South Africa Theatre Newsroom

FINDING THE LIGHT - AN EVENING WITH MUSICAL THEATRE STARS is set to hit the Artscape Opera House stage this week. The star-studded lineup of both local and international musical theatre stars is sure to make it a performance audiences won't soon forget.

The 14th Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa (SSFSA) takes place from 8 to 27 May 2024 at the Star Theatre at the District Six Homecoming Centre in Cape Town. 

YOUR PERFECT LIFE took audiences by storm when it made its debut at the National Arts Festival in 2019. The production, which is loosely inspired by the lives of the two writers and performers, Erika Breytenbach-Marais and Faeron Wheeler, snatched up two Standard Bank Ovation Awards – one in 2019 and another in 2021.

Showtime Promotions will present COMEDY FIESTA, bringing together renowned comedians for an evening of rip-roaring laughter. The event features the likes of Muthu Murugan, Koobeshen Naidoo, Henry Ramkissoon, Logie Naidoo & Pravesh Mungaldave.

Shakespeare’s OTHELLO, written in the early 1600s, predates traditional notions of decoloniality and, arguably, colonialism itself. Nonetheless, it is a text that, some contend, contains a built-in decolonial perspective or, at the very least, lends itself to be staged through this lens.

The QUEEN: IT'S A KINDA MAGIC tribute show returns to Joburg Theatre from 5 April to 14 April. The Rock Symphony Orchestra is excited to announce star Italian conductor Roberto Molinelli who has collaborated with such artists as Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, the Russian Philharmonic and South Africa's own Belinda Davids.

The PAW Patrol are on a roll and heading to South Africa this June for the action-packed, music-filled, live stage production, PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue”. 

At its core, SPRING AWAKENING is a coming-of-age tale that resonates across generations. The play follows a group of teenagers as they navigate the turbulence of adolescence, longing for knowledge about the mysteries of womanhood, the trauma of abuse and the challenges of societal norms. This production breathes new life into a timeless story of adolescent rebellion, sexual awakening and the search for identity.

Brent Palmer’s award winning urban drama, KING GEORGE, comes to Theatre on the Square from 23rd April to 4th May 2024. 

Internationally acclaimed and multiple award-winning The King Of Broken Things is coming to The Baxter in May.

The Songmakers' Guild will present A Poet's Journey with cycles and pieces by Beethoven and Schumann starring a world class duo -  tenor Siyabonga Maqungo and pianist Florian Uhlig-  in a program that will showcase two masterpieces of German Lieder: Beethoven's ‘An die ferne Geliebte' and another rendition of Schumann's poignant ‘Dichterliebe'.

I am so glad I got to catch MAMMA MIA here in Cape Town. This cast is brilliant - you will have an ABBA-solutely fantastic time, you will want to get up and be the Dancing Queen, and you will certainly be saying 'thank you for the music' by the end of the show.

Following the success of their previous shows 'Country Roads' and 'We Built This City – A Tribute to the 80s' at The Drama Factory last year, The Morning After Band, a polished and highly sought-after band based in Johannesburg, has announced their upcoming event, 'Rock Around The Clock', a captivating showcase of popular music from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

During my adolescence, the annual one-act play festival held at my high school was the highlight of my academic year. So, whenever I hear that a one-play festival is being staged, I am filled with excitement and nostalgia. For the first time, the Masque Theatre has introduced what will become its annual one-act play festival, providing local playwrights with an opportunity to stage their original works. I was delighted to attend two such plays.

Tochi Bright Clement, widely known as Kourage Beatz NSI, is the CEO and founder of NSI Nation, formerly NSI RECORDS. Established in 2022, NSI Nation, now partnered with ONErpm Distribution as of 2024, aims to empower independent African and global artists by offering A&R, marketing, sync licensing, and publishing services.

THE SIN DRINKERS, a new play by award-winning playwright Louis Viljoen, will open at Baxter's Masambe Theatre in April.

This autumn, Cape Town Opera will present SHORTS: A Festival of Pocket Operas, a captivating series of concise operas, at the Artscape Theatre from April 11 to April 21, 2024.

THE RETURN OF ELVIS DU PISANIE, written and directed by Paul Slabolepszy, starring Ashley Dowds, will play Pieter Toerien's Montecasino Theatre from 10 May – 26 May.

Experience an electrifying performance by Dr Victor & the Rasta Rebels at the Theatre of Marcellus, Emperors Palace on April 6th. Get ready to groove to the beat with this iconic band.

Theatre on the Square will present THE BAKER AND THE LITTLE RAT by arrangement with Bizzy Hands Puppet Company from Tuesday the 2nd to Sunday the 7th April 2024 at 3pm daily.

I knew going into THE GOOD DAD that this production was not going to make for easy watching. And it doesn’t. The subject matter is rough and audience members should know that sexual abuse and rape are prominent topics in this piece of theatre. That being said, the piece is superb and should not be missed.

The recent Cape Amateur Theatre Awards (CATA) recognized excellence across two theatre groups and twelve productions for the years 2022 and 2023, the Masque Theatre Players in Muizenberg and Milnerton Players in Milnerton. 

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has announced the list of entertainers, including Daliwonga, Musa Keys that will be headlining the halftime performances during the inaugural Kalahari Conference group phase which tips off on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.

LAMTA’s hit production of Spring Awakening, directed by Sylvaine Strike, is back by popular demand from this Friday 8 March 2024 at Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay.

The 2024 National Youth Music Competition (NYMC) will honour the founder of the competition, the late Michael Maas who passed on 14 March 2023. It also increases the total prize money to R180 000.00.