THEATRE10 JUL 2026‘Puss in Boots’ puts its best paw forward in Cape TownA teenage reviewer takes centre stage to explain why KickstArt Theatre’s vibrant production of ‘Puss in Boots’ at…Unathi KondileThina Kondile4 min read

A teenage reviewer takes centre stage to explain why KickstArt Theatre’s colourful pantomime is one of the winter holidays’ most entertaining family outings Unathi:Puss in Boots first made its way to the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre in Durban in 2015. It then swaggered to the Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg in 2017. The production returned to Durban in 2024 and has now unsheathed its boots for a Cape Town run at the Baxter Theatre, arriving just as the winter school holidays began.

I cannot, however, write this review. Theatre of this nature deserves the honesty of the people it is intended for. Hence I happily surrendered my laptop to my teenage plus-one.

What follows is the production through her eyes, with dad editorial tweaks. Thina:The moment I walked into the Baxter Theatre, I could feel the excitement. It wasn’t just because the school holidays had started or Puss in Boots was about to begin.

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The foyer was buzzing with families, children darting around and adults catching up before going into the main Pam Golding Theatre. My dad stopped to greet almost everyone, including CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit, comedian Kagiso “KG” Mokgadi, actor and singer Imran “Emo” Adams and Chef Jenny Morris. Former Miss South Africa Kerishnie Naiker was there too.

She’s from way before I was born but hasn’t aged a day. Once inside the main theatre, family chatter continued unabated; the younger children pointed excitedly at the colourful stage. The bright lights and tropical set immediately made it feel like I was about to step into another world.

I knew this wasn’t going to be an ordinary theatre experience. KickstArt Theatre’s production of Puss in Boots, showing at the Baxter Theatre, is dubbed an “enchanting family pantomime”. Dad tried to explain what pantomime is to me but it was the show’s director, Steven Stead, who explained it better for me.

“A pantomime is a very specific form of entertainment that originated in the 14th and 15th century in Italy, in the genre of Comedia del’Arte. This form of theatrical storytelling used masks, stock characters and comic set-pieces called lazzi [jokes] but involved comic set routines, which slowly, over centuries, evolved into what the British call pantomime,” Stead said. Greg King designed the colourful set.

The entire show was fun and an energetic escape that perfectly captures the spirit of the winter school holidays. The audience is transported to a magical Caribbean island, providing a sun-drenched, colourful backdrop for the whimsical adventure. The plot follows the main character, a quick-witted feline hero, portrayed with immense energy by Rory Booth, as he attempts to change the fortunes of his unlucky owner, Tom Marzipan, played by Kyran Brady Taylor.

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