The Psychedelic Theatre is a performance art group from Stellenbosch,
which specialises in fire performances. Founders and ringmasters, Lanel
Van der Kolff and Marvin-Lee Beukes, co-ordinate dancers, fire dancers,
stilt walkers, mimes, puppet masters, magicians, jugglers and physical
theatre performers. Lanel herself is a performance artist and fire dancer
who trained contact improvisation dancer Sam Pienaar at the University of
Stellenbosch. Marvin studied drama and is a poi or fire dancer.
According to Lanel and Marvin, the idea for such a troupe had been a
glowing ember for a while but it suddenly ignited at a Vortex Psychedelic
Trance Adventure in 2009.
At first they could be found primarily at trance parties and raves but today
the group performs at any event from street festivals to corporate gigs,
weddings to birthday parties including a full-length theatre show!
At the end of 2012 The Psychedelic Theatre even presented Shakespeare’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Taal Monument in Paarl, complete with
fire dancing, narration and spectacular costumes.