Through soul-stirring, foot-stomping and laugh-out-loud storytelling and song, PICTURE INCOMPLETE sketches out the portrait of a man’s life as he celebrates a rather unusual birthday on which an eviction notice arrives advising him to vacate his apartment. As he clears out his stuff, memories from his past, outrageously nosy neighbours and some poignant chance encounters on the street help him to discover who he truly is. Both hilarious and poignant, this solo theatre piece delves into the human obsession with being perfect and unpacks the boxes we use to define ourselves.

Created by Trent Armand Kendall (book) and Michael Polese (music and lyrics), PICTURE INCOMPLETE debuted in the United States in 2008, going on to play the New York International Fringe Festival in 2010 to great acclaim and winning the Best Musical award at the United Solo Festival the following year. South African musical theatre performer Schoeman Smit (THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN, SWEENEY TODD) produced the South African premiere of PICTURE INCOMPLETE at the POPArt Theatre in Johannesburg in 2014, giving the show its Cape Town premiere last year in a newly conceived production directed by David Fick (YOU BET YOUR LIFE!, SEASONS OF LOVE). Don’t miss this return season of the show that New York’s Next Magazine called funky, fierce and fabulous. PICTURE INCOMPLETE is performed in English (60%), Afrikaans (38%) and isiXhosa (2%).

David Fick graduated with a Master of Arts in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town in 2005, having previously graduated from the same university with a First Class Honours in Drama in 2002. David has worked as an assistant director to acclaimed theatre-makers Geoffrey Hyland (THE FANTASTICKS) and Janice Honeyman (HANSEL AND GRETEL). He has also has written and directed three musicals, OVER THE RAINBOW (with Jacqui Meskin), HOUSE OF SHADOWS and YOU BET YOUR LIFE! (with Roland Perold) as well as several musicals for young audiences, including THE SNOW QUEEN and THE AWESOME ADVENTURES OF HUMPTY DUMPTY. David is passionate about his work in the education sector, having established the Drama Departments at Springfield Convent High School (where he has directed, amongst others, THE TROJAN WOMEN, ANNIE GET TOUR GUN, INTO THE WOODS, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC) and South Peninsula High School. He has also appeared on stage in Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s EDGES, the Stephen Sondheim musical, MARRY ME A LITTLE, in cabarets and revues like A (SORTA) LOVE STORY, AFFIRMATION, SEASONS OF LOVE as well as a revised version of YOU BET YOUR LIFE! which played the National Arts Festival and a season at the Alexander Bar, Theatre and Café’s Upstairs Theatre. 

Schoeman Smit is a third generation musician who recently returned to a full time career in performance in Pieter Toerien Productions and KickstArt’s production of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. Prior to spending some time away from the stage as an educator, the classically trained Smit has done everything from country and western to big band and performed in musicals productions like the South African premiere of PICTURE INCOMPLETE and JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, classical and opera work like Mozart’s REQUIEM, UN GIORNO DI REGNO, CARMEN and IL CARO SASSONE, and children’s theatre productions like THE SECRET GARDEN, NODDY and THE ADVENTURES OF OLIVER. While teaching, he also directed a production of the classic Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson musical, PIPPIN. He loves the bright lights of musical theatre and feels most creative when being challenged in a multifaceted role. Most recently, he has been touring Spain with the music show, THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN. Smit’s formal training is through the Opera School at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he trained under Eric Muller, Lize Thomas and Hanli Stapela. 

Trent Armand Kendall is a versatile entertainer who has made his home on stages all around the world. He has starred on Broadway, performed in US National Tours and in London’s West End. He uniquely blends classic soul, gritty blues and rock with sizzling jazz and the very best of Broadway. Originally from St Louis in Missouri, he is a Theater Performance and Direction graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia and the Burt Reynolds Institute for Theater Training. He has enjoyed a thriving career in New York for two decades and his stage credits include: MY ONE AND ONLY, THE COLOR PURPLE, SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, CHILDREN OF EDEN, FINIAN’S RAINBOW, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’, LIL ABNER, BAT BOY THE MUSICAL, NUNSENSE A-MEN!, PURLIE!, THE WIZARD OF OZ, FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE and INTO THE WOODS. Having won Best Musical for PICTURE INCOMPLETE at the United Solo Festival, he is also the winner of an Anna Sosensko Trust Grant and a National Arts and Letters Grant and has been nominated for the NAACP’s Best Supporting Actor Award. 

Michael Polese is a long-time collaborator with Trent Armand Kendall, having produced the recordings INTRODUCING TRENT KENDALL, SO MUCH TO SAY ( (featuring his composition “Comes The Dawn”) and two albums of his own as singer-songwriter, MY OWN VOICE and HALF WAY HOME. While living in London, Polese recorded at George Martin\'s Air Studios and performed at Center Stage - The Mountbatten Hotel. He has also played Judy's Supper Club, B. Smith's Rooftop Cafe and Tavern on The Green in New York City, been featured in the ASCAP Songwriter\'s Showcase and performed live on WQEW Radio. As the composer of PICTURE INCoMPLETE, Polese has received notable reviews for his music and lyrics, also winning the Best Musical award at the 2011 United Solo Festival in New York City. Polese is also the composer of the musical TRAFFIC, which also features a book by Kendall.

Audience Responses

Entertaining show, beautiful, exciting performance - very enjoyable!

Excellent! So relevant, humorous, and honest. Execution, superb!

Very interesting production. I enjoyed it. Brilliant voice. While I am aware that the use of multiple languages contributes to the diversity of the stories being told - not understanding these languages meant that I lost out on some of the essence. Also, I found that the actors words were sometimes muffled by the load music. A bit more of a balance is needed here.

Excellent! So relevant, humorous, and honest. Execution, superb!