In Touch with Nature – The Animal Performance (Cabaret)
Posted: May 27, 2026 Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, In Touch With Nature, Leopards, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Writing to be Read 74 Comments
This month’s In Touch With Nature post is a little different. It is a re-write of Willkommen to Cabaret and is also an entry into Dan Antion’s Thursday Doors Writing Challenge 2026. To this end, some of the photographs set out below are from Dan’s challenge. I’ve attributed those photographs in the picture captions.
You can join in Dan’s challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/thursday-doors-writing-challenge-2026/
The song incorporates a few phrases in Afrikaans and Zulu. The order in these instances, is Afrikaans, Zulu and then English.
Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub!
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
Oppasser, Umlondolozi wezilwane, animal carer
Bly om jou te sien, ngijabule ukukubona, happy to see you
Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay
***
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance
***
Dames en here, manene namanenekazi, ladies and gentlemen
Goeie aand, sawubona, good evening
Voel jy goed? uzwa kahle? do you feel good?
I’m sure you’re excited
Ek is jou gasheer, mina ngingowakho, I am your host
Just saying
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance
***
Leave your preconceptions outside
You’re in for the time of your life
Everything is interesting here
Here nature is at its best
The animals are beautiful
Even the predators are beautiful
You see? I told you the predators were beautiful
***
And now presenting the Performing Herbivores
Speedy (Speedy’s name is due to her speed coming down a tree)
Paws (Paws is always ready to shake you by the hand. He’s such a friendly tree squirrel)
Shadow! (Shadow likes to hide behind trees
It makes her really difficult to spot in the bush)
Patches! (Patches is a young male tsessebe.
One of the fastest antelope in Africa, he can run at speeds up to 90 km/h)
Alice! (Alice is the most beautiful girl in the show
She has the longest eye lashes you’ve ever seen
She’s great to look at but she isn’t much of a conversationalist)
And Jemimah! (Jemimah is the baby of the show. She is very shy and doesn’t like being photographed.
She runs away and I only get her backside
It’s a pity as she’s really such an adorable little thing)
***
Speedy, Paws, Shadow, Patches, Alice and Jemimah
Each and every one important to the eco system. You don’t believe me? Hmmm?
Well don’t take my word for it. Do your own research!
***
Outside its autumn and the trees are decked in auburn finery
The veld is a rich orange interspersed with yellow
Inside its lovely too. We are showing off some amazing creatures
Today you are gaining more appreciation
***
Just saying
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance
***
We are here to educate you!
And now presenting the Performing Carnivores!
Here they are!
Koning, Mufasa, and Leo
They are a trio
Male pride
Koning or King is the dominant male of the pride
He is the alpha male
Biff (Don’t be fooled by his innocent look!
Biff is the most efficient killer in the Bush with a 90% kill rate)
Peter (Peter is extremely dangerous with bone crushing jaws
His bite force exceeds 1,000 PSI
And, finally, the toast of the Bush, Esmerelda the Cheetah
Fastest animal in the world!
Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
That’s Koning
Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
Oppasser, Umlondolozi wezilwane, animal carer
Hello Animal Carer!
It’s a great pleasure to see you here
Enchanted Madame
Happy to see …
You!
Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay!
We say
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
Oppasser, Umlondolozi wezilwane, animal carer
Bly om jou te sien, ngijabule ukukubona, happy to see you
Bly hier, hlala lapha, stay!
We say
Welkom, wamukelekile, welcome
Aan die diere-opvoering, ekusebenzeni kweSilwane, to the animal performance
***
Thank you!
Koning, Mufasa, Leo, Biff, Peter, Speedy, Paws,
Shadow, Patches, Alice and Jemimah, Esmerelda, and Me!
Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub!
If you would like to watch the original song from the movie featuring Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli.
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
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What a fantastic post Robbie.
I love the way all these beautiful animals have names.
Alice is my favourite..thank you !
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Hi Maggie, I’m delighted you enjoyed this post. It took a while to create but it was worth it.
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I can imagine Robbie 👏👏
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💖
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This is absolutely fantastic, Robbie!
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Thank you, Dave. It was great fun to create.
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Very clever as always, Robbie. A great use of the photo prompts.
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Thank you, Darlene. This was so much fun 😁
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Robbie, this is wonderful (and I loved that musical show) I could hear it throughout …. 💞
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I love it too. We saw it in London last year in June. I’m so glad you could recognize its essence.
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A wonderful tour of nature Robbie, a veritable feast.
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Thank you, Paul. It was such fun to write 💚
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It was wonderful to read – so, ergo – your work makes a readers life a joy! 😊
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You are very kind, Paul. Thank you 🙏
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❤️
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Amazing photos, I can’t pick a favorite, and a cute parody, Robbie. Of course, the movie/show is not cute at all.
