Veteran actor brings solo act to Theatre Arts hall

Veteran stage actor, Toni Morkel, will be starring in his solo act production, Cottonwool Kid, which will feature in the first week of June at the Theatre Arts hall in Observatory

Morkel, 66, from Fish Hoek, said the play is based on his autobiographical writing.

The play follows the central character Cottonwool Kid (CK), a girl growing up and dealing with her anxieties, her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and her relationship with the people in her life. “Her closest companion is her dog, who also becomes the main narrator in the piece,” says Morkel.

Cottonwool Kid is directed by Sylvaine Strike who workshopped the play together with Morkel.

He describes it as physical theatre, which he and Strike are familiar with, and as both a comedy and a drama. “It’s a solo piece and I perform all the various characters.” 

Morkel has over 40 years of experience as an entertainer.

Last year he directed Erika Breytenbach in I Can Buy Myself Flowers, written by Mike van Graan.  In 2024 he performed in Brett Bailley’s A Summer Dream at Spier in Stellenbosch and in 2023 he directed The Agents with Roberto Pombo, Kyla Davis and Lisa Overy that featured at the National Arts Festival.

Cottonwool Kid will be staged at the Theatre Arts Methodist Church Hall, on the corner of Milton Road and Wesley Street, Observatory, on Friday June 6 and Saturday June 7, from 7pm, and on Sunday June 8, it will start at 3pm. Tickets cost R180 each and can be booked by visiting https://theatrearts.co.za/