Starrring BEN VOSS
Written by John van de Ruit (SPUD)
Directed by Janice Honeyman
Atterbury Theatre, Pretoria
ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Wednesday 13 November 2019
If you missed seeing Benny Bushwhacker – Human Nature, like I did, during the Joburg season in October, don’t despair, Ben Voss returns to Gauteng for ONE NIGHT ONLY at The Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria on Wednesday 13 November at 20h00.
Benny Bushwhacker aka Ben Voss continues his successful national tour of his brand-new, one-man-show and will soon be in Pretoria to delight Gauteng audiences once again.
Pretoria audiences loved Ben’s previous shows, including Bend it Like Beauty and Beauty and the BEE and will remember him as Beauty on the Jacaranda 94.2 breakfast show. Audiences get the chance to see this award-winning actor, comedian, writer and producer back on stage in his brand new show!
Benny Bushwhacker : Human Nature kick-started a fabulous tour when it won two Standard Bank Ovation Awards at the National Arts Festival Makhanda in Grahamstown – the very first staging of the show.
The Republic of South Africa proudly welcomes home Benny Bushwhacker (aka Ben Voss), the world’s funniest conservationist. The legend returns to share what it takes to survive the African bush … and for the African bush to survive.
The genial South African, who recently trended worldwide for banging heads with swashbuckling British survivalist Bear Grylls, is touring South Africa’s theatres and festivals with an hilarious yet sobering look at the collision between man and environment.
For somebody who has spent more time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life than a hibernating Arctic wood frog, Benny Bushwhacker brings untainted humanity and delicious humour to his performance that will have you laughing out loud and wondering why, when it comes to the bush, the most uncommon human trait is common sense.
Whether it be his opinion on how to spot a know-it-all in Kruger, or the relative chances of his estranged wife, Brenda, replacing the buffalo in the Big 5, Benny delivers time and again with his unique sense of humour and classic bush logic.
Benny Bushwhacker’s stories and experiences have been translated from bush to page by his unofficial biographer, John van de Ruit, (of Spud fame) and directed from page to stage by the lioness of theatre, Janice Honeyman.
When asked about the project, Director Janice Honeyman said:
“I have worked with Ben before and have always enjoyed it. He’s a good actor, and a thinking actor. His Mamba series impressed me, so I chose to direct his alter ego, Beauty Ramapelepele. Ben then worked with me last year on the Snow White Pantomime as Evil Queen Hildagonda, in which he was fantastic. The opportunity to work with him again as Benny Bushwhacker is great fun. The concerns of the content are very close to my heart and putting it into a less didactic, preachy context feels good for me.”
Writer of the piece, John van de Ruit, expressed his involvement thus;
“Ben and I have been friends and collaborators for over twenty years. In that time, I have had the best seat in the house to witness his talent and versatility as a comedic actor. He has the unique ability to capture reality and extremity, often simultaneously, with hilarious consequences. It does help that he was born with a rubber face, a razor-sharp mind and the body of Frankenstein. This made him the perfect fit for Benny Bushwhacker, a celebrity conservationist with a big heart and little education to speak of.”
van de Ruit continues;
“Historically, Ben Voss and I have collaborated on both scripting and performance, but this time we have made a deliberate decision to separate ourselves into writer and actor. This means I won’t steal Benny’s favourite lines on stage, and he won’t tamper with my favourite lines in the script. I think that’s called collaborative uncoupling. It’s been a terrific time developing the idea of Benny Bushwhacker with Ben Voss, although of late it’s been rather difficult to tell the pair apart.”
While touring South Africa, Benny Bushwhacker is raising awareness and Moola for the Lebombo Leopard – Human Conflict Survey. And while leopards are not known to change their spots, through this initiative, Benny will try to help humans to do so.
Ben Voss states; “I am closely involved with the Lebombo Leopard Human Conflict Survey in Mkuze, Northern Zululand. A big part of this project is to raise money to set cameras to monitor leopard movement in the area after two children were taken by these cats on the reserve boundary. My interest is not so much conserving pristine bush, as conserving the line between humans and nature. These boundaries are critical. As a roving species, Leopard are under constant threat from humans, and communities are under threat from Leopard. So this conflict seemed like a “natural” fit for my show. I care about nature, I care about humans and if the leopard is to survive we are going to have to create more green spaces, and keep communities healthy and happy.
Voss continues; “The theme of the show is even based around saving the leopard and there are donation boxes for the project at every show. Every single cent in those boxes goes towards the initiative. At the moment we are raising on average R1000 a show and I have nearly 100 shows this year. So R100 000 is my target!”
Book your seats soon for this wonderful look at life on the wild side, because, like the rhinos of Africa, you never know if you will get the chance to see it again.
Benny Bushwhacker : Human Nature is on stage at The Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria for ONE NIGHT ONLY on Wednesday 13 November at 20h00.
Ticket prices are R140 – R160
Bookings are via iTickets by calling 086 1000 291 or online at https://itickets.co.za/events/427342
The duration of the show is 65 minutes with no interval.
There’s no Age Restriction (although there’s “No Under 3’s” for the comfort of other patrons)
Check out www.benvoss.co.za for general information or to click through on booking links to the various venues around the country.
National Tour Dates of Benny Bushwhacker still coming up:
Hexagon Theatre, Pietermaritzburg, 4 – 9 November
Atterbury Theatre, Pretoria, 13 November
Somerset West Playhouse, 15 – 16 November
Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, 10 December – 18 January 2020
Pretoria, are you ready for Benny Bushwhacker?
Spirited Mama
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