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Check out our EXCLUSIVE BACKSTAGE PASS to DUDES & DIVAS and meet one of the STARS of the show, SETH VAN GRAAN. Old dog JOHAN LE ROUX remembers FOOTLOOSE, fashion plays DRESS UP, your AGENDA for the HOLIDAY and 3rd World Spectator’s PETER CRAFFORD.
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ON THE COVER
30_THEY CALL ME TWO-FACE-SETH. Meet PV‟s biggest,
Youngest, most versatile new star.
36_BACKSTAGE PASS to Dudes & Divas
40_FOOTLOOSE NOSTALGIA from Johan Le Roux.
20_DRESS YOU UP. The ULTIMATE fashion team raids the drama class…
14_HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE. Beat the boredom.
42_THE BEST VOICE AT TREBLE FEST. Chatting to Peter Crafford.
FEATURES
16_PV DON‟T BREAK. Another big merit to our name.
ENTERTAINMENT
08_THE ULTIMATE REVIEW. Movies, books and music to keep you
entertained this holiday…
FOOD
18_BELLISSIMO. Make pasta from scratch.
REGULARS
02_MASTHEAD. Who did what…
04_LETTER FROM THE EDITOR. Praise song.
06_DEPUTY‟S LETTER.
46_LAST PAGE: Hettie Etikettie se eksamenwenke!
ON THE COVER
Seth van Graan photographed by Diana Kühn and
styled by Daniël Geldenhuys. Read the full story on
page 30 by Lana de Beer.
DANIËL GELDENHUYS
Editor In Chief
Creative Director
Fashion Director
CHANTÉ CHARLES
Deputy Editor
Features Director
features editors
LANA DE BEER
NATASHA BICKNELL
BRYONI CURRIN
entertainment editor
ZANDILE NDAYI
lifestyle editor
TAMRYN VAN WYK
food editor
CLEO CONACHER
photographers
DIANA KÜHN
SARAH HOWARD-BROWNE
KEVIN SCHNIDER
KIM SWARTS
head proofreader
M G STEENKAMP
Parel Vallei High School 95 Parel Vallei Road,
Somerset West
7130
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
PRAISE
SONG
Take a look at the collage of photos on the opposite page. It is a montage of
cover and fashion shoots which I am extremely proud of. Of course each one of
those pictures has a story… and for me, the hero of all those stories is Kim Swarts.
It all started the day I told Esther van Zyl to pack an extra bag of clothes
to take to Fraserberg because “I think I‟m gonna start a school magazine and
there must be a fashion shoot in our premiere September issue.” Kim, being the
stage manager of our drama production, soon found out and asked (forced)
me to hire her as photographer. It was settled.
The first of many conflicts began when I had one of my most
creative/genius ideas ever: for the first outfit of “Far, Far Away” (Ultimate
September 2010) I would put Esther and some other random clothes in a tree.
“I refuse to do it,” she said. “It‟s the stupidest idea ever. I refuse to take
this picture.”
I would get this same speech seven months later at 15 On Orange when I
wanted to shoot Michelle Laubscher with her head inside a lamp. I‟ll admit
these ideas sound a little crazy now. (Kim will be reading this and
smiling/laughing/calling me up to say „I told you so‟).
And so our complicated work relationship continued. Five covers and six
fashion spreads later, you don‟t have to remind me what an excellent partner in
crime (that‟s a pun on the fact that we‟ve „shot‟ so many people) Kim is.
I am sad to say that she has done nothing for this issue… Matric is a real
head-in-the-lamp kind of year. So,this letter is to tell her how much I appreciate
her. With only two issues to go after this one as editor-in-chief, I want to thank
her for all her enthusiasm.
Kim is the person I have worked the most closely with on this magazine
for the longest period of time. It has been a pleasure.
Wishing EVERYONE good luck with exams and may you all have a long, drawn-
out, never-ending, late-sleeping, nothing-doing, hot chocolate drinking,
presently absent-minded HOLIDAY!
xoxoD^^
All photographs on this
page and opposite,
except the one of the red
head herself (BOTTOM
RIGHT) by Kim Swarts.
Below an outtake (fail)
shot of the „clothes in
trees‟ idea from „Far, Far
Away‟
Bottom: The girl behind the
lens: Kim Swarts.
DEPUTY‟S LETTER
THE PAINFUL,
ROTTEN TRUTH I believe it was the same look that Dumbledore gave young Harry when
he told him about You-Know-Who. It is a combination of sadness and a
warning of ill things to come. Now you may ask: who gave you this look
and why? The answer is simple: my dentist. It appears as though through
neglect, the state of one of my molars had deteriorated to the extent that
it would have to be extracted. In my defense, I only started running and
screaming outside of his practice.
The significance of this may seem irrelevant. (When I was lying in
that awful blue chair, I assure you, it was not.) I have always had a great
hesitance to dentists. I was not afraid of the procedure (a bold lie). Then
what had me clenching the armrests and hoping for the best?
An undertaking can often seem easily do-able in the beginning,
especially when it does not have to be done immediately. (I know this is
the path many follow with school projects.) However, the faster the due
date approaches, the bigger the problem becomes and the greater the
consequence becomes for you. In my case, I left my tooth alone to sort
itself out or simply disappear. The endings never happen like that, do they?
The feeling of apprehension also strikes when someone mentions
exams. That is when I realized a common ground between the two. Both
times, the idea of them turned out to be far more frightening than the
actual thing itself. When the dentist finished the extraction, it shocked me.
