator. This all new, fast, Slick production is the London production which has been touring for the last 13 years, but with an all-South African cast here in Cape Town. The director is Christopher Luscombe who began his career as an actor spending 7 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company and then moved to directing where he has directed many successful shows. In this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Christopher Luscombe about his career and about his approach to this cult and iconic musical.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the multi-award winning South African flautist Wouter Kellerman, who is also the winner of a Grammy Award. Not only is Wouter a flautist, but he is also a producer and composer and part of his mission is to work with and uplift children. His 2018 collaboration with the Ndlovu Youth Choir became an internet sensation.
The iconic musical The Rocky Horror Show is playing during the festive season here at the Artscape Opera House. Since it first opened in June 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstair’s, Richard O’Brien’s musical has achieved cut status and Pieter Toerien’s production is the new, world-wide success directed by Christopher Luscombe. In the lead role of Frank n Furter is Craig Urbani whose rocketed to fame as Buddy Holley in the Buddy Holley story and who now plays his 3rd role in the Rocky Horror Show.
A new project was launched recently at the imposing Casa Labia in Muizenberg when the Butterfly Art Project joined forces with Fondazione Labia. The Butterfly art Project is a non-profit Public Benefit organisation that encourages healing and creativity through the arts for children in under-resourced communities. Fondazione Labia is the non-profit charitable arm of the Casa Labia Cultural Centre and Labia Family. In People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Count Natale Labia who, with his sister, founded Fondazione Labia.
The month of November sees the 10th anniversary of the exciting daily, on line newspaper, The Daily Maverick which has become a major player in the media in South Africa and which has attracted some of the country’s finest journalists and influential readers. Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the Co-founder and CEO of the Daily Maverick, Styli Charalambous who talks about building a successful media organisation in this country and which has been behind some of the most ground-breaking investigative journalism stories in the country.
The seminal masterpiece by Tennessee Williams, “The Glass Managerie”, has received rave reviews for its production at the Artscape Arena. It is directed by Fred Abrahamse who commissioned a special music score for the production from the young South African musician and composer, Jaco Griessel. The result is haunting music for a solo cello through the play. Jaco works as a music director, pianist, guitarist and production designer and he has won numerous awards including the Mandela-Rhodes Scholarship.
This week’s edition of People of Note is a repeat of a programme that was broadcast a couple of years ago when the distinguished British violinist Anthony Marwood was visiting Cape Town on holiday. Now, Anthony is back in town, this time to give a recital for the Cape Town Concert series at the Baxter on Saturday 16th of November. Anthony Marwood has had a long successful career as a solo violinist as well as the first violin of the Florestan Trion and has recorded extensively for the Hyperion label.
A photographic exhibition called “The Other Side Of Christmas” opens at the Deepest Darkest Art Gallery in Cape Town on 7 November. The works document every day scenes across the American south during the 2014 mid-term elections in the USA which were the precursor to the divisive 2016 Presidential elections. The photographer is Barry Salzman, an award-winning contemporary artist who was born in Zimbabwe and brought up in South Africa and who now lives in the United States. Barry works with photography, video and mixed media and is the recipient of the 2018 International Photographer of the Year Award in the Deeper Perspective category.
A show which is doing incredibly well here in Cape Town, and which has been extended to the 2 February 2020, is Kinky Boots at the Fugard. It has a Tony winning score by Cyndi Lauper and the book by four time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein and has played to sold out houses on Broadway. In the role of the drag queen Lola is the accomplished young South African EARL GREGORY who has been seen in many shows including Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Cats, Hair Spray, High School Musical and Hair among many other. Earl Gregory will be Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week.
Children’s stories and children books are in the spotlight on People of Note this week. Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to author ANDREW NEWMAN whose books include breathing meditations, value rich stories and reflection pages meant to help parents and children to spend 20 minutes before bedtime reading. With titles such as The Elephant Who Tried To Tip Toe, The Hug Who Got Stuck and the Boy Who Searched For Silence, the books are truly magical with beautiful illustrations.
Rodney Trudgeon will have two guests in the People of Note studio this week when he chats to the British piano musical comedy duo Steven Worbey and Kevin Farrell known as Worbey and Farrell. Both are internationally acclaimed concert pianists but with a wicked sense of humour and their show will astound you as they push the boundries of the concert grand with virtuoso playing combined with wit and arms frantically intertwined as they sit at one keyboard creating amazing sounds. Their show has just opened at the Theatre on The Bay.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the distinguished South African violinist Pieter Schoeman who is currently the concert master of the London Philharmonic. He has performed as a soloist and recitalist in Amsterdam, Moscow, Berlin, Los Angeles and St Petersburg and his many recordings with the LPO include leading the orchestra in the recordings of the soundtrack to the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy. Pieter is also Professor of Violin at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and dance in London.
