After our whirlwind visit to Darling last weekend I was reminded of the sensational Evita se Perron which is found in this Swartland town. The restaurant, museum and theatre are the result of renovating the derelict Darling train station which had been closed since the 1970’s (in fact ‘perron’ is the Afrikaans word for platform).
From humble beginnings of a small stage and 12 tables with chairs, Evita se Perron has grown in leaps and bounds and now seats an audience as large as 130!
The theatre is open every day except Monday and the focus is on weekends when both lunch time and evening shows are presented. The big draw card is Pieter-Dirk Uys and his team of political characters and it goes without saying that the star of the show is Evita Bezuidenhout! Tickets for shows are R110 per person and R1 is donated to The Darling Trust.
Evita se Perron is a wonderful place and the character of the station has remained. The building is painted a kaleidoscope of pink, blue, green and white! Wooden tables and benches fit neatly into booths outside and the walls are adorned with mounted antelope horns, framed pictures and posters of the most famous white woman in our country.
Massive trees provide shade on sweltering Swartland summer days when temperatures soar into the high 30’s.
Not only is there a theatre though, Evita se Perron also boasts a wonderful garden and Boerassic Park! Boerassic Park is an art garden filled with various political icons and apartheid symbols and the focal point is a cement gravy train with Madiba as the engine.
Local crafts have also been included in the Park. A wonderful shop is found in the main building and is packed to the brim with works of art such as bags and cushions made by talented people.
Evita se Perron is a fantastic place to visit with many interesting bits and pieces to look and laugh at. So, next time you are in Darling make sure you land up on the perron!
Contact Beryl on 022 492 3930 for theatre bookings.
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