I, in sheer disbelief, asked, “Is that it?” I spent the day relieved and kicking
myself for not having done it sooner.
Naturally, there were consequences. The pain only hit me later and I
made a vow to never allow it to happen again. I assessed what I went
through to look for future warning signs. The list came to inaccurate
perceptions, denial, realization, fear, desperation, reluctant cooperation
and then intense relief. Inaccurate perception: I laughed it off. Denial: the
task did not exist because I refused to let it. Realization: …oh. Fear: I began
to break out into cold sweats. Desperation: I went to a friend to escape.
Reluctant cooperation: my friend helped by not helping and it was done.
Intense Relief.
My advice from this entirely painful process is that nothing is too
trivial to be left alone for long. After a while, that project is enormous, your
jaw aches, time runs out and you have to face the music.
The advice in this issue cannot be caffeine inspired. I have to stay
away from hot or cold drinks or foodstuffs. Pain is enough inspiration. I shall
leave you with this: your time is limited so make the best of it. Get a head
start on your projects, review your study material and brush your teeth
every morning and night.
I promise to stay by your side through bad teeth and hefty
workloads but it is ciao for now.
Holiday
blockbusters,
books and
bands.
+New
superheroes
and
princesses.
F I L M
From secret government
organizations to new
superheroes, big robots
and a final burst of good
old-fashioned magic,
ULTIMATE picks the top
four exam/holiday
blockbusters of the winter
season. Edited by DANIËL GELDENHUYS
On 10 June catch Matt
Damon and Emily Blunt
trying to escape their
destiny in a very Inception-
like film: The Adjustment
Bureau. Should be
interesting…
It all ends for Harry and
company on 15 July in the
eighth and final installment
of the Potter phenomenon:
Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part II.
Book now.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake
Lively go green on 22 June
in a brand new* superhero
movie franchise: Green
Lantern. *New to the big screen, not the
comic books.
Back again, but without Ms
Fox, on 1 July for their final
battle it‟s the transformers in
Transformers: Dark of the
Moon. So now they can get
to work on a prequel…
B O O K
STILL WATERS
by NIGEL McCRERY
Review Chanté Charles
R118.96 @ Kalahari.net
The scene opens with Iris Poel, devoted
grandmother, tending to her garden plants. The
temperature is inconceivably high and she could
feel her body doing whatever possible to try to
cool down. A strange feeling starts to consume
her, as rational thinking leaves her. Her
granddaughters incessant whines and seemingly
uncaring nature suddenly drives her over the
edge. In a surprising controlled outburst of anger,
sweet and caring Iris does the unthinkable.
Years later, DCI Mark Lapslie is called in on
a case where his force found a body. Everything
seems like the macabre routine and yet
something does not feel right. Perhaps his
condition gives him sense of foreboding. Mark
suffers from synaesthesia. Simply put: he can taste
sounds. Now he must use all of skills to track down
a killer whose trademark is homicide through
poisonous plants. Still Waters is exceptionally thrilling, to the point of fearing for
the characters‟ lives. One watches as Mark struggles to act
normally in environments where random sounds flood his mouth
with, often awful, tastes. The unfairness of how he is made to live
inspires a strong urge to survive. Then there is the malevolent
character of Violet or named whatever identity she steals.
Readers will find themselves desperately searching to find some
explanation for her actions. This is what sets the book apart. There
is no reason behind her schemes. She simply does these acts as
she feels she has to. A death here and there is a vital part to her
lifestyle.
The recommendation of this book goes to all who are
looking for a great psychological thriller. Be warned that it is not for
the fainthearted. As one delves into the deeper layers of it, the
nail-biting suspense continues to build, reaching dizzying heights.
At the very end, you certainly will be shocked to the core. In
addition, one finds that the old lady walking across the street no
longer seems as innocent anymore. After all, they may just be
Violet Chambers, waiting to make her next move.
M U S I C
PANIC! AT THE DISCO
Album title Vices and Virtues
Genre Alternative Rock
Review Zandile Ndayi
R145.95 @ Kalahari.net
Vices and Virtues, the third album from
Panic at the Disco, is also the band‟s
first album since their lyricist, guitarist,
and bassist left the band in 2009. The
band was then only left with two
members: Brendan Urie on vocals and
multi-instruments, and Spencer Smith
on the drums. The loss of their lyricist
was a great loss to the band but it also
opened Brendan Uries‟ songwriting box
as he took leadership in the band‟s
vocal and songwriting department.
Urie‟s lyrics touched on themes of
manipulation and confusion. Brendan
decided on the name of the album
when he saw how the lyrics related to
the seven deadly sins. The album took
the band two years to complete - and
more time in the studio saw the band
trying new forms of musical
experimentation. The album can also
be credited for its musical styling. The
band‟s song New Perspective also
appeared on the movie Jennifer‟s
Body and was inspired by the band‟s
new experiences after they moved to
Topanga. "We're living near the ocean
and going surfing every day, which
we've never done before. We tried to
get that out in the song, I guess.” The
albums lead single The Ballad of Mona
Lisa expresses personal struggles and
convictions many years prior to its
official production for Vices & Virtues
and speaks to the listeners‟ emotions.
This is one album no one should miss
out on. Grab a copy and support
good music.
LADY GAGA
Album title Born This Way
Genre Pop
Review Daniël Geldenhuys
R165.95 @ Kalahari.net
Born This Way,
Judas, Edge Of
Glory, Hair… and
many more
anthems we‟ll be
pumping through
our sound systems
for the next year.
