Show Archive

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica} The classics The Proposal and The Bear two short one act plays by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov find themselves re-captured and redeployed by Johannesburg based adaptor Lebogang Mpahlele. Presented by the Drama for Life Creative Research Hub, these laugh a minute farces are duel cast and run as a double bill. With

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 8.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} LEGAGA:  an exploration of memory, dreams and nightmares told through movement, song and text. Inspired by Phuti’s personal journey as performer and woman, LEGAGA takes us through a journey from childhood to adulthood, a rite of passage and its complexities, difficulties, rejections and tragedies.LEGAGA was first premiered at My Body My

Geraldine Naidoo’s multi-award winning play, HOOT, is the hysterical and colourful journey of a rich white man who loses everything and ends up becoming a minibus taxi driver. Performed by Matthew Ribnick, the play has enjoyed a long and successful life since its premiere in 2005. Over the past 14 years, the play has constantly been adapted and updated in order to

In memory of Nhlanhla's grandmother, CHANT tells a personal story, journeying from the suburbs of Alberton to the squatter camp in Phola Park during the 80’s and 90’s. CHANT was first commissioned by the Juliedans Artist’s Lab in 2010 and premiered at the Juliedans Festival in Amsterdam in 2011. Other performance include Goethe on Main and Dance Umbrella Festival in 2012;

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} A triptych of Black stories, by Black bodies, for all bodies. The BLACK Series features three physical theatre solos exploring the experiences of the Black body throughout history and the modern day. Black-Stallation scrutinizes the Black body as spectacle. This solo draws on historical examples of the exoticized (and silenced) Black body

FlipnFlap in Partnership with The Market Theatre Lab 30 years Festival present Skierlik Four years since it’s last performance to sold out houses, the internationally revered, multi award winning South African classic of its time is back on stage for a limited tour season. With Phillip Dikotla reprising the role as Thomas: a character who’s real life events inspired the

What is a man? Can it feel? What shape does it hold? Marose brings into sharp focus the ever-present realities of being a black man in the 21st century. It is said that Adam was created first, Eve, woven from his being. If a black man who doesn't practice his culture, it is said that he is still a "boy".

"Zebra & Giraffe will be playing 2 exclusive unplugged shows at POPArt in December, showcasing stripped down versions of selected songs from all 5 albums, including their new EP "Slow Motion". The show will also feature a performance by talented newcomer Ruby Gill"In the 7 years since Zebra & Giraffe played their first show to an expectant crowd at Oppikoppi

The play Have You Seen Zandile? was written by well known African storyteller, Gcina Mhlope. It was first performed in 1986 at The Market Theatre. The story follows the journey of a young girl called Zandile living with her grandmother. She then gets abducted from her granny’s house in Durban and taken to the Transkei by her mother, as she

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE MOVED THE VENUE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE TO THE AFDA RED ROOF THEATRE. with much much love and thanks to the team at AFDA Johannesburg for helping us out during this time of uncertainty 15 scenes : You Choose the PlaylistPlaylist is an exciting new format of theatre that acknowledges the emerging trend towards short-form theatre.Craig Morris has

Feeling a little cheeky? Looking for something a little risqué? Well, you'd better book your seat to the hottest show in town this Winter! Vintage Cheek Burlesque Revue is back this July to warm the cockles of your hearts. Make sure you're on Santa's naughty list! We've got the entertainment and the gluwein… all we need is you!Join POPArt, Vintage Cheek and

"Telling Stories"This play tells stories as seen through the eye of a man/woman in the street- who acknowledges the 'good, the bad, and ugly' of the pre and post apartheid South Africa. It is the the lamentation about the 'miscourage' of the 'better life for all' call of the now government amid wide scale corruption and maladministration.The play challenges the

This 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama is the story of Alma and Eugene, two African Americans trying to navigate their way through life, love, family and identity politics. Alma, being dark skinned, and light skinned Eugene, kindle a friendship from a young age and are seemingly destined to love one another but prejudice leave stumbling blocks on the way.

This week in our regular Storytellers slot, our host with the absolute most, Lebogang Mogashoa previews "THE REAL DIRT" ahead of it's run at POPUpstairs in Cape Town. Don't miss this one night only highly acclaimed audience favourite!Within a two year period that coincided with his thirtieth birthday, Lebogang Mogashoa moved countries, lost a parent, and changed careers. He insisted that

The StoryTellers Series aims to build a community of storytellers in Joburg (and other places coming soon). Modelled on shows like Risk! and The Moth, with the Joburg series, we aim to develop stories of a new democracy with a new group of fresh storytelling talent. Come ready to share your stories, and most importantly, to be honest! The 3 hour course

Everything. Everything we think. Everything we do, we do it with one sole purpose in mind: Mating. Getting laid. SEX. Socially correct it might be not, but procreation is our ultimate goal. Says who? We do. And more specifically: our bodies. Our Body Language subconsciously reveals everybody’s very naughty mind. Over the last 25 years Gaëtan has become obsessed with

