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A Marry Little Christmas, a new South African Comedy by Greg Homann

The Market Theatre and How Now Brown Cow Productions are proud to announce their partnership on a brand new South African comedy, A MARRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by Greg Homann.

This end-of-the-year offering is set to be a highlight of Johannesburg’s festive season as it takes to the John Kani stage from 29 November to 24 December 2023.

A MARRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS was commissioned out of How Now Brown Cow’s Writer’s Collective during the 2020 Pandemic shutdown. It was written by Greg Homann before he took on the appointment as the Market Theatre’s Artistic Director in January of this year. This premiere production of the laugh-a-minute play will be directed by multiple award-winning Charmaine Weir-Smith featuring an impressive cast of nine.

Owner of How Now Brown Cow Productions, Julie-Anne McDowell says, “How Now Brown Cow is thrilled to see the first of The Writers’ Collective plays by Greg Homann go from the page to the stage.  We are proud to present a brand spanking new South African festive offering in co-production with The Market Theatre on the John Kani stage with some of the best loved local talent”.

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This hilarious new South African play is set on an unnamed golf-estate somewhere on the north-west edge of Johannesburg and promises to be the heart-warming holiday comedy you need at the end of this year. It’s story about family, love, misunderstandings, and the topsy-turvy nature of following cultural practices will lift spirits and leave you smiling.

Arnold Hartmann is 45 and three quarters. He has big plans to propose to Natalie Cloete before hosting the perfect ‘traditional’ Christmas lunch to unify his and her family. But a nightmare has caused him to oversleep, and before he can build up the courage to pop the question, the two families have started to arrive …

Homann says, “This play has been a few years in the making, with the initial idea for it dating back to an animated festive lunch with my own family. Although not based directly on my family, the roots of it are deeply connected to my own families dynamics and antics.” 

The sensational cast features some of South Africa’s best loved talent and stars, Antony Coleman (Houseboy, Borderline) and Kim Cloete (Joanie Galant – Hulle) return to The Market as the leading couple at the centre of the comedy. They are joined by James Borthwick (Amadeus, Uncle Vanya), Judy Ditchfield, (6 Dance Lessons in 6 Weeks,  Menopause The Musical), Louise Saint-Claire (My Name is Asher Lev, Pterodactyls), Ilse Klink (The Amen Corner, Mamma Mia), Roberto Pombo (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Epicene Butcher), Zolani Shangase (West Side Story, The Color Purple), and Trevor Lynch (In the Blood, Hunters Gatherers).

Come and start your end-of-year festivities at The Market Theatre this year!

Tickets range in price from R150 to R250. For your not-to-be-missed-end-of-year outing, book via webtickets or call for discounted block bookings.

To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950

NOTES TO EDITORS

GREG HOMANN – Writer

Greg Homann is the Artistic Director of the iconic Market Theatre. He has been a leading figure in the South African theatrical landscape for well over a decade. His influential work as a director, dramaturg, and playwright includes award-winning and imaginative theatre across a wide range of forms. Amongst his 25 professional directing credits are eleven world premieres – six of them being new South African plays.

Greg’s produced work as a writer to date include seven plays, a co-written musical, and two adaptions of operas into pocket-size versions for small casts.

His most celebrated plays include A Voice I Cannot Silence which he co-wrote with Ralph Lawson, and which enjoyed a national tour around South Africa and won Best New South African Play of 2015; his Standard Bank Young Artist Award play, Oedipus @ Koö-Nú!; and the Ovation Award-winning One Woman Farce.

In June 2022 he premiered a new verbatim-based play called In Our Skin with the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) in Birmingham. His most recently staged work is a new version of Eugène Ionesco’s play, The Lesson which he adapted and directed under commission from The Market Theatre in 2022.

CHARMAINE WEIR-SMITH – Director

Charmaine is an award-winning actress and director.  She won the Vita Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Ophelia in “Hamlet”. She played Daisy in “The Young Visitors” – Vita Nomination for Best Actress, Agnes in “Agnes of God” and Em in “A Story of an African Farm” to name a few. Charmaine received the Naledi Award for Best Actress in a Comedy for “2 4 The Price of 1”and for Sylvaine Strike’s “Pregnant Pause” a Naledi Award Nomination for Best Actress. For six seasons, Charmaine played Shanell in Paul Slabolepszy’s “Suddenly the Storm” for which she was nominated for Naledi and Fleur du Cap awards.

Charmaine’s directing credits include: The Vita nominated musical “I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change”, “Annie” – Vita Award for Best Musical Production, “Big Band Blast” – Naledi Award for Best Musical, “Captain Entertainment” – Naledi Award Best Revue, “Tale of the Allergists Wife” and “Glorious”. She directed Nick Boraine in “Sic” which toured South Africa and had a successful off-Broadway run in New York. She directed Athol Fugard’s “The Train Driver” for The Market Theatre – Naledi Award for Best Director and in 2022/3 “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” for How Now Brown Cow Productions, winning 5 Naledi Theatre Awards including Best Director for Charmaine and Best Production. In 2023, Charmaine directed two sold-out seasons of “Nothing But The Truth” for The Theatre on the Square.

Charmaine’s television and film career has spanned more than two decades with lead roles in Isidingo, Binnelanders and Scandal and in the UK ITV’s production of “Wild at Heart” and Showmax’s “The Girl from St Agnes”.

Her latest film credits include Netflix’s “Jadotville” and “The Jakes Are Missing”.

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