THE CALL Comes to Cape Town This Weekend

A bold new musical is emerging from South Africa's creative landscape and is set to dazzle Cape Town audiences this weekend.

The Call is a queer African musical that places joy, artistry and survival at the heart of its storytelling. Inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest, the production reimagines the classic through South African history and queer lived experience, using African drag as a creative and theatrical language to shape narrative, conjure spectacle and celebrate the brilliance of marginalised communities.

Brought to life by South African-born, New York-based Tony-nominated and award-winning producer and theatre director, Chesray Dolpha, this must-see production celebrates the colour, creativity and resilience of queer life on the African continent. It is a story that is deeply rooted in local experience while speaking to audiences around the world.

The story begins when a plane from South Africa crashes into the Indian Ocean after a cyclone is conjured by the Exile. Among the passengers who wash up on a wild island is a former President. By day, the survivors are caught in the Exile's magic, and by night, they are transformed into strange animals - free from the confines of their ordinary lives.

The Exile's quest for revenge against the President, her former husband, is complicated by a love story between the President's Protégé and the Exile's Child. In the end, the Exile chooses forgiveness over vengeance, giving up her magic and allowing everyone to leave the island. The piece explores themes of nature versus nurture, identity, transformation and the freedom to define oneself.

The Call is imagined as a "club show in nature", where the island becomes an otherworldly nightclub as the sun sets. The score, created using Ableton Live, is built around beats, texture, and atmosphere rather than traditional musical theatre harmonies. Grounded in the soundscape of a forest at night, the music moves between moments of celebration and stillness, reflecting the energy and depth of queer life in South Africa today.

At the centre of this ambitious project is Chesray Dolpha, serving as Executive Producer and Producer. Dolpha, a dynamic force on the Broadway theatre and music production scene, is guiding The Call from concept to stage, ensuring it remains rooted in authenticity while reaching for international impact.

"This work is about claiming space," says Dolpha. "It's about joy as resistance, beauty as a political act, and telling African queer stories that exist beyond trauma. We want to show that our communities are rich with creativity, resilience and hope."

Dolpha's leadership brings together a multidisciplinary team of South African and international talent, united by a shared commitment to bold storytelling and cultural exchange.

Born and raised in the Cape Flats communities of Uitsig and Belhar, Dolpha's journey from local stages in South Africa to the bright lights of Broadway is nothing short of extraordinary. She has become a respected storytelling strategist, and visionary arts leader in Broadway circles and is passionate about bringing SA queer voices to the global stage.

At a time when queer identities across Africa continue to face erasure and violence, The Call stands as an act of resistance through joy. It centres queer voices not in tragedy, but in celebration, colour, music and imagination.

A first draft of the musical is currently in progress, with a two-week workshop scheduled in Cape Town in November 2025. The team will refine the script and score, explore physical movement and deepen the story's South African context. By February 2026, a full draft is expected, ahead of plans to take the work to a New York audience and explore its resonance in a global theatre setting.

South Africa Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. JOSEPH (Theatre on the Bay)

40.2% of votes

2. MY FAIR LADY (Artscape Arena)

26.7% of votes

3. THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre)

18% of votes

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