Tag Archives: Mojolena

Madame Zingara : RIP

Madame Zingara is dead!   The ‘Theatre of Dreams’ circus theatre restaurant, which was created as a result of a fire in the original Madame Zingara premises in Loop Street in Cape Town, went into final liquidation yesterday.

Madame Zingara owner and “ringmaster, Richard Griffin, appears to have over-extended himself, in taking his Madame Zingara to London in December, at the same time that he opened Mojolena, a sister theatre restaurant, but on a much smaller scale, in Cape Town, so that he could continue employing the staff that could not get visas to go to the UK.   His backers in the UK pulled out due to the credit crunch, while unpaid debts in Cape Town led to the liquidation.

Whilst Madame Zingara opened to sold-out nights at the Battersea Power Station in London in December, it was a fantastic “advertisement” for South African creativity, and the culinary and cultural marriage.    However, the marketing damage of the closure in London is bad for the country, as the Time Out website, which had featured a very favourable review, is filled with comments from persons who had booked and paid for the dinner and show, but who do not appear to be able to receive their money back.   Griffin’s South African origin is mentioned in the comments.

Griffin also has unpleasant culpable homicide and attempted murder charges hanging over his head, resulting from an accident in 2006, in which a pedestrian died and another was injured, with Griffin allegedly driving into them, reports the Cape Argus.

Madame Zingara on deathbed

After a short illness, Madame Zingara and her sister Mojolena are on their deathbed.

Not only is Madame Zingara in provisional liquidation , but her UK partners, who had provided financial backing and helped with staff work visa applications, have both withdrawn, citing the global credit crunch.   The show had moved to Battersea Power Station in London in December, and was planning a tour to Scotland and Europe thereafter, reports the Cape Times.

Richard Griffin, a talented and creative dinner theatre showmaster, has had his share of bad luck.  The first Madame Zingara restaurant, which opened in Loop Street eight years ago, was destroyed by a fire, which challenged Griffin to buy a Spiegelpaleis circus tent in Belgium and set up his Theatre of Dreams underneath the highway at the entrance to the port in Cape Town. 

Perhaps more of a showman than a businessman, Griffin did not see the global credit crunch coming, and the impact it would have on opening a new restaurant in London, whilst opening a new sister restaurant, Mojolena, at the same time in Cape Town in December.  WhaleTales was critical of the opening party for Mojolena.

Madame Zingara to close her circus?

The first casualties of the global credit crunch in Cape Town could be Madame Zingara, the theatre restaurant, and Carluccis, a collection of four coffee shops and delicatessens in Cape Town, both of which are facing provisional liquidation, reports the Cape Times.

Madame Zingara operated as a restaurant with a difference in Loop Street for many years, and was dealt a blow when a fire destroyed most of the property.   Enterprising owner Richard Griffin bought a Belgian Spiegelpaleis, and battled to seek approval initially to set it up.  City ID Councillor at the time, Simon Grindrod, helped Griffin with a piece of Council property below the highways near the port.   The ‘Theatre of Dreams’ received rave reviews, and the show and tent toured various parts of the country, and is currently in London.  

To continue the employment of his staff that could not get UK visas, Griffin bought another smaller tent, and named it Mojolena, opening in December just as he was leaving for London.   The impact of the provisional liquidation on Mojolena and the London tour of Madame Zingara is unknown, as the website does not provide information, and there is no reference to Mojolena.   The Cape Times reports that the Cape Town operation has closed down and that its staff have been retrenched.

Carlucci’s had outlets in Bantry Bay, Oranjezicht, Gardens and Rondebosch, and the Oranjezicht and Gardens outlets will continue trading.

Madame Zingara creates a circus in the UK

Madame Zingara, Cape Town’s “eccentric dinner theatre circus”,  is on her way to London, and will set up her Spiegelpaleis at the Battersea Power Station from 10 December.   From March the Theatre of Dreams will move to Dublin and Edinburgh, reports the Cape Argus.

Given that many of the Madame Zingara staff could not get work permits to join the Madame on her journey to London, owner Richard Griffin decided to obtain a second dinner circus venue, which will stay behind in Cape Town.  Its name is Mojolena, in honour of two top staff members Mojo and Sweetlana, and opens on 22 November.

Madame Zingara’s creative visionary Griffin, who imported the Spiegelpaleis from Belgium when his Loop Street restaurant burnt down two years ago, believes in giving back to the community, and a percentage of the proceeds goes to the Reach for a Dream and Ikamva Labantu charities.  

Griffin’s team will be serving South African wines and springbok to the 400 UK patrons every night, and says: “We are going as the greatest South African product.”