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Bittersweet musical still resonates today

A lavish new production of Show Boat comes to Birmingham and the South African company putting it on knows something of its themes. Roz Laws reports.

Cape Town Opera's lavish new production of Show Boat

It may be set 125 years ago in America’s Deep South, but the issues of black oppression and poverty are still as relevant today.

Cape Town Opera, Africa’s premier opera company, begins its short º£½ÇÊÓÆµ and Ireland tour in Birmingham – revisiting the Hippodrome, where it last came in 2012 with Porgy and Bess.

“The longer I’ve worked on Show Boat, the more interesting and meaningful the piece has become,” says director Janice Honeyman.

“It is possibly the classical musical that has the most telling reverberations for the South African situation.

“It deals with the haves and have nots, the arrogance of the advantaged and their ignorance regarding poverty and racial discrimination.

“Things are much the same in South Africa. Apartheid may not officially exist as a black and white issue, but it certainly does as far as wealth and poverty goes.

“There’s very definitely a big divide there. The underlying political theme is still very recent for South African audiences.

“Britain has its own racial and poverty problems too, so I hope audiences there will find it relevant as well.