“A masterpiece of modern musical theatre.”
Winner of a Drama Desk Award and named one of TIME Magazine’s 10 best shows of 2001, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years has captivated audiences with a score of mesmerising brilliance and an ingenious libretto. It has been successfully revived Off-Broadway, first in 2002 and again in 2013. An acclaimed film adaption starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan in 2014 and numerous international productions, established the musical’s place as a masterpiece of modern musical theatre.
“All I could do was love you . . . and let you go.”
A funny and bittersweet musical, The Last Five Years is an intimate window into the relationship between Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress, and Jamie Wellerstein, a budding novelist on the brink of success. This well-known story of two people meeting at the wrong time in their lives is told in a fresh and new manner. Cathy tells her story backwards from the dissolution of their relationship to first meeting, whilst Jamie tells his story chronologically; they meet only once, in the middle, at their wedding.
“Featuring incredible local talent.”
This local production of The Last Five Years will be on in the intimate 172-seater Golden Arrow Studio at the Baxter Theatre Centre the perfect venue for this honest and heartfelt musical. At the helm of the creative team is award-winning director Paul Griffiths with musical direction by Jaco Griessel. Featured in the coveted role of Jamie is Fleur Du Cape nominee David Ralph Viviers in his musical debut. Making her professional debut as Cathy is Fleur Du Cape nominee Zoë McLaughlin. To fully realise Jason Robert Brown’s vision, the cast will be accompanied on stage by an ensemble of six musicians.
- Jason Robert Brown
- Paul Griffiths
- Jaco Griessel
- David Ralph Viviers & Zoë McLaughlin
- 90min
Behind The Scenes
Meet the Team
Click the names for profiles & biographies
Zoë Mclaughlin
KATHLEEN HIATT
Zoë is a freelance vocalist and musical theatre performer based in Cape Town. She graduated from the Waterfront Theatre School (WTS) in 2018. During her time at the college, she received the following awards: The Richard Loring Trophy for most outstanding performance (2018), The Gillian Lynne trophy for most outstanding individual performance (2017) and the award for best overall dramatic performance (2016). In 2017 her role as Mother Superior in the WTS production of Sister Act garnered her a Fleur Du Cap nomination for the most promising student.
Her production credits include playing the roles of Hope Cladwell in Urinetown (2018), Mother Superior in Sister Act (2017), and understudy to Mable in Pirates of Penzance (2015). She was also one of the original cast members of the revue Sondheim Etc. that ran successfully at the Galloway theatre and Alexander Bar in 2017 and 2018 respectively. She has also worked on children’s theatre productions with Cheryl Abromowitz, playing the role of Princess Arabella in her 2017 production of The Frog Prince and as Snow White in their 2016 production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
David Ralph Viviers
JAMIE WELLERSTEIN
David is a Cape Town based film and theatre actor. He graduated in 2014 from UCT (Theatre and Performance) and is currently completing his Masters in Creative Writing. In 2016, David was the recipient of the Brett Goldin Bursary award which allowed him to study with the Royal Shakespeare Company for a month in Stratford-upon-Avon. For his work in both English and Afrikaans theatre, David has received several nominations including Fleur du Cap, Kanna and Fiesta nominations. Career highlights include playing an overly enthusiastic mime in the Afrikaans comedy Klara Maas se Hart is Gebreek (written and directed by Wessel Pretorius), playing Lady Macbeth in Fred Abrahamse ‘s Macbeth and playing the virile virus Rabies in Jemma Kahn’s Cellist with Rabies (directed by Jaco Bouwer).
Paul Griffiths
DIRECTOR
Paul is an award-winning director with a long career as director of plays and musicals. He started his career in the early 90’s as an actor in Musical Theatre. He soon relocated to the UK in order to complete his MA in Theatre Directing at Middlesex University. Following his qualification, Paul worked as trainee director at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, London. This was followed by a period as Acting Artistic Director at The Bridewell Theatre (just off West End).
Upon returning to South Africa, he joined The Waterfront Theatre College in Cape Town as a part-time lecturer in acting technique. He also set up his own company, Big Leaf Productions, to provide a platform for his directing work to be showcased locally and nationally. In 2006 Paul was appointed head of Drama and Musical Theatre at The Waterfront Theatre College. He continues to be involved in a range of projects outside of the Waterfront Theatre College. His production credits include up to 30 acclaimed productions which have garnered a string of accolades including Directing Awards, Ovation Awards and People Choice Awards.
Paul is always eager to pursue opportunities within the Performing Arts industry to create opportunity and stimulate productivity and is driven by a genuine belief that the Performing Arts has the power to shift the way a society thinks and feels.
Jaco Griessel
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Originally from Bloemfontein in the Free State, Jaco moved to Cape Town in 2014 to pursue a career as musician and theatre maker. He holds a M.Mus in composition and arranging, as well as a Diploma in Theatre Making, both obtained at the University of the Free State. Since 2008 Jaco has worked on numerous productions, as music director, pianist, guitarist, production designer and/or producer. He has been privileged enough to work with some of South Africa’s finest directors and has been employed by major production companies in various capacities. Jaco is still active as a composer and arranger. He has completed many writing commissions and frequently arranges music for local orchestral ensembles and choirs. In addition to his freelance work, Jaco has been involved in developing the next generation of theatre performers. He taught at the Waterfront Theatre College from 2014 to 2017 and is currently teaching part-time at the Luitingh-Alexander Musical Theatre Academy.
