I lost my oldest watch at The Royal Countess Zingara – to nimble-fingered magician Jacques le Sueur. I’ve worn it for more than 40 years.
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So dazzled was I by his distracting antics that I didn’t register how quickly he unfastened the leather strap until he returned the watch at the end of his act, smiling broadly. You could have knocked me down with a feather – had it not been a prop for the Feather on Palm balance act by Tatiana Babiy (Ukraine).
Feather on palm balance act by Tatiana Babiy (Ukraine). Image supplied
He and Bob the Juggler entertained our table near the entrance after Toasty the Pirate – one of the show’s original Zingarians – ran through the do’s and don’ts with clever innuendo.
It was worth paying attention.
The key message: keep the aisles clear and never get in the way of the stream of Zingarians delivering four courses to more than 300 guests in limited time, with the kind of clockwork precision you’d expect from a Swiss watchmaker.
While these characters can easily be overlooked in favour of the main acts, they are integral to the atmosphere and professionalism that make the show such a hit. It lives up to the hype.
Jonny Grundy (England) and Manuel Artino (Sicily). Image supplied
What every ticket holder should know is this: when they say arrive from 6pm, don’t dilly-dally. There’s plenty to see and absorb before guests take their seats at 7pm. Afterwards, the party continues until Cinderella Hour – very much a dance-like-nobody’s-watching vibe. And, believe me, people do.
I can’t remember the last time I switched off and had that much fun.
In short, it’s showbiz on steroids beneath a mirror tent. Booths encircle the stage while props and sets move in and out so efficiently you hardly notice the transitions.
Ticket prices include a welcome drink, a superb four-course meal with a surprise dessert flight, and the show. Drinks are for your own account, and prices range from R1,260 per person depending on whether you’re seated at the Countess’s Table, in the Golden Circle close to the action, the Middle Ring, the Royal Booths or the Royal Balcony.
Compliments to the chef and kitchen staff, who joined the Zingarians to take a bow at the end.
The attention to detail runs from the language and costuming to the décor and choreography. Even the bartenders deserve mention – quick, friendly service that many Cape Town establishments could learn from.
As for the acts, opinions around our table differed – until the final one.
A sensational aerial performance by Jonny Grundy (England) and Manuel Artino (Sicily) is a huge hit. I’ve been calling it “the bath act”, though I’m told there is another equally thrilling version involving hoops.
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Technically clean, beautifully choreographed and full of cheeky charisma, the pair built instant rapport with the audience. Their dance training was evident.
Grundy studied at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, while Artino trained with Les Ballets Company and Gravity Circus. Between them, they’ve appeared everywhere from International Circus China to the Rome Opera Theatre, with pop artists LMFAO and Kelis, in cruise-liner productions and on Italian television.
Other highlights included the hand-balance act by Ukrainian twins Mykola and Andrii Pysiura, Rola Bola specialist Axel Perez (Mexico/LA) – a sixth-generation circus performer – and the aerial cradle duet by Juan Pablo Palacios and Victoria Perez Iacono (Argentina).
Multicord rope artist Jenny le Roux received a warm acknowledgement from emcee Andile Max as one of the show’s original artists, while contortionist Lunga Buthelezi twisted herself into positions that defy logic.
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The Clorettes – Andrea Anthony, Edith Plaatjies, Brandon Jonathan and Naz Abrahams – kept the energy high with arrangements by musical director Glenn Swart.
Opera singer Megan Spencer and cabana showgirl Kevin Ellis round out the cast, with Ellis also serving as one of the show’s key floor performers and part of the Zingara costume team.
The production itself is the brainchild of creative director Richard Griffin, directed by Craig Leo and Valentina Leo.
Their latest creation, La Dolce Royal, blends nostalgia with new theatrical ideas under the velvet canopy of the Belgian Spiegeltent at Century City.
Audiences are guided through the evening by the enigmatic Timekeeper, played by Andile Magxaki, while the symbolic figure of the Weeping Woman (Jenny le Roux) introduces a reflective element to the spectacle. Lighting design is by Joshua Cutts, with assistance from Mannie Manim.
Guests are invited to write prayers or messages for the world and place them inside The Oracle sculpture in the garden. During the performance, these written hopes become part of the narrative, transforming collective grief into something closer to celebration.
It’s an unusual and quietly moving layer to a production otherwise built on exuberance, spectacle and exceptional hospitality.
Zingara has always understood that theatre and dining can work hand in hand. From the eclectic foyer to the final moments inside the mirrored tent, guests are treated to a sensory evening that combines performance, music, food and atmosphere with impressive precision.
Contortionist Lunga Buthelezi. Image supplied
By the time the lights came up, the music faded, and the last guests drifted onto the dance floor, I realised something. Losing my watch for a few minutes was probably the point. At Zingara, time has a way of disappearing.
La Dolce Royal runs Tuesdays to Sundays at Century City until 17 May 2026, before moving to Johannesburg’s Melrose Arch in June. All bookings are via www.zingara.co.za.
The show carries a PG10 advisory.