WINNER: Silver Ovation Award, National Arts Festival 2015Award winning Father, Father. Father! is a devised theatre piece created by Roberto Pombo, Joni Barnard and Racheal Neary, directed by Toni Morkel. The show follows the story of three sister, locked in the basement, awaiting the return of their father. And a big black horse. “The evolving metaphors and symbolism of this ridiculously

DURBAN-BORN comedian, Prev Reddy, will be hosting a one-night-only stand-up show, Can’t I Just B.E.E (which opened to a sold out crowd in Durban in July); a follow-up to his previous one-man show, Wait, You’re Indian, which had successful runs across KwaZulu-Natal last year.Now living in Johannesburg, Reddy who has recently finished work on a new comedy series for SABC3

Lift Club is a slice-of-life take on the lives of four diverse middle-class South Africans who commute to work together every day. Conversations they have include topics of ‘problems’ that middle-class South Africans face, from each of their perspectives; and a recent dilemma at work which causes conflict among them and exposes each individual’s unique diversity. Humorous dialogue is contrasted

Gilli Apter is an award-winning comedy writer and COMIC’S CHOICE AWARD nominee. She has performed on TREVOR NOAH’S NATIONWILD, at Kings & Queens of Comedy, and on almost every other stage, to thousands of people throughout the country. If you haven’t heard of her, you haven’t left the house or watched TV since 2015.Join Gilli for an hour of stand

Gqisha! The Chant that Calls was officially the So Solo commissioned play for 2016. Created by Khayelihle Dom Gumede and Raezeen Wentworth and performed by Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Gqisha! entwines the stirring weight of personal history with the fraught narrative of intergenerational dispossession and the literal and non-literal reactions to that history.Gqisha! refers to the Zulu war chant used in the

A poignant story about a family, a father, a husband and a man who kept a secret for 60 years.In this one-woman play based on true events, Maude excavates the life of her grandfather, Alan Sandham: She uncovers the layers of myth and memory and what he kept in the shadows.Tracks was the commissioned work for the 2017 So Solo Festival

Created and performed by: Liezl De Kock, with Lexi Meier Directed by: Rob MurrayPiet se Optelgoed is a dark and brooding nightmare peppered with unexpected humour,  heart-breaking vulnerability and poignant humanity, told in the breathtaking visual style audiences have come to expect from Liezl de Kock. Gleefully deranged and a fringe dweller, Piet is at once a myth and a horror

As Young adults, we often do not have the vocabulary to say what we need to say to our parents, guardians and sometimes the community at large. We grow up in homes where those who raise us, were deprived of the opportunity to learn how to communicate with their children. Thus causing a certain level of detachment. This detachment is

BACK BY AUDIENCE DEMAND! *One show only!*There is a river. An endless flowing river in each of us whose balance is affected by the ever changing dynamics of our lives. HO NA LE NOKA is an exploration of the dynamics affecting a new generation of women- from politics to patriarchy, from sexuality to love- expressed through poetry, prose and verse.  p.p1

Multiple award winning actress Patricia Boyer facilitates a 5 hour workshop for actors focusing on process and finding character from text. Performers will work with well know texts toward a practical outcome, focusing on site reading, audition technique and character work. Patricia Boyer is a versatile and experienced actress with over 20 years of experience in the industry both locally and

Cape Town actor, David Muller brings Bruce Clark’s book “Love Sex Fleas God” to life, with the direction by Celia Musikanth. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Struggling with Scientology and other childhood adversities the audience experiences a rollercoaster ride as Bruce evolves into a fun-loving kind father. Poignant, humourous, this is a must see

Through soul-stirring, foot-stomping and laugh-out-loud storytelling and song, PICTURE INCOMPLETE sketches out the portrait of a man’s life as he celebrates a rather unusual birthday on which an eviction notice arrives advising him to vacate his apartment. As he clears out his stuff, memories from his past, outrageously nosy neighbours and some poignant chance encounters on the street help him

Ayabonga grew up within the confines of a very traditional family structure based on culture and religion. As he ventures into the world and becomes a man, he is faced with doubts about the foundations of these customs. iNduku is a coming of age-coming out story that delves into identity, sexuality, love and family. Directed by Jade BowersWritten & Performed

Women seek healing in a village where lies the tree of life. Healing water to be consumed is believed to be stored there when it rains.Here, some of the elements women feel they need to fix about themselves are revealed. The ladies are however met with an obstacle in how they will receive this healing as the village is facing

Kasi Stories: Stories not Often Told tells the story of Xola and Thabo's friendship. We see the two young men at different stages of their lives though the play, as the boys move further apart economically it's their shared reality of failed fatherhood which both hold their friendship together and threatens to tear it apart. The two friends consistently come

“Is it awkward?Does it hurt?Do you bleed?Fornication,consummation,copulation.”This quirky, playful physical theatre piece explores all the secrets about female virginity. Watch as the three main characters navigate their way through the preparation which leads up to the ultimate watering.“Come on ladies, its flower time!"'Vlower' explores the preparation a virgin undergoes before her first time. The work approaches female virginity from a