Hanco Kamper
ART DIRECTOR
Both Hanco’s parents are highly regarded theatre practitioners. Hanco grew up in the vibrant Afrikaans theatre community in Bloemfontein which accounts for his affinity to theatre, he however decided to pursue a career in the visual arts. After graduating highschool he left South Africa for the Netherlands, where he later graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. Following his graduation, Hanco has been working as a graphic designer, on a wide array of cultural and commercial projects. His layered style and artistic sense portray captivating narratives to engage its audience in visual storytelling.
Click the names for profiles & biographies
The Band
Rayelle Goodman
VIOLIN
Rayelle Goodman has been playing the violin for 35 years. Music has always featured at the centre of her life; from playing concerts and eisteddfods as a child to studying further at the University of Cape Town’s College of Music.
Rayelle was the original violinist in South African bands Freshlyground and Coda and has collaborated with an array of artists including Pieter-Dirk Uys, Josh Groban, Shawn Phillips, The Casal String Quartett, The Crash Test Dummies, Jennifer Ferguson, Prime circle, Mix ‘n Blend, The Rudimentals, Neo Muyanga, Robin Auld and many others.
Rayelle is equally comfortable on stage, in the pit, or in-studio and has extensive experience in many genres, from classical, jazz, popular, folk, Irish, Yiddish, African, goema, rock, electronic to improvised music. Her impressive C.V. includes gigs on cruise ships, corporates, television and radio appearances, orchestras, national and international festivals. She has recorded extensively in the studio, collaborated with a huge array of artists, arranged strings, recorded an international movie soundtrack, performed in music videos, accompanied choirs, taught students and sung backing vocals.
Natasha Otero
VIOLINCELLO I
Whilst Natasha was born in South Africa, she was raised in Argentina after her family decided to move back to their country of origin. Natasha demonstrated a keen interest for music at a young age and started to play piano when she was only four years old. She attended the Bernasconi Music School for children in Buenos Aires, where she discovered the violoncello.
At the age of 13, Natasha was accepted to the Conservatoire of Buenos Aires to study violoncello and piano with acclaimed musicians, Herman Pochenrieder and Alicia Pez. After moving back to South Africa, she enrolled at the South African College of Music UCT studying under Annamarie Van der Westehuizen and Christian Chernev. She graduated in 2012 with a BMus Honours degree in violincello performance.
Natasha has performed extensively as an orchestral and chamber musician around the country and overseas.
Ariella Rosanna Caira
VIOLINCELLO II
Rina Schutte is an accomplished cellist and teacher.
Rina obtained her BMus and BMus(Hons) degrees, both cum laude, from the University of the Free State, studying cello with Anmari van der Westhuizen, and with Anzél Gerber at the University of Stellenbosch. During her studies, Rina was awarded numerous awards including the prize for the best student in practical music.
She has been a member of numerous award-winning ensembles which include: The Junior Odeion String Quartet, The South African Youth Orchestra, The Miagi National Youth Orchestra and the La Vie dei Concerti International Orchestra. She has also been an active ad hoc member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with various well-known international and South African artists, including Michael Bublé, Prime Circle, Just Jinger, and the Charl du Plessis Trio.
From 2014-2017 Rina worked as a full-time cello teacher at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Cape Town. During this time, Rina was awarded four UNISA Certificates for Outstanding Teaching. More recently she was the cellist for the International Touring Production of Matilda the Musical (GWB Productions, London, in association with The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon), touring South Africa, Singapore, China and the Philippines.
Graeme Lees
GUITAR
Graeme is a guitarist, composer, arranger and teacher based in Cape Town. He has worked on many different productions as guitarist and/or arranger. His most recent projects include two productions with Vasti Knoesen, ‘The 27 Club’ and the deconstructed Afrikaans folk music project ‘Tonteldoos’.
Outside of music Graeme enjoys gardening and historical photographic processes.
Ariella Rosanna Caira
VIOLINCELLO II
Rina Schutte is an accomplished cellist and teacher.
Rina obtained her BMus and BMus(Hons) degrees, both cum laude, from the University of the Free State, studying cello with Anmari van der Westhuizen, and with Anzél Gerber at the University of Stellenbosch. During her studies, Rina was awarded numerous awards including the prize for the best student in practical music.
She has been a member of numerous award-winning ensembles which include: The Junior Odeion String Quartet, The South African Youth Orchestra, The Miagi National Youth Orchestra and the La Vie dei Concerti International Orchestra. She has also been an active ad hoc member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with various well-known international and South African artists, including Michael Bublé, Prime Circle, Just Jinger, and the Charl du Plessis Trio.
From 2014-2017 Rina worked as a full-time cello teacher at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Cape Town. During this time, Rina was awarded four UNISA Certificates for Outstanding Teaching. More recently she was the cellist for the International Touring Production of Matilda the Musical (GWB Productions, London, in association with The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon), touring South Africa, Singapore, China and the Philippines.