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No, the show is very serious although it’s been hijacked by gay pride in London and so its message has become distorted.
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“hijacked by gay pride”–I hope you don’t mean that the way it sounds, Robbie. There have always been all sorts of sexuality in the show–including gay–as I imagine there was in the clubs Isherwood visited when he lived in Berlin.
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It depends how you interpreted my comment. What I mean is that the gay elements have been played up and have become the central theme of the play. It has become a bit of an iconic show and a tribute to the gay pride movement. The messaging about what happened in Germany and the plight of the Jews has become secondary. This is my opinion, of course.
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I didn’t see the production you saw, of course, but part of “what happened in Germany” involved gay people, too. And also, anything considered “degenerate.”
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Yes, that is true.
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I have no issue with sexuality of any kind and I never have but I grew up with Cabaret and so I see a shift in focus. I introduced TC to Cabaret so he doesn’t see this. 💛
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I’m happy to hear you don’t have issues with sexuality of any kind. The movie (if that’s what you grew up with) and the musical show are different. And of course, every production of it is different.
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💗
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A very clever way to present the information! I particularly liked how you gave the animals names. My parents saw “Cabaret” not long after it came out and absolutely loved it.
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Hi Liz, I love Cabaret which I listened to as a child. My mom had the record of the West End musical. I’ve seen the live show in Johannesburg and London and watched the movie 🎸🎤🎼
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A long-time fan, then!
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Yes 💯
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This is amazing and wonderful, Robbie. I love the animals, some I never even knew about. I love their names and the bits of their character you shared. This is a great post.
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Hi Dan, I’m delighted you enjoyed this post. It took a while but it was great fun 💜
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You are so very clever! That was fun!
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Thank you, Dale 😁
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😁
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A beautiful post, Robbie. I love the animal photos.
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Thank you, Dwight. I really enjoyed writing it.
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I can tell! :>)
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😁
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A delightful post!
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A bit of work but fun to create
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A creative post, Robbie. Bravo! (Applause, applause!)
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Thank you, Priscilla 💕
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The photos and poetry are stunning, Robbie. What an amazing post! 💜
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I’m delighted you enjoyed this post, Colleen. It was great fun to create 😁
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I love all the wildlife you share, Robbie. 💜
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🌸💕
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Wow those photos are incredible and very nice and educational poems. That black cape buffalo looks mighty dangerous. I certainly would be frightened if I saw that.
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Hi Thomas, all wild animals can be dangerous. Buffalo bear grudges and have been know to track hunters for days and then kill them. All are wonderful.
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That is an amazing fact. Buffalo Grudge could be the title of a horror movie.
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A great way to revisit all these beautiful animals. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe
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What a beautiful post! Thank you!
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Thank you 😊
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These lovely pictures and lyrics show how closely in touch with nature you are, Roberta!
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I had. Lot of fun creating this post 😊
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😍
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Wow, what a unique post Robbie and Kaye Lynne.
Robbie, you are fabulous. Using the other languages with english is brilliant. I learned a lot and was entertained.
Here, Life is a Cabaret, my friend… and a library!
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Hi Resa, I knew you would like this post 🌞. Life is certainly a cabaret 💃🕺🥁🎵🎶
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❦💃🕺🥁🎵🎶❦
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🥰
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I always enjoy your pictures of the animals and fauna in Africa. Although I don’t know what the Afrikaners or Zulu words were saying, the poem is very imaginative and well done.
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Thanks, Carla. The English is a translation of the Afrikaans and Zulu. I’m pleased you enjoyed this post. 💞
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Oh, okay.
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🧡
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Oh what a wonderful post – just gorgeous, Robbie! Great song too. ☺️
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Wow. You did a great job of “welcoming” us into not only an animal world but also your specific experience of it. Some beautiful animals there, but most of them I wouldn’t want to get too close to, especially if they’re hungry. That Jemimah is cute from any angle!
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Hi Maureen, from an open safari vehicle, the only animal I’m wary of is an elephant. They are quite unpredictable and will attack a vehicle and can roll it. That baby impala was adorable 🥰
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People do not respect the elephant as they should concerning threat.
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This is true. People underestimate elephants. For some reason they are viewed as gentle.
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I don’t know why.
I sure would not want one mad at me.
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Robbie, this was a fantastic post. The poetry for so many animals was wonderful, as were your photos.
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Thank you, Jennie. I had so much fun creating it 🌈
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I enjoyed this tapestry of diverse animals woven into the Cabaret theme. It’s nice to see them in natural environments. The African Painted Wild Dog is my favorite, but each is special and beautiful.
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Hi JoAnna, I also like the African painted dog. I am currently painting a large one.
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