***Part of our very special QUEERLY BELOVED week at POPArt(Formerly Known as Tin Stuff)Two black boys fall in love at a stifling Catholic boarding school in the Britney 2000s. An unmissable exploration of queer, black teen romance in Africa. Mogashoa’s hilarious and truthful storytelling has placed him on Mail and Guardian’s 200 Young list. He wrote Jemma Kahn’s provocative spaghetti

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} PASS(ings), directed and designed by the multi-award winning Quintin Wils, puts friendship under a magnifying glass, in conversion with John Donnelly’s ‘The Pass’. On the night before Liam’s wedding day, Liam and his estranged childhood friend, Jayden, reminisce about the past; their days as rising rugby stars, try’s, girls

Introducing platform performance - where 5 talented actors transform a tiny, bare space into myriad stories and journeys. Comic, fast-paced and deftly executed, Masidlale presents a new ensemble show that consists of 3 parts, from video game dreams to fictionalising settlers history, and a voracious playing with Falling hashtags.

Opening Night will be on a donations basis. You can book by checking the 'Pay at the door option' From the team behind the acclaimed ‘A Girl Called Owl’ comes a story about two sisters. A play about silence and noise. About waiting. About old habits, blood bonds, miracles and spare parts. A play about the strange, powerful moments that carve

A soap opera. Live on stage.It's shocking, it's daring, It's tragic: : All the makings of a good soap with the ultimate twist : it's live on stage and anything can happen!Written by Edmund BraatvedtDirected by Kirsten HarrisStarring: Denel Honeyball MoMo Matsunyane Roberto Pombo Ryan Dittmann Hayleigh Evans and maybe some surprisesThe much loved Soapy Serial is backIn the last

UShakes applies a medley of Shakespearian texts to modern everyday South African life, resulting in a commentary on the consistency of human nature over centuries. Director Clara Vaughan (Noord!) together with this dynamic young cast cooks up a seshebo of politics, romance, violence, family drama and current affairs- with a seasoning of hip hop slams and hashtags. *** This show forms

Q : Do you want your child to have the best education and a bright future? A : Take them to a model C school Q : Want your child to develop an identity crisis and carry the eternal judgement of their people? A : Take them to a model C schoolHow to Crack a Coconut explores the experience, judgement and shame

Fresh from the Grahamstown National Arts Festival having won a 2017 Standard Bank Ovation Award in excellence, and the SATMag Award for Best Cutting Edge Production 2017, Leftfoot productions offers NIJINSKY’S WAR. Through adapting The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky (1953), NIJINSKY'S WAR offers a subjective view into Nijinsky's life and his ongoing struggle with mental illness, through a combination of theatre, film and dance. Nijinsky, who is

Contagious Theatre’s newest production, Silkworm, is an evocative exploration of the ordinary things that make life, well, extraordinary.The story is told to us through the eyes of the at once gregarous and socially awkward Georgina. Georgina is about to have the single most important day of her life. On this day, she takes the audience on a journey that reveals

 Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel. Death of a Clown presents the struggles of a lone Pierrot (tragic clown) as he repeatedly attempts to make his audience, and cardboard friends, laugh with a variety of acts ranging from impressive spectacles to the emotionally impactful. As his failures begin to pile up our Pierrot’s

This June, Search for productions and director Steven Feinstein brings playwright Neil Anthony Docking's award winning new play brought to life with an all South African cast Starring Michelle Douglas, Mary-Anne Barlow, Heidi Mollentze, Julie-Anne McDowell Hegarty and Marianthe SmartIn 1966, 116 school children and 28 adults were killed in a mining accident, where a landslide buried a primary school in Aberfan, South Wales. The event was

Limmud South Africa in association with POPArt present: Caroline Rothstein LIVECaroline Rothstein is a New York City-based award-winning writer and performer. She has been performing spoken word poetry, public speaking, and facilitating workshops at colleges, schools, and performance venues worldwide for over a decade. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, Narratively, The Forward, Williams Magazine, and elsewhere. She sits as

A quick course on how to not lose money or friends when making a theatre show... This crash course will focus on the basics of producing: that is how to fund, market, stage and tour theatre productions, as well as an excavation of industry context.  As most South African theatre practitioners self - produce their work, this is an essential skill of

In renowned South African playwright Zakes Mda's "And the girls in their Sunday dresses", two distinct women of the same quality find themselves trapped waiting in line for goods that may never materialise. Sharing one chair forces a cynical prostitute and an optimistic cleaner to realise their unexpected common interests. Often viewed as absurd theatre, the piece offers insight into

Dear Mr Government, Please May I have a Meeting With You Even Though I’m Six Years Old? is a tender retelling of what children are saying about their governments. They want to make decisions, they want to talk to Mr Government and they want Mr Government to listen to them. Produced by the University of Johannesburg Arts and Culture, this

Out with the old! "Joël Leonard does scenes from Hamlet" is a new take on the Billy Shakes classic. A conglomerate of hilarious skits that are based on the well known tragedy. Using the old themes, Joël Leonard explores the new world, in this roller-coaster of emotions, laughter and ridiculousnessR 120 online. R 140 at the door