Mamma Monster‟s
third and final
album (just kidding,
there will be more) is
here!
Note to die hard
fans: the deluxe
edition is coming
soon, so don‟t buy
just yet…
C E L E B R I T Y
THE NEW X
IN X-MEN
BY CHANTÉ CHARLES
Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come
again for the men and women with
fantastic abilities (no, not those four) to take
to the screen in a dazzling array of
telekinesis, telepathy and fiery power. Yes,
X-men: First Class has arrived. The league of
extraordinary men welcomes a new
addition to their cast. Charles Xavier or
Professor X, renowned for his ability to pry
information from others‟ minds, comes to
life through James McAvoy.
Off the shores of Port Glasgow,
James Andrew McAvoy was born on 21
April 1979. He debated Catholic priesthood
before deciding that drama was his true
passion. He did his all (including working at
a bakery) and graduated from the Royal
Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in
2000.
We have seen this lovable bad boy in
films such as: The Chronicles of Narnia: the
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (as cute
Mr. Tumnus), The Last King of Scotland,
Atonement and WANTED. The many credits
he has under his belt include the BAFTA for
Best Actor, London Film Critic‟s Award for
Best Actor and National Movie Award for
Best Male Performance. His Golden Globe
nomination for Atonement should also be
noted.
Ever the performer, he takes to the
stage in many productions, the most
occurring of which is as Romeo. (He
coincidently is the voice of Gnomeo in
Gnomeo and Juliet.)
Unfortunately, this heartthrob has a
wife, Anne-Marie Duff and a son Brendan.
No matter, he could read my mind any
day.
MODERN
PRINCESS BY DANIËL GELDENHUYS
I‟m not British. So I didn‟t know a whole lot about Catherine
Middleton before her wedding day when I watched the live BBC
coverage… Turns out she‟s a real down to earth, private school, all
rounder kind of girl. Everyone‟s fun-loving friend… and now she‟s
the newest edition to the royal family. Nice!
The dress, an Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton, truly
reflected Catherine‟s elegance and royal restraint. It seems she is
not only a perfect addition to the royals but also best equipped for
the paparazzi frenzy that will follow her for the rest of her life.
Let‟s face it, although she had a truly Disney style wedding
(the only exception being that the kisses in the Disney movies are
way more graphic) and will never have to worry about money or
people pulling emotional rank, she is going to have to endure a lot
of scrutiny from the press. Most of her privacy is out the door and if
she puts one foot wrong in the public eye she‟ll have to deal with
bloody repercussions.
The point is, whatever happens, you can be sure Catherine is
doing it all for love. And that is modern romance.
Thank goodness the world
didn’t end on the 21st of May,
because these up-and-
coming movies are to DIE For!
Holiday Survival Guide Holidays mean one thing -
FREEDOM! But after a week
into the holidays we‟re
visited by an old pal called
BOREDOM! With these tips
your holiday will be
anything but bland!
By TAMRYN VAN WYK
The Godmother:
Madea’s Big Happy
Family. Faced with unruly
children, family
Illness, drug dealing
and family secrets,
Madea a.k.a The
Godmother is who
you call to for help.
Starring: Bow Wow,
Tyler Perry and
Loretta Devine.
Release Date: Friday
01 July
Kung Fu Panda: The
Kaboom of Doom
With the
appearance of the
evil Lord Shen, who
wants to destroy
China, Po must
discover his strength
to overcome Lord
Chen and save
China.
Starring: Jack Black,
Lucy Liu, Jackie
Chan and Angelina
Jolie.
Release Date: Friday
10 June
BORED.com This is by far The Best website Man has ever created! Spend
countless hours playing and taking: The Idiot Test, The Impossible
Quiz and THE RED BUTTON!
His website will have you drooling over your PC for days!
Sharing the
Love with
Primi Piatti Do yourself a favour
and “SHARE THE
LOVE” – Sundays and
Mondays after
5pm.
Tour Cape Town for only 120
Bucks! Cape Town‟s The Topless Tours The City Sightseeing
Bus will take you on a scenic tour of Cape Town for
only R120 for an Adult one Day ticket. Busses meet
everyday at 09:10 in front of the Two Oceans
Aquarium! Grab your friend and make it a day
around our beautiful Mother City.
See them “For the First
Time” This will definitely be The Highlight of
your Holiday!
The Script – Live in S.A.
One night only. 26 June 2011.
Grand West Casino. “For the first
time..Whoo Whoo Hoo Whoo Hoo”
Purchase your tickets NOW!
CHOCOchinos For those chilly evenings…
INGREDIENTS
1 x tsp of coffee
1 x tsp cocoa
3/4 tsp vanilla essence
2 x tsp sugar
a little milk
3/4 cup of boiling water
METHOD
1. Put coffee, cocoa and sugar in
one cup
2. Pour in boiling water
3. Add the vanilla essence
4. Add milk to fill the cup
5. STIR!
PV
DON‟T
BREAK
BRYONI
CURRIN‟S
incredible story
of yet another
Parel Vallei
victory!
From left: Sean Cilliers, Bryoni Currin, Matthew Higgo, Malcolm van Aardt
Last year Malcolm van Aardt, Matthew Higgo and Sean
Cilliers took part in the annual Model Bridge Building
Competition. They built a bridge out of sticks, string and glue
that managed to support 40kg. Unfortunately they did not
place, but they refused to give up. They decided to enter the
competition for this year again and try a different strategy…
On 16 April 2011 the guys went to Canal Walk to
participate in the Model Bridge Building Competition once
again. Together they formed the 3-person team required and
I went along as their 'supervisor/Learner Council
Representative.‟ Each team represented their school. We
were one of ±18 teams and we were of course representing
Parel Vallei.
