Kat and the Kings

Kat and the Kings is a musical with a book and lyrics by David Kramer and music by Taliep Petersen. A celebration of the life and times of Cape musicians of the 1950s and 60s through song, dance and narrative, focusing on the life of one performer, “Kat”. Based on real-life memories of one of the performers, Salie Daniels.

In 1997, it was invited to the Tricycle Theatre in London and then transferred to the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It opened at the Cort Theatre on Broadway in 1999 and was nominated for three Drama Desk Awards and a Drama League Award. The show was an enormous success locally and abroad, with two international touring companies playing the West End, Broadway, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Vienna.

The original text

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1995: First performed in the Dock Road Theatre in Cape Town 1995.

May 1996 - Feb 1997 - A musical by David Kramer and Taliep Pietersen. Directed: David Kramer and Taliep Pietersen. Cast : Jody Abrahams, Salie Daniels, Luqmaan Adams, Junaid Booysen, Giempie Vardien, Mark Fransman at the Market Theratre]].

1999: Staged from 7 May to 12 June by Kramer and Petersen in the Baxter Theatre, directed by David Kramer, with Salie Daniels (Kat Diamond), Jody Abrahams (Young Kat Diamond), Loukmaan Adams (Bingo), Junaid Booysen (Ballie) Alistair Izobell (Magoo) and Kim Louis (Lucy Dixon). After 12 June the cast changed to: Danny Butler (Kat Diamond), Elton Landrew (Young Kat Diamond), Kurt Herman (Bingo), Ashley Washing (Ballie) Emraan Adams (Magoo) and Tertia Botha (Lucy Dixon).

2012: A new version produced by David Kramer, Eric Abraham and the Fugard Theatre with young performers such as Dean Balie as Kat Diamond, alongside Carlo Daniels, Grant Peres, Zak Toerien and Amy Trout. Danny Butler who played the older Kat Diamond abroad reprised this role.

Awards

The show won a Laurence Olivier Award as Best New Musical in 1999 (for the 1998 season). Won a Fleur du Cap Award for Best Contribution to a Musical or Revue for the authors in 1999 as well.