Review: Quantitative Teasing featuring Daniel Mpilo Richards, written by Mike van Graan

Quantitative Teasing is on the Fringe at the vNAF (National Arts Festival) which has been extended until July 31. The Curated Programme has been extended until July 16, 2020.

Quantitative Teasing

✔ Performer: Daniel Mpilo Richards
✔ Director: Rob van Vuuren
✔ Writer: Mike van Graan

Scroll down for production credits and ticket info for Quantitative Teasing

Quantitative Teasing consists of a compilation of satirical sketches from Daniel Mpilo Richard’s solo shows, State Fracture and Land Acts, written by Mike van Graan. Direction is by Rob van Vuuren.

I have been fortunate to see Richards in action at The Baxter and at Maynardville Open Air Festival.  Every time I have seen him perform in van Graan’s biting sketches, I have wanted to re-wind and watch again. With this film recording, I got the opportunity to experience the multi-talented Richards in action and I highly recommend that you tune in for 55 minutes of thrilling satire – laced with impressions, characters, stand up and singing.

Van Graan’s intensely constructed sketches are imbued with poignant irony, vivid imagery and impressions of and from contemporary South Africa- the fractured Rainbow – hope, despair, yearning. Richards brings dramatic and comedic oomph in transfiguring characters and situations to life. His accents are fabulous – Aussie, South Effrican, Madiba etc. Richards has dazzled us with his versatility in Shakespeare, drama and musical theatre and his comedic and dramatic smarts are in force in these pieces, under the superb direction of Rob van Vuuren.

I wonder when we will be able to see Richards live on stage. Don’t miss this recording which includes fabulous footage from the 2019 Hilton Festival.

Richards was out of the country from October 2018 to Oct 2019 when he completed his Masters in Film and Television Producing at the MetFilm School in London. In addition to traveling, he did a two month International Artist in Residency program at the University of Delaware, USA, where he produced and edited a documentary at a children’s hospital. He returned to Cape Town early this year [February/March 2020] to do The Mother City Comedy Festival at the Baxter and the Kids of Kurland Performing Arts Festival  in Plettenberg Bay.

Covid-19 arrived and brought an end to live performance. During the national lockdown, Richards has been working as creative director with The Ruben Richards Foundation- an non-profit organisation “which brings healing to traumatised communities”. The foundation was established by Richards’ activist father Ruben.

In May, The Ruben Richards Foundation initiated Project Orange http://rrf.org.za/project-orange/ which has facilitated the donation of millions of fresh oranges to over 100 000 vulnerable people. The aim: to deliver three million oranges per month for seven months.

Oranges have been donated by citrus producers in the Olifants River Valley (Clanwilliam and Citrusdal area of the Western Cape). Bravo to Daniel Mpilo Richards, Ruben Richards and colleagues for Project Orange.

To donate to Project Orange:

Name of Account: Ruben Richards Foundation
Bank: Standard Bank of South Africa
Account number: 071 522 379
Branch: Rondebosch, Cape Town
SWIFT address: SBZAZAJJ
Ref: ORANGE

Quantitative Teasing at the vNAF – featuring Daniel Mpilo Richards