When we got to Canal Walk Malcolm and I decided
to have Double-Shot Espressos from Mugg & Bean. After
needing to wake up at 6 on a Saturday morning it was going
to be a long day. It started off with teams needing to register
by 08:20. This was followed by a 30 minute Bridge Lecture in
which we were basically given tips of what we shouldn't do if
we wanted to build a successful bridge. It was quite
interesting, but we knew it all already. We were then given all
our materials needed to build the bridge:
25 wooden sticks (4mm x 4mm x 600mm)
Epoxy Glue (a limited supply)
3m of string
Large soft board
Pins (only allowed to be used to mark out the
design on our board)
Pegs (only allowed to be used to hold joints
together as they dried)
A mini saw
The wooden sticks that we were given were
extremely brittle. If you compress them even
slightly, length ways, they bend… and too much
compressive force will cause it to break. If you
pull them however, they don't break. Because of
this the bridge had to be designed so that tensile
forces are exerted on the sticks and not
compressive forces. (If you‟re not quite following,
that‟s okay.) The distance that the bridge had to
cover was 80mm. So put two rulers end to end
add 20cm and that was the span of the bridge.
Not a very easy task to do with such weak sticks.
After receiving the materials we had from
09:00 till 14:30 to build the bridge. It sounds like
more than enough time, but you'd be surprised
how much needed to be done. The sticks
needed to be cut to the exact size for the base
and glued together. We also had to cut 10mm
long pieces to use as separators between the
sticks, because you need more than one stick in
order for it to be strong enough, but you are not
allowed to stick two sticks completely together.
When 14:30 came around we were
done, ready for the testing and feeling very
confident. The glue then needed a few hours to
dry and harden properly. While the teams and
judges waited for the glue to dry we all went to
a restaurant where the organizers of the
competition provided us with lunch. After lunch
we got time to walk around Canal Walk, I really
enjoyed that part!
The judges placed the bridges in the order of what
they thought was weakest to strongest, ours was
right in the middle.
At 17:00 it was time for the testing of the
bridges to take place. We sat with our fellow
competitors and watched the bridges go up on
the weighing contraption. One by one the bridges
went up and one by one they broke under the
weight. With every bridge that broke we got more
confident and more excited.
Then it was time to test our bridge. I stood
on the side and took a video, Sean stood
watching the bridge while Matthew and Malcolm
loaded the weights. The weights have to be
loaded on one by one and the faster you load
them the better, because then it's like you aren't
giving the bridge any time to weaken.
The first weight went on and the counter
started. The weight that the judges estimated for
our bridge was 60kg. Once it got to 60kg they said
that we needed to take it easy, but Matthew and
Malcolm didn't listen. They kept loading the 10kg
weights. 80kg, 90kg, 100kg! Our bridge was the first
one to reach 100kg and we, along with the crowd
and judges, were very excited. They kept loading
the weights and the bridge kept holding. 180kg,
190kg, 200kg! I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
This bridge made out of nothing but sticks, glue
and string was doing great. Then finally, as it
reached 210kg, it broke.
The final weight is then whatever the
weight was before the last weight was put on.
205kg was our bridge's final weight. It was
unbelievable! We were so excited and smiling
from ear to ear. Every bridge that was tested after
ours was a nail-biting experience as we waited,
hoping for it to break, and they did. With the last
bridge left to be tested and our bridge still being in
first place we knew we had at least come second.
The last bridge went on and broke before it
reached 180kg. As that bridge went down we
realised we had won.
The judges then announced: "Parel Vallei
High School has won the competition with an
outstanding 205kg!" I cannot even describe the
excitement that filled us in that instant. As the
winners of this competition the team is going to
take part in the National Model Bridge Building
Competition in Johannesburg in August this year.
ULTIMATE FOOD
Bellissimo!
A step-by-step guide to YOUR
OWN authentic, FRESH PASTA.
Trust the thousands of ITALIAN
Mamas: fresh is BEST!
By Cleo Conacher
YOU’LL NEED… 400g Flour
200g Semolina – You’ll
find this ingredient in
the maize and flour aisle
of your store. Keep your
eyes peeled!
7 eggs
Pinch of Salt
3 Tablespoons of olive
oil.
5 EASY STEPS TO THE
PERFECT PASTA!
1Mix the flour and
semolina together in a
large bowl.
2 Add the eggs and salt and
incorporate a small amount of the
flour surrounding the eggs with a
whisk. 3 Add the olive oil and
mix it into your eggs and
form your mixture into
dough. .
4 Lay your dough onto a flat,
floured surface and knead it with gusto
until the flour is completely worked in
and has a firm consistency.
5 Roll out your delicious pasta with
a tool of your choice, shape it and
flavour it to your heart’s content. DO
NOT OVERCOOK YOUR PASTA!!
REMEMBER: Fresh pasta takes about
half the time that dried pasta takes to
boil.
6 Enjoy a taste of Italy!
Ravioli, Spaghetti Bolognaise,
Cannelloni, you name it!
OPPOSITE PAGE:
FASHION HAS ENTERED
THE BUILDING.
Start the party with a
bold burst of (slightly
tacky) nostalgia. It
breaks the tension and
gets your guests lose!
