You will be able to see the highly-regarded talk radio host and trained actor, John Maytham in the show, To Life, With Love, at the pop-up theatre Societas Theatre in Kloof Street, Cape Town, this month. Mike van Graan’s To Life, With Love returns due to popular demand.

Van Graan added, “But there are so few theatres for the number of independent theatre-makers out there.”

John Maytham is performing in To Life, With Love

The play premiered at Artscape in February and has played to sold-out houses at The Drama Factory, at the Franschhoek Literary Festival and at venues along the Garden Route. It is directed by Josh Lindberg.

“It makes sense then to access church, school and other infrastructure to create some kind of circuit for theatre, and to access new audiences,” added van Graan.

The Cape Talk host will feature in the play at Societas Theatre

It will have a three-week run at Societas Theatre, which is a pop-up theatre in the hall of the NGK Church, at 55 Kloof Street, in Gardens. It is behind Tiger’s Milk and Postnet, opposite the Lifestyle Centre with its ample parking.

”The longer a play has a life, the longer it earns income and contributes to a sustainable livelihood”, said Van Graan.

Orphanages will also benefit

You will be able to see the performances from 12 to 30 August. The organizers say 20% of the box-office income will go to the Groote Kerk and its support for orphanages in different parts of the province. Tickets are available at Quicket.

Where did the idea for this play come from?

According to the organizers, Maytham commissioned the multiple award-winning playwright Mike van Graan to write him a one-person play and gave him a blank canvas regarding themes. The play was inspired by Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal and draws on Helena Dolny’s book, Before Ever After. It developed into a poetic piece featuring the character Thomas Michael Faulkner.

“From the organizers: Thomas has experienced love, professional success, personal loss and social affirmation. Then, in his sixties, Thomas is diagnosed with a dread disease. There is a great chance of recovery, but Thomas is confronted by his mortality. With many good years ahead, Thomas makes choices about how he will live.”

The hour-long performance runs:

Tuesdays to Saturdays at 19:15

Saturdays at 16h00

Acknowledgements

Two books in particular that have informed this work are Being Mortal by Atul Gawande and Helena Dolny’s Before Ever After.

*Societas is a Latin word. It means ‘society’ and could also mean fellowship, association and alliance. In Roman and civil law, societas means partnership.