SO, Cape Town, how’s this heatwave hey? You probably don’t want to hear this but it’s not the hottest March on record, that belongs to 2015 – but scientists are still working on their maths so we could soon be wearing the dubious crown in 2026. When we went to Camps Bay on Tuesday evening, it was still breathlessly hot even as the sunset wowed us with its pink, orange and deep red hues. No cool ocean breeze, no siree. And who were we there to see at Theatre On The Bay? A hot man, that’s right.
Jonathan Roxmouth has brought back his popular show, Key Change – My Favourite Pianists, which showcases the various piano-based comedians, singers, and entertainers who have shaped and influenced his musical tastes through various phases of his life. Roxmouth is an accomplished and relaxed entertainer in sparkly black and white suits, engaging, charming and handsome. And as a pianist, mind-boggling.
The first time I saw him, many years ago, I wondered on social media if he was really playing the piano. (He assured me he was.) I told him the same thing to his face this week, and he took it as the compliment it is intended to be. Because when you watch him, hands on keys as well as projected from above at the back of the stage, your brain just doesn’t want to believe what your eyes are seeing. Or at the very least, it can’t keep up with Roxmouth.
The show opens with the Overplayed Overture, which Roxmouth introduces as the pieces a piano player at a party where there is a piano is often asked to play. “It’s never anything interesting,” he says ruefully. Respectfully, one might disagree with his compilation but it is something to keep in mind when you invite him around.
He talks about the Vamps (women) and Dreamers (men), he shares loving anecdotes about his parents and his mother’s unfortunate song selection for him to play at a school event. He has jokes, some of which can indeed be enjoyed later at home (I will not admit which one it was for me). He pays tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis and others in Piano Pounders, which was one of my favourite bits. Fun fact: a piano pounder is a tool which allows independent piano rebuilders to easily “break in” a piano and achieve a stable regulation, so a bit of double meaning there. Nice.
In act two, Roxmouth showcases John Williams and Jim Steinman, hugely different but equally legendary. Whether you know them or not, this will give you an appreciation of their respective bodies of work. The 5 Stages of Love (A Tinder Box Of Emotion) is brilliant, Roxmouth’s irreverent take on love songs, racing through I don’t even know how many of them, seamlessly blending them one or two lines at a time.
From rock to classical, Abba to Beethoven, Key Change covers a lot of ground. You can’t please all the people all of the time, a phrase Roxmouth uses, as do I, often, so maybe you’ll wish he’d played this or that. As an overall picture though, it’s diverse, fun and very entertaining. Two hours (with 30-minute interval) fly by in no time.
In this show, Roxmouth is backed by a five-piece band comprising Kieran Woolmington on guitar, Cole Matthews on bass, Lindzi Moore on cello, Stef Lawrence on drums, and Michael Wilson-Trollip on keyboard. Don’t miss this highly entertaining and deeply personal show. Tickets: R250 – R400 via Webtickets until March 28.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jaco Botha