THIS PAGE:
COLOR BURST
One bright statement
piece can shock you
into a passionate love
for fashion.
ASIAN WARRIOR.
Defy expectations with
Louis Vuitton‟s 2011
Asian feel. It‟s fresh
and oh so very cool.
JAIL BIRDS.
The costumes from
Stefan Benade‟s 2010
Glansgod production
have a distinct
„convict‟ feel which is
excellently pulled off
with a distinctly bored
expression. Detention
is no fun.
DRAMATIC ARTS.
You‟ll find the iconic
„happy face/sad
face‟ logo in all
theatres… and on the
faces of two girls
wearing minimal
clothes with a Greek
feel…
ANIMAL.
Call her a bunny
because of her
handmade head
piece, or a mermaid
because of her
shimmering tail… one
thing is for sure: she‟s a
party animal.
MAKING A STATEMENT.
Don‟t be afraid to
accessorize a
conservative outfit
with something bold.
The only thing to worry
about is what your
mother will say… gasp.
“WAITING ON THE
WORLD TO CHANGE.”
War is no party.
Remember that when
you‟re rocking the
constantly evolving
military trend.
THIS PAGE:
HOLD UP.
Put your hands in the
air for next season‟s
stripe trend. Gloriously
played out at Prada‟s
Spring/Summer show,
we realize we‟re
getting a little ahead
of ourselves, but a
party knows no
season.
OPPOSITE PAGE:
SWAN LAKE
It‟s no easy task to
remain innocent as
the black swan taps
her fingers of
temptation on your
shoulder…
PRODUCTION Daniël
Geldenhuys.
MODELS Lieze Nel and
Tamryn van Wyk.
HAIR AND MAKE-UP
Sarah Howard-Browne.
SPECIAL THANKS to
Annelie Strauss and
Willem Steenkamp.
They call me
two-face-Seth
WORDS LANA DE BEER
PHOTOGRAPHS DIANA KÜHN
STYLING DANIËL GELDENHUYS
Parel Vallei has a new star by the name of
Seth van Graan. It‟s his first year in high
school and already he‟s won PV‟s Got Talent
and landed a lead role in this year‟s musical,
Dudes & Divas. He will be playing the part of
club owner, Manny‟s (Charl Cillie), boombox
carrying nephew Hughie who is trying to
make some pocket money by helping out in
the jazz club. Sounds like a pretty easy part
right? Wrong. He has to sing two songs, Radio
Gaga and Wired For Sound, and boy can.
he. sing.
He started singing at the age of 6 while
he was living in Watford, a place on the
border of London, England. The kids bullied
him because of it. Thankfully he ended up
moving to Somerset West and attending
Beaumont Primary where he was more
accecpted. He joined the choir in Grade 6,
left, and joined again becoming the soloist.
Naturally. He was one of the main cast in
their musical, The Lion King, last year which
turned many heads. (I thought he should
have done his photo shoot dressed in his Lion
King costume but, sadly, he didn‟t go for it.)
His friends know him as the guy who will
befriend anyone, Seth-the-loud-boy and the
irritation. But most importantly, as two-face-
Seth because while he was in England, he
developed an accent but when he moved
back, he was surrounded by his family and
friends so he developed two accents. “One
minute I would speak in an English accent
and the next in a „coloured‟ accent.”
The school knows him as the „ladies‟
man‟ after the PV awards. He defends
himself by saying, “I only got that award
because I have a lot of friends who are girls
and during initiation Paolo would always see
me walking with a different girl.” Yeah I‟d like
to believe that but when I asked him how
many girlfriends he‟s ever had, it took him a
minute or two to calculate. The answer is 8
by the way and no, it‟s not the cute, puppy-
love kind of relationship because when I
asked that, he looked at me as if I were crazy
and said, “Nah that was once in Grade 4.”
Go figure.
“One minute
I would
speak in an
English
accent and
the next in a
„coloured‟
accent.”
He‟s got quite a dignified taste when it
comes to food. The best burger he‟s ever
eaten was a brie cheese, bacon and
avocado burger at La Romantica. I approve
since it qualifies as a BACON AND CHEESE
BURGER. I asked him to pick any place where
he could go and he answered with, Cape
Town Stadium. Patriotic I must say. He was
there during the world cup and it was quite
the experience. The vibe and company
really left some lasting impressions. When
forced to pick a place outside South Africa,
he chose New Zealand because of the
wilderness plus he‟s quite a fan of the Maoi
tribes and aspires to learn more about them.
Is he only talented in music? Of course
not. He currently plays for the u/14 A Rugby
team. His family always believed that he
would be a rugby player because when he
was born, he had really wide shoulders and
weighed 4 kg!
Shoes are the main fashion icon in his
life. He never leaves the house without an
extra pair of shoes because, and I quote,
“you don‟t wanna be walking around with
only one pair of shoes.” His favourite brands
include Nikes, Allstars and anything Italian.
The two great inspirations in his singing
career are John Legend and British singer,
Adele. Two of his favourite actors are Jessica
Alba because “she‟s hot” and Will Smith.
When he finishes high school, he wants
to go to UCT to study Jazz. He thinks it would
be amazing to make a record and get
famous but he would really rather be a music
teacher. Are we seeing the makings of a new
Mr Combe?
“You don‟t
wanna be
walking
around with
only one pair
of shoes.”
