The preview of sixteen productions at the Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival revealed an impressive depth of talent, creativity and passion from emerging theatre-makers. Each extract reflected powerful community stories and real-life struggles, performed with honesty and commitment. The festival clearly succeeds in its mission of bringing communities together while nurturing the next generation of South African theatre at the Baxter Theatre Centre.
The 16th annual Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival will once again champion local stories and artistic excellence, while giving a platform to the next generation of theatre makers.
Watching AND THE GIRLS IN THEIR SUNDAY DRESSES at the Baxter, I was reminded in many ways of WAITING FOR GODOT. However, this production - written by the incredible Zakes Mda - is so much more, in my opinion.
The Drama Factory will present PET-FRIENDLY, a comedy that intertwines pets with social commentary, on February 25-26, 2026. Written by Mike van Graan and performed by Marty Kintu.
The 15th annual Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival, with the theme Make Your Mark, will showcase its remarkable success over the years and will take place at The Baxter this month.
I’ve always loved seeing plays at the Flipside at the Baxter. Something about observing a production performed in the actual backstage area of the theatre makes me feel like I’m on hallowed ground – I’m somewhere that is sacred, special and usually off limits to the public. These feelings became even more heightened during TROUBLE IN MIND.
The 13th annual Zabalaza Theatre Festival took place from 24 March until 31 March 2023. This year, the Festival boasted a whopping 37 productions and 189 participants. The very next day after the festival ended, the ZABALAZA AWARDS were held in the Golden Arrow Theatre at the Baxter Theatre Centre.
The Baxter's foyer was packed on Saturday night for the opening of this year's ZABALAZA THEATRE FESTIVAL. It is the festival's 13th year, and according to its Artistic Director and Curator, Mdu Kweyama, the core team started their planning in May of last year. One can imagine that this festival must be a beast to manage, boasting a total of 200 artists and 40 productions. The festival's schedule is fully packed, and the opening night was used to present snippets from each production.
IMBILINI… MY FRIEND! is a moving piece of physical theatre that has been carefully crafted for the stage. The chemistry between the two real-life friends, who also wrote and perform this original piece, is natural and completely tangible as you sit watching them move on stage.
It’s an incredible piece that seems almost naïve in story to being with but reveals a depth that is both disturbing and deeply impactful. The production of this story that is currently on at The Baxter’s Flipside Theatre is an adaptation created by Lara Foot.
A play intended to shock the conservative and probe at society's typical imaginings of marital breakdown, the Baxter's latest offering of the award-winning THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? has an equally acclaimed director and cast behind it; making it stand in good stead as a must-see for those brave enough to approach what they cannot 'unsee'.
Two productions presented by Eric Abraham and the Fugard Theatre have scooped an incredible ten Naledi Theatre Awards. The winners were announced at a glittering event last night (Monday 18 June) in Johannesburg.
The Baxter's Zabalaza Theatre Festival is calling for applications from theatre-makers, directors, script writers, community groups and theatre companies to participate in the 2019 Zabalaza Theatre Festival and the deadline for applications is 5pm on 31 July 2018.
Nominated for six Naledi Awards When Swallows Cry interweaves three stories set in Africa, or about African migrants and refugees. One story features a Canadian teacher - initially assumed to be an American - who is captured by a group of bandits in a West African country. He is held for ransom to generate the funds required to develop the region in which he is held. A second story features two Zimbabwean teachers who flee the economic hardships of their country in a boat heading to Fiji where they will not require visas for at least three months. However, the boat ventures into Australian waters and they are held at a detention centre for illegal immigrants, and are threatened with immediate deportation to Zimbabwe. The third story tells of a Somalian who leaves his war-torn country for South Africa, only to experience brutal xenophobic violence that obliges him to seek refuge in America. He obtains a legitimate US visa but is hounded at the port of entry; one of his tormentors is an African America official, a descendant of African slaves, but whose job it is to prevent "undesirables" entering America, and threatening their security. These stories, featuring three actors playing contrasting characters in the three different playlets, are multi-layered and raise numerous themes about contemporary mobility. The stories comment on each other, not necessarily in sequence, but as a whole.
The 2018 Best of Zabalaza Theatre Festival winner, Carlo Daniels' arresting two-hander Onweer, will take to the stage at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio, for a short season, from 9 to 19 May, at 7.30pm nightly with matinee performances on 12 and 19 May at 3pm and 16 May at 11am.
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