Part of the POPUpstairs season 2016/2017 supported by the National Arts Council of Southern Africa

Welcome to The Den. A bar at the end of the world and, truth be told, at the end of it’s tether. Lucky for you not quite. Tonight is the last time that resident cover band, Dani and the Lion, will be performing at this, let’s say, fine establishment. A special performance that they have wanted to perform for years, but were never allowed. Tonight everything changes. Everything. Except for some things… Dani and the Lion, Last Night at The Den is a continuation of last year’s Dani and the Lion at Alexander Bar, as well as a run at the 2016 NAF, where it received an Ovation Award.

 “Daneel’s stories would be heartbreaking if they weren’t so touchingly funny.” – Megan’s Head 
“This production is absolutely breathtaking.” – Cue
“Cabaret as it was meant to be-sets the gold standard” – Broadway World

Biographies:

Daneel studied Theatre and Performance at UCT before Instagram existed. She then went on to work on her waitering skills and after a fairly impressive level of servitude was reached she approached the theatre industry with a new found fervour. Since then she has been in shows like Juliet Jenkin’s Big Girl, Long Street Nights directed by Nicky Rebelo and The Fugard’s Rocky Horror Show. Dani and the Lion; Last night at The Den, is a continuation of the cabaret that first saw light at The Alexander Bar last year. They (David Lubbe, Nicholas Spagnoletti, Edward van Kuik and herself) travelled this little circus to the 2016 National Arts Festival. On a horse named Ethel. Since then they have taken Ethel back home to Cape Town for another successful run at The Alexander Bar.

Dani is beside herself  about running at Pop Art. And also a little sad to leave  Ethel behind.

David is a pianist and teacher in the Cape Town area. Having won the prestigious Edgars Baby of the Year Award in 1983, he was destined for great things. Graduating from the University of Stellenbosch, David took a leave of absence to make money in the doll-drum accounting sector for many years but has recently returned to the wonderful world of music, working as an accompanist, teacher and performer. As a student, David won the Hugo van der Spuy Cup for best accompanist, was first runner up in the inaugural Nina Schumann Overseas Bursary Competition and performed with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Youth Music Festival. David performs, accompanies and teaches in and around Cape Town, mainly involving himself with the development of young musicians.

His recent concert appearances include a concert of all Poulenc's woodwind sonatas at Youngblood Gallery, performing in The Pitch at Alexander Bar and participating in the National Outreach Tour with Cape Town Opera

Audience Responses

It was pure, unadulterated magic! Reminded me of Amanda Strydom and Antoinette Pienaar. I'm ready for round 2,3,4,5...... will watch it forever!

Brilliant

Loved every second!

Your PopArt theatre is wonderfully intimate. The show was entertaining, humorous and thought provoking. Loved the vibe. Thank you. Would definitely come again and bring friends for a unique experience.

Deserved to be sold out. Pre-run reviews (something like https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-03-24-review-el-blanco-is-theatre-at-its-simplest/#.WNd9b8vRbqA) would have helped a lot for a performance of this quality. Also, you might want to consider selling heavily discounted minutes before opening. This is unlikely to affect bookings by people who definitely want to see the show, but might entice spur-of-the-moment why the hell not? patronage from Main surrounds.

Great talent the 2 performers .... just had difficulty following the dialogue in parts of the singing...... Michael Fisher

Fabulous! It was my first time at PopArt and I'll definitely be back!

This could have been a 3 and a half, but not quite a 4 . . . . with the potential for more, if it could only be less stop and starty. I suppose its because the back story (closing of the Den ~ which is a smart idea) never quite came off for me, kind of a mechanism to go back to rather than a thread binding the production. Also, the comic thread of the two characters felt as if it was in opposition to the other back story, so it felt a bit stuttery. But she does have a fabulous voice and she can do really interesting things with it, so I'd come back if they did, I'm thinking ~c