ULTIMATE’S EXCLUSIVE
BACKSTAGE PASS
DUDES & DIVAS Words NATASHA BICKNELL
Photographs DIANA KÜHN
“Die dikke domme daaitjie duizel druk die
dom onnosel donkie dwars deur die drie
dubbele doring draad.” Try singing this
tongue twister over and over again, each
time higher than the time before, until you
hear the shatter of a nearby glass object
(possibly a window) and your oesophagus
feels like it has turned into cement. If you
manage to succeed, then you might just be
able to keep up with the cast of this year‟s
musical, The Dudes and the Divas. I am
aware of the fact that I‟ve probably spelt a
few of the words in this phrase wrong, but it‟s
taken me quite a few rehearsals to memorise
the gist of it, forgive me. Anyway, the point of
this article is to give you a small idea of what
happens at a Dudes and Divas rehearsal and
what you can expect in the not-so-far-away
future.
I have a minor part in the chorus of this
musical, but that has not stopped me from
feeling the magic. Mrs Manthey has spoken
quite a few times about the amazing vibe
there often is amongst the cast of a musical
and I am definitely starting to feel it. There
are some really talented people in our school
I tell you. It makes one proud. A typical day
at rehearsal starts off with a couple of voice
exercises (usually the dikke domme one as
well as a few others that help to loosen the
jaw bone and warm up the tongue). After
this, we break up into groups to practice
various songs or dances. The dances are
almost all choreographed by pupils from our
school.
Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb. This is a
phrase that is often used to fake chatter
between cast members on stage. I bet you
are dying to try it out in front of a mirror now.
Yes, although we may not have auditioned
to act, all cast members are expected to be
able to fake a conversation or flirt with
someone they may not know from a bar of
soap. This is how you make friends in a
musical. You cannot have a silent
conversation with someone about
vegetables and not become acquaintances
at least.
I would say that our musical
rehearsals are filled with a good
balance of hard work and fun.
People pitch up in pyjamas,
soccer tournaments take place in
the sports hall during breaks and
pizzas are ordered by hungry
individuals during long rehearsals.
It‟s not all one big party though.
Musicals don‟t just happen
overnight and a lot of time and
effort is being invested. Everyone
seems prepared to go the extra
mile though; it‟s pretty special to
be a part of this, well worth every
sacrifice.
The main cast members of the musical are very
entertaining. There are some interesting romantic
scenes, and they often have the whole cast in
stitches. Mrs Manthey is doing an amazing job,
directing the whole thing. She, Mrs von Mollendorff
and Mrs Steyn are so full of enthusiasm it‟s
contagious. Their patience is extraordinary.
Sometimes we have to sing a song over and over
again until the words become embedded in our
skulls (if you happen to hear a cast member
humming the same tune over and over again,
please refrain from hitting him/her over the head
with your maths book).
If you‟ve read this far, you are probably
waiting for me to reveal the storyline or something.
All I‟ll say is that it is going to be good. And you
should be excited. Rhubarb.
NOSTALGIA
Johan le Roux remembers PV‟s 2006
musical production: Footloose
He‟s a Parel Vallei old dog (though definitely not old) and you may
remember him as the guest speaker at 2011 Love Week‟s „Plastic Love‟ day.
He‟s now wrapping up his studies and co-hosting a show on Radio
Helderberg. Daniël Geldenhuys finds out more…
WHAT IS THE THING YOU REMEMBER MOST CLEARLY ABOUT
FOOTLOOSE AFTER 5 YEARS?
We did a song called Mama says and it was a song that
Ren's (the main guy) friends sang. I haven't done any acting
before Footloose so I was very nervous in the beginning. But
every time we did that song it was a lot of fun and the whole
cast pretty much ended up on the stage. Kind of took the
nervousness away. Probably my best memory from the
musical.
WHY DID YOU AUDITION? DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE IN A
MUSICAL?
To be honest i never thought that I would be in a musical
ever. I just auditioned because my group of friends
convinced me.
WHICH CHARACTER DID YOU PLAY?
I was one of Ren's (main guy) group of four friends.
WHAT SPORT DID YOU DO AT PV? DID IT EVER CLASH WITH THE
MUSICAL?
I played rugby, cricket, tennis and did athletics at PV. Sport
never interfered with the practices but I did force my family
to cut our June holiday short as I had to be back for
rehearsals.
HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE MRS MANTHEY AS A DIRECTOR?
Mrs Manthey was an excellent director. She was very
passionate about the musical and maintained a good
balance between allowing us to have fun and being strict
when she needed to be.
YOUR STRONGEST ASPECT IS: SINGING, ACTING, OR DANCING?
Well, back when I did the musical I wasn't strong in any of
those aspects. Before the musical I had no experience in
acting or dancing and the only singing experience I had was
when I sang in the choir in Gr 2. A few years after the musical
I started singing again. But during the musical Mrs Manthey
and Von Mollendorff had to do a lot of work
with me. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM BEING IN FOOTLOOSE?
I gained a lot of confidence from Footloose
and I also learned that
singing/dancing/acting is a LOT of fun.
WAS FOOTLOOSE A SUCCESS? WHY?
Yes, definitely. Not sure about ticket sales but I
think almost every night was sold out.
“singing/
dancing/ acting
is a LOT of fun”
WORST STAGE MOMENT… (DID YOU EVER MAKE A BIG
SLIP UP?)
Uhm, I am not aware of any slip ups that I made
onstage. I however did forget to switch my mic off
one night when I was back stage but I don't think it
was audible.