Rodney Trudgeon inviting you to this week’s edition of people of note where I spoke to Robin Emsley, a man who is an internationally famous and respected psychiatrist and who is also Professor of Psychiatry at Stellenbosch University. But we spoke about a book he has written which, when I first saw it, I though was yet another recipe book. I couldn’t have been more wrong! It’s called “Snoek on the Couch” and is a completely fascinating book about snoek, the people of the West Coast, language, an albino bulbul, mental health and the meaning of life. In fact, when I’d finished reading it I felt I knew myself better and quite a lot more about life!
Rodney Trudgeon will have two guests in the People of Note studio this week. Jonny Woo and Le Gateau Chocolat are internationally famous drag artists who, apart from their hectic schedules in London and elsewhere in Clubs and cabaret shows, have put together a collection of favourite songs from the shows called “Night At The Musicals”. They both come from quite different backgrounds and in fact the one called Le Gateau Chocolat is a sometime opera singer and has just appeared in Tannhauser at the Bayreuth Festival
This week’s edition of People of Note was recorded in the main control room of the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall at the Philharmonie in Berlin. This year is the 10th Anniversary of the Digital Concert Hall and their subscriptions come in from all over the world enabling people to enjoy live concerts, recorded concerts, interviews, documentaries and feature films. When I was in Berlin recently I managed to visit the impressive control room and talk to the principal sound engineer, Christoph Franke, about the project.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the Mozambican born, Cape Town based artist LIZETTE CHIRRIME whose works are held in a number of collections throughout South Africa, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Her pieces mostly take the form of detailed fabric collages which reflect her sometimes tumultuous life’s journey. Lizette describes her work as a source of healing and a means to foster connection and inspire change. In short, turning tumult into tapestries.
A recent visitor to Cape Town was the English conductor Alexander Shelley who was in town to conduct a concert with the visiting German National Youth Orchestra. Alexander is the son of eminent pianist Howard Shelley and is currently music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa as well as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic in London. He was the unanimous winner of the 2005 Leeds Conductors Competiton and he has been described as the most exciting and gifted young conductor to have taken this highly prestigious award with his immaculate technique and inborn musicality
In August 1991, excited holiday-makers boarded the Oceanos at East London for what was meant to be a trip of a lifetime. Despite treacherous weather, rogue waves and hurricane force winds, the captain decided to set sail and this led to one of the biggest air rescue operations ever as the ship started to sink with 220 passengers on board. A new book called Against All Odds has been published by Jonathan Ball. It was written by ANDREW PIKE, one of the most senior maritime lawyers in South Africa.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest in the People of Note studio this week is the distinguished South African violinist GINA BEUKES. Gina has been in town for concerts and many people will remember her as concert master of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra before she went to play in the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic where she works with giants of the podium such as Solti, Haitink, Barenboim and Colin Davis. She has now settled in Belgium where she plays for the leading opera orchestra
Quality wines come under the spotlight in this week’s edition of People of Note when Rodney Trudgeon talks to PETER FINLAYSON of Bouchard Finlayson. Peter is renowned for pioneering South African Pinot, as well as putting the Walker Bay Wine Region on the map. He was the first winemaker in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley and his dedication to making the finest wines is illustrated across the range, with emphasis on Pinot Noirs.
A gripping and absorbing play by Tennessee Williams called “In The Bar of a Tokyo Hotel” is being presented in a restaurant and bar at the Vineyard Hotel. It is another in the hugely successful series of Hotel Plays directed by Fred Abrahamse and designed by Marcel Meyer with an exciting cast of 5. One of the actors is MATTHEW BALDWIN who has worked frequently with Fred Abrahamse in productions of Shakespeare among other playwrights. He has also appeared in films and television and was used as a Daniel Radcliffe look alike in the Brothers Grimsby with Sasha Baron Cohen.
The “Voices Of South Africa National Opera Singing Competition” returns to the Hugo Lamprecht Concert Hall in Parow at 3pm on Sunday 28 July. This is the sixth project in the series enabling the training and nurturing of young South African musicians, especially singers. The concert is preceeded by a series of masterclasses in the Baxter during next week. The project is spearheaded by the award winning South African-born, London-based opera singer NJABULO MADLALA.
