Variété is the spice of life!

"We have put a lot of thinking into the planning and potential growth of the festival," said producer Eddy Cassar. "We have devised a five-year plan, which will see the festival grow, embracing certain nodes in the city."

Sixty-five performances

There will be a total of 65 performances over the two-week period, each of which is set in an intimate space:

• Comedian Marc Lottering and pianist Godfrey Johnson perform a cabaret show that goes where neither of them has gone before. (Venue: St George Conference Room at the Taj Hotel, limited to 80 seats per show.)
  
• Fresh from their fifth sold-out Edinburgh Festival, the internationally acclaimed Faulty Towers the Dining Experience serves up two hours of the best characters and gags, as well as a three-course meal. (Venue: The Villa at the Cape Sun Hotel, limited to 108 seats per show.)
  
• After two years of worldwide shows and numerous five-star reviews (including the award for Best Cabaret Show at the Edinburgh Fringe 2011), leading Canadian singer Sharron Matthews brings her singular brand of comedy and mash-ups from Queen, Lady Gaga, and more. (Venue: Lobby Lounge at the Taj Hotel, limited to 50 seats per show.)
  
• Fresh from a season at the Sydney Opera House and many series on BBC Radio, country and western singer Tina C, the mistress of great music and clever lyrics, will have you laughing and thinking all the way home. (Venue: Twankey Oyster and Champagne Bar at the Taj Hotel, limited to 50 seats per show.)
  
• Award-winning Cape Town actress and comedienne Shimmy Isaacs performs snippets from her show Allie Pad Funny Die Worcester and her most recent material. (Venue: Café St George at the St George's Cathedral, limited to 50 seats per show.)
  
• The entire cast of the festival also appears in a special Gala Performance at the Baxter Theatre on 14 October, with Marc Lottering as the MC.

Exciting project

"We are delighted to partner with an exciting project like this, especially as it is the first of its kind in Cape Town," said Stephan Claassen from FNB. "As a proudly South African bank, we are committed to grow our country in all its facets. Art plays a key role in that."

The FNB Variété Festival will be held in Cape Town from 6 to 20 October. Tickets for all performances are available from Computicket. For more information, go to the Facebook page or www.eddycassar.co.za