BASED ON THE ENTIRE FOOTLOOSE EXPERIENCE, GIVE US
A LITTLE PREDICTION OF HOW DUDES AND DIVAS WILL GO
DOWN…
With Mrs Manthey as director, PV's music
department as the band and PV's gees the
musical will be a great success. I am not sure of
what the story line behind the show is, but I know
with those three elements it will be as good and
better than Footloose.
YOU WERE ON THE LEARNER COUNCIL IN YOUR MATRIC
YEAR. THE GRADE 8S MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE BABIES AT
THE TIME. DO THE MATRICS LOOK LIKE BABIES TO YOU
NOW?
No, I can't believe how everyone has grown up.
When you are in matric the age gap feels massive,
but as you get out of school everyone seems on
the same level, even people who are still in school.
So no, I am proud of my gr8 babies and how they
have grown up.
WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER SCHOOL?
Study. . .
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS, CAREER WISE?
At the moment I am in my final year of Theological
studies. I also started a tutoring business called
2Uition which is doing really well. I also do some
presenting on Radio Helderberg, write some
articles for the District Mail and referee rugby
games during the winter season. Other than that I
often speak/preach/share at random events like
school assemblies and I am also (if all goes well)
starting as a youth worker at a church in SW in July.
Catch Johan
every
Wednesday
night on Radio
Helderberg
93.6fm from
21:00 - 00:00
Johan le Roux in Footloose:
Above (RIGHT) with Bradley
Manthey (LEFT) and on
opposite page (RIGHT).
Below right: the cast of
Footloose.
Like Evanescence…
…but male.
… and BETTER. That was the
general opinion
about the lead
singer of 3rd World
Spectator, Peter
Crafford at Culture
Week‟s TREBLE
FEST. Lana de Beer
finds out a little
more and isn‟t
surprised to
discover that they
seem to be the
next big thing.
Photographs
KEVIN SCHNIDER
INTRODUCE YOUR BAND MEMBERS, TELL US SOMETHING RANDOM AND
UNIQUE ABOUT EVERYONE INCLUDING YOURSELF…
Hi I‟m Peter Crafford the vocalist and I am a comic book geek. I
collect action figures as well.
We have André Wentzel on drums and he is an avid fan of aviation.
Justin Versfeld is on lead guitar and he is a bonsai tree specialist.
Louis Kühn is on bass guitar and he can play rugby. The rest of us
can‟t.
HOW DID THE BAND GET STARTED?
We started fiddling around with songs way back in 2006, but only got
around to professionally focusing on being a band in 2008. We sat
down and made a conscious decision to work hard to get the band
going and myself, André and Justin have been together ever since
then.
DESCRIBE YOUR BAND’S STYLE…
We have various influences, ranging from Rachmaninov to Britney
Spears. Because we enjoy a variety of music genres don‟t be
surprised to find a piano ballad and a progressive rock song on the
same setlist.
WHO WRITES THE MUSIC IN THE BAND?
I write the majority of the music and lyrics, but between myself and
Justin we have written about 3 songs together.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME 3RD WORLD SPECTATOR?
The name originates from a clothing shop in Johannesburg that
existed during the 80‟s. The name forms a crucial part of the sensory
experience we try to create with our performance, as it serves as a
conversation piece, and becomes rather interactive.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ALBUMS OUT? WHERE CAN WE FIND THEM?
Our debut album „The Theory of Everything‟ will be released by
July/August and will be available in every music retailer. Otherwise
you can visit our Myspace and Facebook pages to get some of our
older songs for free.
WHAT/ WHERE HAS BEEN YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SHOW SO FAR?
Without a doubt when we performed at The Virgin Mobile V Fest pre-
show alongside Maroon5 and OneRepublic at the Coca-Cola Dome.
We were still a young band but playing in front of ten thousand
people when you are that young is rather humbling.
I HEARD YOU ALMOST GOT CHOSEN TO BE THE OPENING BAND FOR 30
SECONDS TO MARS LAST YEAR. WERE YOU CHOSEN TO AUDITION OR
COULD ANYONE? DID YOU MEET THE BAND? TELL ME MORE…
We were informed that we were on a shortlist by Big Concerts and
we were judged on our performance at V Fest. Unfortunately we
didn‟t get chosen, and funnily enough none of us attended the
concert, although we are huge fans of 30STM.
WHAT ARE YOUR BAND’S GOALS FOR THIS YEAR?
At the start of the year we got signed by Universal Records so we are
finally releasing our debut album, accompanied by videos and
hopefully a lot of touring and playing at festivals.
“Don’t be
surprised to
find a piano
ballad and a
progressive
rock song on
the same
setlist.”
WHICH INTERNATIONAL BANDS CAN YOU COMPARE YOURSELVES TO? WHO INSPIRED
YOU?
We get compared to bands like Muse and Radiohead a lot, which is flattering as
those bands inspired me to start making music. Nowadays I listen to bands like Thrice,
Silverchair and Glasvegas. They are awesome songwriters and musicians.
AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START SINGING? DOES YOUR VOICE RUN IN THE FAMILY?
I started singing when I was 7, doing choir in primary school for about 2 years. Then I
started playing chess and left the choir until I was about 16. I started doing solos, and
the bug bit me. From there I started taking it seriously but I never received any formal
training, just pushing and practicing my voice everyday to expand my register.
WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY ROUTINE LOOK LIKE? DO YOU EAT/DO ANYTHING OUT OF THE
ORDINARY FOR YOUR VOICE?