The Waterfront Theatre School is presenting the rock musical SPRING AWAKENING at the Artscape Arena Theatre until the 20th July. The show is described as “a celebration of rebelliuon – an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock and roll”. DELIA SAINSBURY is the power behind the hugely successful Waterfront Theatre School and many people will remember her unbroken record of over 20 years as a presenter on SABC Tv. Delia writes and produces extensively for corporate theatre and for children.
The latest production at the Theatre on the Bay is a play by Enrico Luttmann called “Family Secrets”. It’s a two hander which stars Dorothy Anne Gould and Sven Ruygrok. In this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Sven Ruygrok about the play as well as about his career both in films – he starred as Rambo in Spud opposite John Cleese and with Orlando Bloom in Zulu, and on the stage. Recently he received critical acclaim for his portrayal as the disturbed teenager in the play Equus.
A new and fascinating CD has just been released called “Echoes of Sophiatown”. It is a re-creation of a number of the songs which became famous in the jazz clubs of Sophiatown before the apartheid machine declared it a white area. The CD is dedicated to preserving, celebrating and reviving the original music and dance of South Africa’s swing era. The project has been initiated by Cape Town Swing, a non-profit organisation run by a volunteer team of local dancers. The project co-ordinators are Brendan Argent and Sarah Boyd and Rodney Trudgeon invited them into the People of Note studio to talk about the project and to plays some of the music from the new CD.
This week’s edition of People of Note features the new CEO of Cape Town City Ballet, DEBBIE TURNER, who was appointed in October 2018. Debbie founded the Cape Dance Company and the Cape Academy of Performing Arts but had a long and successful career as a dance in many genres from classical ballet to Latin American via Spanish Dance. Debbie is committed to restoring, revitalising and aligning South African dance with 21st Century global trends. Cape Town City Ballet has just announced its Autumn and Winter Seasons and Debbie Turner will be discussing that as well.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is one of the country’s most successful and much loved comedians, MARC LOTTERING, who has won multiple Fleur du Cap Awards and a Vita Award and his full ensemble musical Aunty Merle The Musical played for three sold out seasons in Cape Town and in Johannesburg. Marc is back at the Theatre on the Bay with his one man stand-up comedy show called Not A Musical and Rodney spoke to him about the show and his life as a comedian.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the exciting young Romanian pianist DANIEL CIOBANU who was in Cape Town recently to perform with the Cape Town Philharmonic and at the Cape Town Concert Series. Daniel won the prestigious UNISA International Piano Competition in 2014, but he has also won a number of top international prizes and a critic once said of him that he forces his listeners to rethink the way that a piece of music may be engraved in his mind and that he has a blinding technique.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the distinguished South African actor JOHN KANI. John’s extraordinary career has led to countless awards and honours both locally and internationally and in 2015 the Market Theatre in Johannesburg re-named their main theatre the John Kani Theatre. In 2004 John Kani was voted as among the Top 100 Great South Africans. His latest play Kunene and the King – a co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Fugard Theatre – has just completed a hugely successful and critically acclaimed season at the Fugard with Sir Anthony Sher starring opposite John.
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon.
Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve always felt there to be a need for a programme that allows an in-depth discussion with these personalities. Whether their fields are music, literature, theatre, dance, opera or even politics and economics, we’ll invite them into the studio to talk about their lives, inspirations and role models, among other things. “Rather like the famous BBC programme, Desert Island Discs, I’ll ask my guests to bring with them their six or seven favourite pieces of music to share with us.”
Among the long list of guests on the programme so far have been people such as Rhoda Kadalie, Lord Robin Renwick, Petronel Malan, Pieter Dirk Uys, Ruby Wax, Jonathan Roxmouth, Imam Rashied Omar and many more.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Priscilla Holmes who has set up a group of six enthusiastic women all of whom write under the title “The Write Girls” – write spelt w r I t e. Their latest novel is called In Dire Straits and the obvious question is how can six women possibly write a novel together. But, it seems to work and it’s a fascinating story
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the newly appointed Director of the UCT Opera School, Jeremy Silver. Jeremy will also be conducting the Bellini opera I Capuletti A E Montecci for the opera school and Cape Town Opera which opens on 15th May.
