“As an artist, his words carried the weight of history and the depth of lived experience. As a playwright, his legacy continues to inspire generations of playwrights who strive to tell stories with courage and conviction.

“Our theatre and society would be a lesser space without him. His passing marks the end of a life lived so wholeheartedly for our theatre, and his influence will endure with every audience moved by the power of theatre.”

On that poignant note, here’s what you can look forward to in the next week.

THRILL ME: THE LEOPOLD AND LOEB STORY

Are you a whodunit fan? Well, Stephen Dolginoff’s internationally-acclaimed murder-musical, “Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story”, will give you the right kind of goosebumps at Montecasino.

Directed by Chris Weare, it stars Gianluca Gironi as Richard Loeb and John Conrad as Nathan Leopold. Jaco Griessel is the musical director. The premise centres on Nathan and Richard, notoriously known as the “thrill killers”, who murdered a young boy in 1924 Chicago.

Writer Stephen Dolginoff, who played Leopold in the original off-Broadway production, wrestled with trying to combine two elements into a compelling offering. One was to deliver a true-to-life crime thriller, and the other was to encapsulate the intense and unusual relationship shared between two individuals.

He happened upon the story of Leopold and Loeb amid his painstaking research to meet his objective.

What he crafted was an amalgamation of desires, twisted domination and sexual pleasure.

To date, the production has been staged 25 times, with South Africa being the 26th country to join the bandwagon.

Dolginoff said: “In other countries they sit in silence, totally intrigued and wrapped up in the story until the finale when they finally explode. That release is always very loud!"

Producer Pieter Toerien has had a fascination with Clarence Darrow (the lawyer who took on the task of defending the two convicted young men), hinting at a possible future production focusing on Darrow, the man.

Weare added: “Relationships can be murder, is not only a marketing line for the piece, but also a strong theme from the musical; and sharply encapsulates the power and the pressure of relationships that can sometimes lead to disastrous choices."

Where: Pieter Toerien's Montecasino Theatre.

When: March 21 to April 13, 7.30pm.

Cost: Tickets range in price from R150 to R250 and are available from Webtickets. No under-16s allowed.

#murdermystery

From thrills to giggles: theatregoers dive into a murder musical and a whimsical children's show