Hout Bay actress Erika Marais will be staging her one-woman show, Jam Every Other Day, at the Masque Theatre in Muizenberg next month.
Jam Every Other Day is a beautiful tale from a mother of six children, all about raising them “on little more than love and good intentions”.
Based on the memoir of South African author Emmaleen Kriel, the show is full of charm, humour and truth.
The script has been adapted for the stage by Ms Marais and Celia Musikanth, both
of whom are mothers themselves and
have years of experience in the theatre world.
The story follows the lives of Ms Kriel and her brood of children, geese, ponies and dogs from their home in 1960s rural Constantia to their next home in the forests of Knysna. Life certainly had its hardships for the family, but on the whole it genuinely was just as idyllic as it seemed – if a little unconventional. “My aunt gave me the memoir as a gift. I immediately felt it was so relevant to me as a mother,” said Ms Marais, a speech and drama teacher at Hout Bay’s Amoyo Performing Arts Foundation.
“Emily was such a creative mother, and that resonated with me.”
After getting the go-ahead to adapt the story to the stage, Ms Marais and Ms Musikanth set about writing the script.
Ms Marais studied drama at the University of Pretoria and moved to Cape Town five years ago. The mother of three boys, she has worked on a few productions, including stints with the Pinelands Players, while also doing some commercial work.
Jam Every Other Day opens at the Masque Theatre, Muizenberg, on Thursday October 19 and runs until Saturday October 21 in the foyer.
To book, contact Masque Theatre Bookings on 021 788 1898 (weekdays from 9am to 4pm and Saturdays from 9am to noon). Alternatively, you can email bookings@
masquetheatre.co.za