Jeremy studied languages and music at Clare College Cambridge and conducting at the Royal Collge of Music in London and has extensive experience as an opera conductor. He has also appeared regularly in South Africa.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is one of Cape Town’s most dynamic and glamourous theatre publicists and travel writers ALLISON FOAT. Allison has had an exciting career first as a principal dancer with Capab and Pact Ballet as well as Manhattan Ballet in New York and has danced lead roles in six Balanchine. Allison is in great demand as a travel and lifestyle journalist, quite apart from her work with many of theatre’s most exciting shows.
The hugely popular Suid Ooster Fees opens at the Artscape Theatre Complex on 25 April and runs until 1 May with a host of productions. One of the highlights will undoubtedly be Franz Lehar’s evergreen operetta, The Merry Widow which has one performance only at the Artscape Opera House on 27 April. The production is directed by the veteran opera director Christine Crouse who spent many years at Cape Town Opera and who is now a freelance director.
In this week’s edition of People of Note, the focus will be on music in Bloemfontein and, more specifically, the exciting activities at the music school of the Free State University. Rodney Trudgeon’s guest will be MARIUS COETZEE who wears many hats but who is also the founder and Artistic Director of the OSM Camerata, a group of young musicians who have garnered many awards both locally and internationally. The orchestra serves as a feasible incubator to help nurture fully rounded musicians who are then thoroughly prepared for the demands of their trade as orchestral musicians, soloists and conductors.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is one of South Africa’s foremost pianists who has won numerous awards both locally and internationally, BEN SCHOEMAN. Ben has played in some of the world’s finest concert halls such as Wigmore and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Schloss Moritzburg in Dresden as well as at festivals in Italy, Switzerland and Canada.
Peter Shaffer’s award winning play EQUUS has just opened at Pieter Toerien’s Theatre on the Bay and in this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to GRAHAM HOPKINS who plays the daunting role of the child psychiatrist Dr Martin Dysart. Graham is one of this country’s most versatile and distinguished actors with a string of awards to his name from the world of films, television and stage.
People of Note is broadcast on Sunday just after the 6pm news and again on Thursday at midday.
One of South Africa's most acclaimed novelists and playwrights, Zakes Mda, has been back in the country to launch his latest book, tantalisingly titled 'The Zulus of New York'. Zakes Mda has led the sort of life that could quite easily fill the pages of one of his books. From formidable political lineage - he spent time as a boy living in Nelson Mandela Soweto home - then years in exile - to a glittering international writing career based in the United States, where he continued to write about his home country, including some biting satire that could be construed to be about our current politics.
Back at Pieter Toerien’s Theatre On The Bay due to public demand is the colourful and exotic show called Recuerdos featuring classical guitarist James grace with the Carli Olivier Spanish Dance company from Sasolburg. This exciting show not only features James’s superb playing, but the dances interact with him in their flamenco style while as a stunning backdrop, there’s the underwater photography of Ilse Moore.
In this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Carli Olivier about the production as well as about the world of flamenco dancing.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note is the award winning author MANU HERBSTEIN who first novel, “Ama, A Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade” won the 2002 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for the best first book. Manu is also the winner of the 2018 African Writer’s Award for Children’s Literature. Manu was born near cape Town in 1936 but left South Africa in 1959 and worked as a civil engineer in Ghana. The music he has selected for the programme will reflect his love of Ghana and it’s musicians.
Rodney Trudgeon has something of a whizz-kid on People of Note this week. MARCIN PATRZALEK is an 18 year old Polish guitarist who is enjoying huge success both on social media and on concert platforms. Marcin is known mostly for his guitar arrangements and compositions which gather over 80 million views on line and he is the winner of a number of prestigious competitions. He also discovered a unique technique that he calles “Acoustic Fingerstyle”.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Sir Malcolm Jack who, for many years was Clerk Of The House in the British Parliament specialising in constitutional matters. Sir Malcolm is also an author, lecturer and critic and his latest book has just been published. It is called To The Fairest Cape – European Encounters in the Cape Of Good Hope. The book covers the period from Van Riebeeck’s momentous importation of slaves to the official abolition of slavery in the 1830s.
Our guest on People of Note this week is a man who made the unusual career switch from advertising agency executive to wild land firefighter. Patrick Ryan can often be seen on the fire-lines on our mountainsides and farmlands with camera in one hand, fire-fighting gear in the other. He'll talk about how global warming is making the fires he encounters even fiercer. Now that we're at the height of the Western Cape's so called "fire-season ', he'll be giving advice on how to stay out of harm's way if you live in a fire-prone area.
