LADIES and gentlemen, boys and girls, the circus is in town. Yes, yes, very gendered intro but traditional for circuses and not as bad as Xmas gifts; it’s not only Dad who’d like a braai tool or biltong, and I’m fairly confident a good hand lotion will be appreciated by anyone. Anyway, now I’ve got that off my chest, let’s talk about the Royal Countess Zingara and her latest production, La Dolce Royal.
For those who experienced the Countess when she was just a Madame, this is a homecoming. The spiegeltent with its glittering mirrored interior, is instantly familiar, as are the assorted characters who inhabit her: the Floor Fairies, the wandering artistes in all their fabulosity (Kevin Ellis, I’m looking at you and your multiple costume changes), dear, dear Rory, the face painting, the shop where you can gather up sequins, feathers and shiny objects to help you fit in if you missed the memo and pitched up in something drab. It simply will not do.
The vibes are the same, just as magical as ever, and the format is too: your ticket price includes a welcome drink, a four-course meal, and the—I’m sorry, I can’t decide on one adjective here–performances and entertainment. I also don’t want to give too much away because whether it’s your tenth time or your first—and oh my, what a treat you are in for!—this is a place where you will be filled with wonder. Many of the acts are international but kudos to the Countess for including some local talent as well. Contortionist Lunga Buthelezi contorts more than I’ve ever seen a contortionist contort (and I’ve seen a lot in my time). Her act will have jaws on the floor, and verges almost on the freaky. The photo below is very normal.
The identical twins Mykola and Andrii Pysiura from Ukraine (below) do a hand balance act and then return for a strap act; sixth-generation performer Axel Perez’s (Las Vegas) Rola Bola is for me, one of the scariest circus acts of all. That and the one where they keep putting more and more chairs on top of each other. It’s a suitable combination of skills and thrills, which is what we want. Yes, give us the terror, we love it, but please don’t fall.
A new act was added the night we were there, “something with feathers”, I was told. But that doesn’t even begin to cover this balancing act by Tatiana Babiy (Russia), which is sheer sorcery and it blew our tiny little minds. Jugglers Jason Barnard and Jacobus Claassen are from Zip Zap, representing Cape Town, and the acrobatic finale Juan Pablo Palacios and Victoria Perez Iacono (Argentina) was utterly breathtaking and oh so sexy. There’s more, of course, but that’s for you to discover.
The food (yes, the legendary chocolate chilli fillet is there) is served between acts, when The Clorettes entertain you with their singing, and our Floor Fairy (name of Toasty) is an act all of his own with that massive serving tray. You’ll see.
Tip: the outside wood chip terrain is not friendly towards high heels. You will appear drunk even if you’re not, and if you actually are drunk (strong possibility, this environment invites you to let loose your hair and inhibitions), oh dear, please be careful.
The above is just a teaser. This is a night of full-on non-stop joy and entertainment into which you should fling yourself headlong. Here are the booking details and what-what, and I’ve included the press release below that because it’s just so cool. Like the Royal Countess Zingara.
With love from your loyal subject Bianca.
La Dolce Royal runs Tuesdays to Sundays at Century City. Gates open at 6pm ad show begins at 8pm. Tickets start at R1150 per person, including a welcome drink, a four-course feast and the full Zingara production experience. Booking is now open for end-of-year parties, special events and occasion days, right through to May 2026, with a range of bespoke and exclusive hosting options available from elegant Private Lounges and the Aperol Garden to the Royal Balconies with their panoramic views, and VIP stage tables. All booking is through this link and [email protected] and 021-891-0448. La Dolce Royal is not suitable for under-fives. Disabled parking is available with a valid disc, right outside the tent that has ramp access.
PRESS RELEASE
After a decade adrift in the cosmos — wrapped in velvet silence and the shimmer of forgotten dreams — the fabled Royal Countess Zingara has resurfaced. Her long-awaited Cape Town homecoming arrives with La Dolce Royal, at Century City.
Once more, South Africa’s own theatrical conjurer Craig Leo breathes life into the Countess’s world, joined by co-director Valentina Leo, creative director Richard Griffin, and a troupe of extraordinary dream-builders. Together, they’ve stitched a universe of splendour — part nostalgia, part revelation — where the familiar magic of Zingara collides with daring new imagination. This isn’t merely a show. La Dolce Royal is an awakening — a collective remembering. It’s immersive theatre spun with emotion, a glittering rite of passage where the Countess steps out of the shadows to remind us how wonder feels. Within this alchemical world, reality dissolves into reverie and audiences are invited to dance on the threshold of the surreal.
Set within a spiegeltent transformed into an ethereal temple of dreams, La Dolce Royal unfolds like a sacred ceremony. Time stretches, senses bloom and every detail — sound, scent, texture, light — conspires to make magic. Guided by a mysterious Timekeeper and welcomed by a Weeping Woman whose sorrow gives way to elation, guests drift through acts of aerial devotion, song, spectacle and daring.
With Leo and a galaxy of artists — designers, choreographers, musicians and makers — at the helm, La Dolce Royal spins a golden tapestry of storytelling that glows from every seam. “In a world unravelling at the edges, La Dolce Royal is our poetic reply,” says Leo. “It’s a love letter to the human spirit and a reminder to hold fast to beauty, to hope, and to one another.”
From the first step into the eclectic foyer right through to the iconic mirrored tent, guests are swept into a dreamy realm where the Countess reigns and where past and future fold into the fantastical present as imagination takes the throne.
PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Manners
