Entertainers at your service…
Entertainment is an integral part of a conference or event. And when you’re looking for the best, you need to call in an expert. We searched high and low to find you the best of the bunch.
From theatre productions and high energy DJs to live bands and quirky circus acts, entertainment options are endless. Conferences, events and functions are no longer all about the speaker; they’re about interaction, participation and fun, yes fun.
Theatre entertainment
South Africa’s arts and culture is alive and well and forming a huge part of that are our theatres and the productions they put on. A trip to the theatre is a great place to take clients to, say thank you to staff members for their hard work or a great year-end function venue.
The Joburg Theatre is rich in heritage and puts on thought-provoking production year round. With major productions under its belt, like Dirty Dancing, Grease, Mamma Mia and Phantom of the Opera, The Teatro at Montecasino has 1 870 seats and always puts on a spectacular show. Also at Montecasino, is the more intimate Pieter Toerien Theatre & Studio, comprising 390 seats and has held productions such as Evita as well as many successful comedy acts – there’s always time for some comic relief especially after a particularly hard slog. In the South of Johannesburg, Gold Reef City is home to The Lyric Theatre and the smaller Globe Theatre. Emperor’s Palace also houses two fabulous theatres; the Theatre of Marcellus and The Odeon Showbar.
Cape Town theatres include the Artscape in the CBD, particularly well known for the incredible ballet performances; The Baxter in Rondebosch; The Fugard Theatre in District Six; the Masque Theatre in Muizenberg; and the Theatre on the Bay in the idyllic seaside suburb of Camps Bay.
The Durban theatre collection consists of The Playhouse Company and Stable Theatre in the city centre, the Stirling Theatre in Durban North, the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Catalina Theatre at Wilson’s Wharf.
The popular countrywide Barnyard theatres put on excellent corporate and fundraiser events on a block booking or full venue hire basis. From 1960s, 70s and 80s throwback musicals to different cultural spectaculars, the Barnyard franchise provides a relaxed, feel good atmosphere and the pizzas are delicious too.
More on the traditional side
When choosing a specific venue for your event or conference many entertainment providers have become one-stop shops, offering a wide variety of services or entertainers, including bands, classical quartets, singers, DJs, karaoke, music game shows, dance groups and magicians – and this is just a taste!
“At Creative Collective we believe good entertainment holds the key to bring your event or brand activation to life and creates a memorable function. All aspects of the event, from arrival to reception, may be enhanced with tasteful entertainment to create an ambience and boost the emotion, excitement and fun,” explains Creative Collective founder and member, Maia Jordaan.
She continues: “Event organisers look for something different and unique to set their function apart and as such aspire to transport guests into an imaginary space that will stay in their minds. A warm inclusive welcome can set the mood for the rest of the evening. Arrival entertainment aims to make people feel included from the very beginning and incorporates live music, roaming entertainment or bespoke installations featuring entertainers.” The possibilities really are endless.
Some of the company’s arts and entertainers clients can choose from include jazz and marimba bands, French Café music, trapeze acts, ballet dancers, mime artists and jugglers.
Colin van Wyk from Drak Entertainment in the Drakensburg provides countrywide entertainment at very affordable rates. Gauteng-based Standing Ovations Entertainment and Hands on Promotions are recommended suppliers of an excellent variety of entertainers and entertainment options.
Out of the box
Entertainment has evolved during the past decade and speciality acts and entertainment options have become increasingly popular for corporate as well as leisure functions. Here are some fabulous alternative entertainment options:
Madame Zingara
The travelling ‘Theatre of Dreams’, with its ‘unique dinner cirque spectacular’ has, since its inception in 2007, been very well received by audiences. The eye-popping, almost too fantastic to be true acts, provide a great staff incentive option and the food, with the famous chocolate steak, is just to die for. The ‘Miracle Tour’ is currently at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town till 16 June and may move to Johannesburg thereafter.
Red Cello Productions
A boutique-style music consultancy that designs, builds and manages bespoke corporate entertainment brands. The focus is on exceptional, groundbreaking new performances from solo electric string acts to multimedia collaborations. Do you want a girl in a bubble at your next event or teach your delegates to dance to the latest craze song, ‘que in Gangnam Style’? Red Cello Productions will take you there.
Flash mob
Huh? A flash mob comprises a group of people who’ve organised beforehand to ‘suddenly’ appear in a public place and perform a dance or song in unison. Thereafter they quickly disperse as if they were never there in the first place. Unusual yes, but fun too. Yours in Entertainment will help organise one specifically for your event.
Greenhouse Cartoons
Adds entertainment value to corporate conferences and events by doing caricature drawings of guests or speakers including live facilitation drawings where a speaker explains or conveys certain technical information – the artist will capture the information in cartoon drawing form. This adds some entertainment and intrigue to potentially long corporate sessions. Greenhouse also does animated videos for events, which are usually displayed on a big screen. These animated videos can help convey corporate information in a fun audiovisual package.
Live ice carving
This is not only a great way to bring your brand to life in ice, it also creates plenty of entertainment for guests. Guests can watch as your branded sculpture is finalised at the event site, which is sure to make your event one that is remembered for a long time.
So, is the sky the limit when it comes to entertainment options? We’ll go one step further; it’s limitless.
