| What: The Princess and The Pea Where: The Masque, 37 Main Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7950, South Africa When: December 12 to January 11, 2025 Tickets: R160 (adults), R130 (seniors and under 18s). Family discount – four tickets for R500 (R125 each) Bookings: Quicket Masque Box Office: Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays between 9am and 2pm Written and directed by: Savannah Steyn Musical direction: Lara Basson Parking is available at the venue. Wheelchair access and facilities available |
Clean up our mess! Flavour the pot. Let us cook together and get the bitterness out. That’s the moral of this Princess and the Pea at the Masque Theatre in Muizenberg, Cape Town. This tale is not about pedigree as in the Hans Christian fairytale. Director/writer, Savannah Steyn says: “The pea becomes a metaphor for sensitivity: not a measure of pedigree, but of awareness. This version asks: Who gets to decide what makes someone ‘valuable’? And how do systems of class or tradition limit our ability to welcome difference?” A lot to process. This is not a run of the mill rendition of the Princess and the Pea.
This tale is about inclusivity and acceptance and presents a deep dive into gender, sexuality, male domination etc The wry script is somewhat dark in the 2nd half (I like that), with the call-out to vanquish bitterness, topple stereotypes and find common ground.
Savannah Steyn (27) is a Mandela Rhodes Scholar. In 2024, she won best script at the Zabalaza Theatre festival at the Baxter for her play Extreme Lengths, in which she explored “hair politics and the search for authentic beauty among young women.” She is an exciting young voice and she has certainly given a hearty stir to The Princess & the Pea. I won’t plot spoil as there is a biting twist. But I will say that the Princess doesn’t feel compelled to “pass” the pea test. She is “enough”. Lovely chorus and ensemble work and passionate performances by the cast.
It is young cast. Most are in their 20s. They look like they are having fun. Some are stronger than others but they are all fully present in this story and sharing it with us, the audience. It is fabulous as always to see Masque veterans, Nicky Enticott (also an award winning costume designer) and the accomplished multi award winning Wayne Ronne.
This tale is set in Cape Town in a fairytale state of mind, in which kindness, community support and empathy can vanquish bitterness. Steyn riffs off the Eurocentric aesthetic of Hans Christian Andersen and mashes it up with a vital Cape Town Afro aesthetic – visually and emotionally.
The chandelier is a signature element of Masque fairytales and is almost like a protagonist in its own right. The interesting song list includes South African numbers, a Disney, Ken from Barbie, a quirky choice with Mother by Meghan Trainor and a reflective – I’ve been looking – by Jonny and Jesse Clegg. The pot comes to a boil in the finale with the electric Waka Waka, belted out by Shakira and Freshlyground. The anthemic feel-good song leaves us on a high note, upbeat and smiling. Wait for the end – watch the clip here https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CugWaFPF2/. Read The Cape Robyn interview with Steyn, for intriguing insights from this talented theatre maker. Interview here: https://thecaperobyn.co.za/interview-princess-and-the-pea-blending-fairytale-whimsy-with-a-contemporary-afrocentric-energy/
Bravo again to the Masque for providing a platform for community theatre. When I attended this show, I chatted to Masque Programme manager, Faeron Wheeler about the term “amateur”. I prefer to use “community theatre”. The tag “amateur” is often associated with “bad”, “inferior” and “incompetent”. I know that Wheeler and many in the sector embrace the tag “amateur”. Wheeler pointed out the etymological roots of Amateur – from amateur – French – “one who admires or is devoted to something”. The root is from Latin amare “to love” and that leads to “amorous”. Those doing “amateur” dramatics are doing it unpaid, for the love of theatre. As with professional theatre – some community productions are more successful than others but all of them are driven by passion for theatre – energy and dedication. The annual Masque fairytale brings all that to the boards. Steyn says it all in her original script for the Princess and the Pea: “No more bitterness. One table. One kitchen. One big messy family – we brave this mess together.” The Princess and the Pea runs December 12-21 – 2025 and then January 8-11 – 2026.
✳ Pic: Sydney de Klerk and cast in The Princess and the Pea, Masque 2025. Photo: Faeron Wheeler
