We went to see the London debut of The Chilli Boy at the Jermyn Street Theatre in Piccadilly last night - what a laugh!

It’s a one-man show but actor Matthew Ribnick transforms himself into about seven characters - ranging from an old Indian woman to a young Afrikaans thug - morphing from one into the other using only the slight hint of a cap or a sari to help convey the change. His use of physical space, facial contortians and spot-on accents are brilliant and he is an expert at keeping the audience’s attention.

The story is about an old Indian woman who after her death is reincarnated as a white gangster from Boksburg. This oke is tough, no one messes with him and he and his gang has a good “working relationship” with the local “Lebs”. But then one day he starts getting flashbacks from his previous life - his maternal instincts surfice and he no longer wants to fight, much to the consternation of his gang members, who worry about losing their tough reputation. He also starts cooking Indian food - much to the consternation of his Calvinistic racist mother who’d rather have a son involved in a brawl than a “gay” boy making her house smell of Indians!

Geraldine Naidoo’s script is masterful - together with Ribnick’s versatile acting they manage to bring to life almost the full range of cultural stereotypes we find in South Africa. And the dialogue is so sharp you’re doubled up with laughter for the entire one-hour run of the show.

It remains to be seen whether the British audiences will pick up the various local references that add much of the humour to The Chilli Boy - will they understand the Boksburg setting? Will they realise the huge divide between Patricia Lewis and Kwaito? Will they be shocked at the callous reference to crime? Will they laugh at the blatantly racist post-apartheid characters, or shuffle uncomfortably in their seats at the lack of political correctness?

It remains to be seen. But this is yet another fantastic example of how South Africans are bridging culture and race lines by learning to laugh at themselves and understand each other.

The show is almost sold out, but SA Times is running a 2 for 1 ticket offer for Thursday’s matinée performance at 3pm. Simply call the box office on 020 7287 2875 and quote “SA Times”.

If anyone has seen it - let us know what you think!