THE international hit tribute show Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic will stage in South Africa in Durban at the weekend. It has a two-week run.
The Globe at Suncoast will host a performance on Saturday (September 3) and the 5 000-seat Grand Arena at GrandWest Cape Town will host another on September 10.
These will be the long-running production’s first South African performances in over two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions.
Cape Town’s Warren Vernon-Driscoll performs as Freddie Mercury.
Bringing the magic home will be Durban local Rusty Red on lead guitar as Brian May, Durbanville’s André van der Merwe on bass guitar as John Deacon, and Hilton-based drummer Michael Dickens as Roger Taylo.
Vernon-Driscoll, 29, was born in East London. He attended the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir in KwaZulu-Natal from grades 4 to 9, and Kearsney College from grades 10 to 12.
In an interview with POST, he said from a young age, he wanted to be involved in music.
“My father and uncle played instruments but more as a hobby. I guess I could say it started with them, from often hearing music in the house. I’ve been performing for around 18 years. The show is a world touring one so we are fortunate to play all over the world. I studied classical singing at UCT, specialising in Baroque music. I now perform in the secular world of pop and rock.”
Vernon-Driscoll said performing in the show was important for him because he was a Queen fan and grew up around their music.
“My uncle sang Bohemian Rhapsody to me when I was around 6 years old and it stuck with me. When I was around 16, I started to explore more of their music and I was hooked. I love the music because I find it equally as challenging to perform as the Baroque music I studied.
“I always say there will only be one Freddie Mercury, so I bring out everything I can relate to into my performances: his energy, certain ways that he sings, and his mannerisms to enhance the performance. I find it challenging, which is what I love about it. You need to be physically fit as well as vocally capable.”
Johnny Van Grinsven, director, said to avoid travel bans in South Africa, the all-South African cast based themselves in Australia at the Gold Coast head office of their promoter Showtime Australia.
“They underwent a veritable roller-coaster ride of tour postponements, lockdowns, quarantine and international ‘red tape’ – and some actual concerts. In the past year, the show managed to successfully perform in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. and had a mammoth 36-show tour through Canada which recently ended.
“The two large-scale arena venues (in Durban and Cape Town) provide the perfect backdrop for producers to create the ultimate rock concert experience. This is exactly how Queen’s music should be heard – live and loud in these huge spaces full of people, buzz and atmosphere. It’s going to be incredible, something the audiences will never forget,” said Van Grinsven.
Queen fans will get to hear all the band’s biggest hits, including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, I Want to Break Free, Somebody to Love, Don’t Stop Me Now and Under Pressure performed live on stage and brought to life with theatrical lighting and effects.
* Tickets are now on sale via Ticketpros.co.za (Durban) iTickets.co.za (Cape Town).
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