Entertainment heavyweights bring Genandendal to the stage

The score for a play that goes to stage next week, has been composed by star performer Randall Wicomb. Local heavyweight actors, David Ndjavera and Aldo Behrens give the performance its anchor as it strives to convey a discourse between St Peter and the Reaper. Wicomb also acts, taking the role of Koos, and the cast is complemented by the appearance of noted Belgium performer, Jo Decaluwe.
The play is staged at the National Theatre as an event in the bouquet offered during the Bank Windhoek Arts Festival.
Genadendal will be on stage next week from Wednesday to Saturday at the National Theatre in Windhoek. Genadendal is a musical fantasy loosely based on an exchange between St Peter standing at the Pearly Gates, and the Angel of Death, diarising the latter’s assignments of the day. Their task is constantly side tracked by a vaguely visible community – on mother earth – singing some heavenly music.
In the acting roles, David Ndjavera is the ‘Angel of Death’, Randall Wicomb is ‘Koos’ and Aldo Behrens plays ‘St Peter’.
Jacus Krige arranged Wicomb’s music, while Theo Cookson leads the Bank Windhoek Kalahari Ensemble.

Aldo Behrens crafted the story and wrote the script which he based on the lyrics of Prof RK Belcher. Randall Wicomb was commissioned to compose the music for these lyrics and Jo Decaluwe, owner of the Tinnenpot Theatre in Gent, Belgium, was invited to direct the musical. Decaluwe is well-known in Namibia for past performances in ‘Vincent van Gogh, Damiaan & Vandaag geen Hamlet, and he also directed ‘The Defence of Socrates with Aldo Behrens as Socrates.
These thirteen young voices of the Bank Windhoek Kalahari Ensemble have established themselves as excellent singers and became very popular in The Wannabe, Voete van ‘n Gemsbok, Say Shibbolet, The Cellist of Sarajevo, Kalahari Krismis and Jakob Morenga – lest we forget.