One of the world’s leading female impersonators, Ceri Dupree, is in Cape Town to perform at Gate 69, the popular supper club and cabaret venue. Ceri has been described as a magician in high heels, a man at the top of his game. Ceri has been delighting audiences worldwide for almost 30 years and his unique talents have led him through musical theatre, pantomime, television and cabarets.
An interesting new play is about to open at the Arena Theatre here at Artscape. It’s called “Krotoa, Eva Van De Kaap” and is described as a multilingual and intercultural show set in present day South Africa where a South African actress, playing Krotoa, meets a Dutch actor who is playing Jan Van Riebeeck on a film set. The story brings to the stage a neglected and contested aspect of shared history in an innovative way. The play was written by the award winning writer, journalist and film maker SYLVIA VOLLENHOVEN and Rodney Trudgeon spoke to her about her life and the play for People of Note.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is one of South Africa’s favourite and busiest actresses, Kate Normington, who is perhaps best known for her many roles in musical theatre – most notably Nunsense, Sister Act, Sweeny Todd, Mama Mia and High School Musical to name just a few. Kate has landed the coverted role of The Witch in the Pieter Toerien production of Stephen Sondheim’s magical musical Into The Woods which opens at the Theatre on the Bay on January 31st.
David Kramer’s new musical LANGARM is pulling in the crowds at The Fugard Theatre. So much so in fact that the run has been extended to the 3rd of March. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to David Kramer about his musical and about his fascination with folk music, as well as the many hugely successful shows which he has written.
Matilda The Musical is wowing audiences here in Cape Town and rightly so – it is a superb show and is still a huge hit in London’s West End. The costume and set designer for the show since its inception is ROB HOWELL from England who has won three Olivier Awards, one of them for his innovative set for Matilda which has to be seen to be believed. He also received a Tony Award for his work on the Broadway production of Matilda.
Peter Storey’s life as a prominent South African church leader intersected with some of the most dramatic events in the country’s history - the bulldozing of District 6, ministering to Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, marching with Desmond Tutu when the church took on the might of the Apartheid state and the storm around the murder of the activist Stompie Seipei. But it wasn’t all religion and politics – this remarkable South African also founded the famous telephone counselling service.
Cape Town City Ballet is busy this Festive Season with two exciting ballet productions at Artscape. The first is called The Little Mermaid which is based on the well-known fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It has been choreographed ADAM SAGE who is currently the Associate Artistic Director at Ballet Phillipines, after enjoying a nearly three decade career that has included performing, teaching, coaching and choreography on four continents. Adam Sage is Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on this week’s edition of People of Note.
Agatha Christie’s famous thriller The Mousetrap returns to the Theatre on the Bay with an all-star cast. Famously, the play is famously in its 66th year of a non-stop run in London. One of the cast members is the well-known and much loved singer, pianist MICHELE MAXWELL who plays the part of Mrs Boyle.
In this week’s edition of People of Note, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Michele Maxwell about the play and also about her career which has spanned 45 years so far and which has included many roles in musicals and in plays as well as on television in shows such as Isidingo and Scandal.
Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note is the dynamic young conductor PERRY SO who is in Cape Town to conduct 3 concerts with the Cape Town Philharmonic. Perry So was born in Hong Kong but now lives with his wife in Boston and travels extensively as a guest conductor. He has worked closely with internationally famous conductors such as Esa Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel and Lorin Maazel. His recording of the Korngold Violin Concerto with Alexander Gilman and the Cape Town Philharmonic has won distinguished international awards.
This year the Tygerberg Children's Choir celebrates its 46th year. Under the direction of my guest, Hennie Loock, the choir earned acclamation in various categories at the World Choir Games in Tshwane this year, and, is now ranked 4th in the Interkultur World Choir Rankings.
On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to the well-known architect and Heritage Building specialist JOHN RENNIE. One of John’s most recent projects was the refurbishment of the Cape Town City Hall earlier this year, but John’s extensive experience in and around Cape Town has seen him reimagining buildings and returning them to their former glory.
Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is one of South Africa's most versatile performers. MAGDALENE MINNAAR is firmly established an an operatic soprano but she is also a highly respected performer across musical genres, an entrepreneurial producer and an innovative director. One of her missions is to reinvent the face of classical music in South Africa and she has been responsible for many ground breaking productions.