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The Sensory Theatre - AWAKEN!

my experience
· Food,Lifestyle

This past Saturday I was treated to an experience at The Sensory Theatre located at The Venue in Melrose Arch. I’d read their website thoroughly beforehand and tried to find as many reviews as I could to get some idea of what to expect for this evening. I must say though, they exceeded my expectations far and beyond. It was a terrific night filled with surprises, tantalizing food and an exceptional show.

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We walked into The Venue just after 7pm. The foyer was beautifully decorated, and I always feel extra special walking in to events on a red carpet! We were welcomed warmly by the hosts and then directed to our table, where a generous platter of appetisers was waiting for us.

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Our waiter for the evening introduced himself and explained that we would need to choose what we wanted to eat for all three courses before the show started at 8pm. It all looked so tantalizing, but we made our choices and placed our order.

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The food

The food served over the evening was delicious and plentiful, and you need to trust me when I say that you must go there VERY hungry. I battled to finish all my food, but it was so good that I ate as much as my body would allow... and maybe a little bit more ;)

For starters we had the Bulgar Wheat Risotto (mushrooms, thyme & a parmesan wafer). The parmesan wafer was a big delicious piece of crispy cheese sticking out from it (you know that yummy part of crispy cheese that overflows from a toasted sandwich? That, just better!). Tantalising dish. Our tummies were smiling. For mains we had the Crumbed Chicken Breast (tomato, sage & coconut stuffing, with pumpkin puree, courgette, and potato mash quenelle). Also very good - incredibly well presented and cooked to perfection. 

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Between meals we were served a refreshing sorbet to cleanse our pallets. The two lead singers (Hayley C and Lyle Volkwyn) sat on the stage and sang beautiful, gentle songs while we were having our mains.
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Dessert was heavenly. We had the Citrus Mousse (decadent aerated chocolate and orange zest topped with an orange blossom crumble). This has to be my perfect dessert; my taste buds were floating around on a cloud of happiness.

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The show

I really don’t want to give too much away in this review, as I feel that not knowing completely what to expect contributes to the excitement of the evening. Between meals they have three different parts to their energy-driven and visually-rich show. Each part was mesmerizing and I was watching with wide open eyes, sitting on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed all three of the performances. They weren’t like any of the other theatrical shows I’d been to before; they were different with a very artistic flair. The performers were so talented, each with their own personalities and talents. The male performer with the long ponytail stood out for me, he had such fluid control over his body and so much strength. They were all exceptional!

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After the wining, the dining and the show, the DJ took the spotlight and the dancefloor opened up. There was such a great vibe and we danced the night away :) Before we left, we took a walk up the stairs to their Cigar Lounge for a cherry cigar to end the evening. We eventually left in our Uber and chatted the whole way home about what a fun and successful evening it was.

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The details

Prices are as follows:

  • Dinner and Show - R600pp
  • Group bookings – R500pp (10 or more people)
  • Show Only – R400pp - I wouldn’t suggest this option, you’ll be very jealous of all the yummy food going around ;)

I really suggest you book an evening here soon, especially if you’re looking for something different on a Friday or Saturday night! Awaken only has a few shows left, it will end on 25 September. Have a look at The Sensory Theatre's Facebook page, or their website here. You can also send them an email to make a booking or to get more details.