The Great Pretenders 30th anniversary concert

Jayson Jay King, Sumaya Hendricks, Terry Hector Smith, Ruth Knight and Dennis J Maart perform in The Great Pretenders.

Promoter and singer Jayson Jay King will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his production The Great Pretenders on Saturday May 14 at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone, at 8pm.

The Great Pretenders started in 1992 at the Baxter and shortly thereafter played at the Oscar Theatre on Adderley Street for another two years before going on a roadshow all over SA. “The journey hasn’t stopped and we are ready to entertain our many thousands of fans from May 14,” says King.

It still has some of the original members including Terry “Smiley” Hector Smith, Dennis Maart and King who will shortly celebrate his 77th birthday with 60 years in showbiz.

Ruth Knight will belt out the unmistakable style of Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner and Gloria Gaynor. Ruth has been a member of The Great Pretenders since 2001.

Belinda Qaqamba Fassie will present the sounds and styles of Gladys Knight, Diana Ross and Grace Jones.

Together with other cast members they are rehearsing for their first show since the pandemic lockdown levels fell away.

The show leaves for Johannesburg in June and the Eastern Cape in July.

Tickets cost R140. To book, email mainevents@worldonline.co.za or call 021 633 4299. Charities can contact King about fund-raising.