I do everything you shouldn‟t do before singing such as drinking Coke and eating
dairy products, so I‟m the worst example of what do with your voice. I do vocal warm-
ups and scales before every show though, because you can hurt your voice very
easily. It‟s a very fragile muscle and needs to be looked after.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT PERFORMING?
It‟s a bit of release to get onstage and start singing. It becomes very therapeutic,
especially when the audience gets into it and you start feeding off their energy.
WOULD YOU EVER THINK ABOUT A SOLO CAREER?
We have spoken about it, but for the next few years I‟ll be squarely focused on the
band.
WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON REALITY SHOWS SUCH AS IDOLS? DID YOU EVER CONSIDER
AUDITIONING?
I did the Afrikaans version of Idols on Kyknet in 2006 and ended up in the Top 20.
Nothing prepares you for that competition and my voice was still very rough. Although
it was an honour being part of it, it‟s an experience I wouldn‟t want to repeat again.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INSPIRATIONAL ADVICE FOR ASPIRING SINGERS?
Firstly make sure you can sing. Nothing is more disheartening than living with the
misperception that you can sing, when in reality you can‟t. If you have established
this, make sure you have the ability to listen to yourself. This is crucial for any singer.
Then just train your voice, as it is a muscle and needs the same amount of honing as
with any other piece of your body.
IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE?
Italy. Fast cars, beautiful women, incredible architecture and art and amazing food.
The weather isn‟t bad either.
IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Mahatma Gandhi, Freddie Mercury and Stephen Hawking.
WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR?
At home, I wear only the most comfortable clothes (hoodie and jeans).
For work I wear semi formal clothes, and for performances I usually wear different
jackets, t-shirts and skinny jeans with boots or sneakers. It differs depending on the
mood.
DO YOU DO ANYTHING ON THE SIDE? (STUDY, WORK ETC)
I‟m a graphic designer during the day, working with branding and marketing at a big
national company.
WHAT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING IN 10 YEARS?
Hopefully still making music, but hopefully not looking desperate, irritated or tired.
Die dame wat nie skroom om die regte soeplepel te
gebruik nie, wat nie terugstaan vir die korrekte
handligtegniek wanneer sy „n drankie nuttig nie, en
wat nie dood gesien wil word in die verkeerde
tabberd nie, het vir u „n paar nuttige, dog
noodsaaklike eksamentydwenke.
1. Studeerwerk is vanselfsprekend die belangrikste element van die eksamen. Juistement daarom is dit
uiters belangrik om met al u konsentrasie te studeer sodat u nie die verkeerde hoofstuk vir „n vak
memoriseer nie. Dit kan moontlik veroorsaak dat u in „n Biologie-eksamenvraestel die anatomie van
die menslike liggaam met dié van „n padda verwar en antwoord dat babas uit eiers gebroei word.
( Dit kan dan ook die resultaat wees van die onkunde wat onder vandag se tieners bestaan en
waarom hulle voortplanting verwar met iets soos swem, wat naweke vrylik beoefen kan word.)
2. Maak te alle tye seker dat u u oë op u eie werk hou gedurende die tydsduur van u eksamen.
Eksamen is inderdaad „n tyd van evaluering en u eie kennisterugvoering en daarom is dit uiters
smaakloos om u oë te laat dwaal na u naaste se antwoord aangesien u nie deesdae meer u
naaste se kennis soos u eie kan vertrou nie.
3. Eksamen is nie die plek of tyd om die lokaal te skandeer vir die nuutste, aantreklikste spierpaleis of
katelkoningin wat u kan uitvra vir die naweek se bioskoopsessie nie. U mag dalk net in „n dagdroom
verval wat sal veroorsaak dat u miskien in „n nat sweet op u bekwylde ongeskryfde vraestel mag
wakker word.
4. „n Eksamenlokaal is „n plek van stilte en vreemde, irriterende, intieme of onaardse geluide is beslis
nie gepas nie. Veral as die geluide met „n spesifieke klankie en reukie gepaardgaan.
5. Hou te alle tye in gedagte dat wanneer u „n vraestel beantwoord, dit nie „n forum is om u opinie te
lig of op skrif bitsig te raak met u onderwyser nie. By wyse van spreke is dit juistement die lafaard wat
ink as sward, maar oog as skuld gebruik. Dit sal u beslis nie punte vir kreatiwiteit of manhaftigheid
besorg nie.
6. Laastens is dit dan juistement uiters smaakloos om die eksamenlokaal met „n sosiale internet-
netwerkblad te verwar. Dit is beslis nie gepas om in „n eksamenlokaal skinderstories en
studiemetodes uit te ruil tussen vrae wat beantwoord word nie. Daarvoor is GESIGBOEK beskikbaar.
WAAK egter teen die versoekinge van gesigboek; aangesien vyf minute in ure op gesigboek mag
verander waarin studeertyd daarmee heen gaan. Gesigboek en die aantal vriende op die netwerk
mag jou dalk op sosiale gebied help presteer, maar gaan jou weliswaar nie met „n rapportprestasie
laat wegstap nie. Populariteit is nog nooit juis persentasiegewys gemeet nie…
Geliewe jong dames en here, Alle sterkte met die eksamen en vakansie. Moet egter nooit huiwer om die uwe Hettie Etikettie se raad en hulp in te roep indien u uself in ‘n etiketsverknorsing bevind nie. Onthou te alle tye, etiket is nooit op vakansie nie EN ‘n stukkende dame is allesbehalwe mooi! Groetnis! Die uwe Hettie Etikettie
