| What: Karamonk – Kamishibai Cabaret Starring: Bianca Flanders When: July 15-25 2026 Where: The Masambe Theatre Booking: Webtickets. Produced by: Bianca Flanders Directed by: Jemma Kahn Performed by: Bianca Flanders Illustrated by: Kyle Jardine, Iman Isaacs, Jemma Kahn and Rebecca Haysom Stage Management: Dian Harcovecchio Marketing: Franci van den Berg Scroll down for credits for box stories and songs |
I loved Karamonk – the Kamishibai Cabaret – performed by award winning Bianca Flanders, with an extensive cohort of writers and artists. It is scrumptious theatre. Flanders takes us on a journey into vistas of the present and past, in urban settings and a rural setting. There is a fairytale which is cool as Flanders is an accomplished and prolific scribe of children’s books. Interspersed with the Kamishibai/box stories, there are songs – story songs – sung cabaret style with Flanders at the keyboards. She has composed the music and written the lyrics. Her voice is not only beautiful but multi layered and nuanced. She is troubadour, emcee (love the long jacket reminiscent of a magician/wizard) and chanteuse. Direction is by Gemma Kahn, a Kamishibai maestro-artisan. Kahn has enthralled us with her Kamishibai cabarets and now she is directing Flanders. Karamonk was conceptualised by Flanders and Khan.
Flanders’ accents are delicious. Look out for the song, Karamonk Reprise about her aunt and the story of the NikNaks. I won’t say more. It is a scrummy story and true – with some names changed.
If you are not familiar with Kamishibai: It is traditional Japanese paper theatre which is a popular form of street theatre. There are stories in a box. A box/frame contains cards/sheets with drawings and a storyteller, tells stories, using the illustrations in tandem with the words. This expands the visual and non-verbal aspects of the stories and if you do not understand the language, you can follow the stories – which are pulled through the box frame – to also conjure up a sense of animation. It is magical, enchanting and has been crafted exquisitely for Karamonk (Cape Malay spiced biscuit spiced with cardamon). Food is a leitmotif through the stories and songs. Flanders told me tonight that initially when the piece was birthed, it wasn’t titled Karamonk but food emerged as a potent image, so here we are now now. By the way, watch out for the poignant, Here, here, here, Now, now, Now – written by Lebogang Mogashoa and illustrated by Jemma Kahn.
My favourite story is Pinky’s Penny Polony, written by Mikayla Joy Brown, with Kyle Jardine’s gorgeous pink drawings – evoking District Six – through memory, loss and whimsy, with a child’s view of a vanished world. As Flanders tell us at the start, Karamonk blends “art, music and stories – a sexy storybook for adults”. It is zesty, yummy, elegiac and entertaining. It is very funny. I cracked up in parts – although I felt immeasurably sad in Pinky’s story. Although it made me smile and that was lovely.
It would be great if we walked into the foyer, spiked by the aroma of cardamom, ginger and cinnamon but I wonder how that would fit in with health and safety. It did make me ravenous for cardamom. I went home and made tea with ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Do not miss. Beautiful theatre.
| Songs and Kamishibai box stories in Karamonk 1. Karamonk Song- Bianca Flanders 2. Pinky’s Penny Polony- written by Mikayla Joy Brown, illustrated by Kyle Jardine 3. Read the Room- written by Jemma Kahn, illustrated by Rebecca Haysom 4. Agnes- Bianca Flanders 5. Vanishing, From the Airport at Night- written by Ronelda Kamfer, illustrated by Jemma Kahn 6. Kara Kleintjies- Bianca Flanders 7. Zip, Die Calirvoyant Kat- written by Tertius Kapp,illustrated by Iman Isaacs 8. Karamonk Reprise- Bianca Flanders 9. Here, here, here, Now, now, Now- written by Lebogang Mogashoa, illustrated by Jemma Kahn |
✳ Bianca Flanders performs Karamonk – Kamishibai Cabaret, Baxter Masambe, July 15-25 2026. In this pic, Pinky’s Penny Polony- written by Mikayla Joy Brown, illustrated by Kyle Jardine. Note the fridge in this drawing. Pic: Franci van den Berg. Supplied
