Gavin Werner's New Plays to Debut at The Masque Theatre in Cape Town

Between Us Productions will present the premiere run of Werner's latest production, Meeting Murphy, as well as his acclaimed play Spanish Steps. The two shows will run concurrently from 8 to 18 April at The Masque in Muizenberg.

Meeting Murphy is a new, wickedly comic drama about revenge, redemption, and the wounds we never outgrow.

Written by Gavin Werner in collaboration with Dianne Simpson, the play is directed by Gavin Werner and features the talented duo Brent Palmer (King George; Bench) as Dave; and Chris van Rensburg (Kelders van Geheime; Die Nuusmakers) as Rick.

Set on a remote hiking trail, Meeting Murphy follows a middle-aged man who comes face to face with his teenage bully. What unfolds is a gripping, darkly funny confrontation that interrogates masculinity, memory, and the lasting scars of schoolyard cruelty, while challenging easy narratives of victim and perpetrator, revenge and reconciliation and nature vs. nurture.

Lighting Design for the production is by Frans Zunguze and the Script Editor is Dianne Simpson.

“We live in a time of crisis around masculinity, often expressed through behaviours labelled toxic masculinity. Much has been said about its consequences, yet we rarely ask why it exists, or do so with compassion,” says Gavin Werner. “Having been both a victim and, at times, a perpetrator of bullying at a boys-only boarding school, I still find myself, even in my mid-fifties, triggered by events that happened four decades ago. I wrote Meeting Murphy to explore the inner worlds of both victim and perpetrator, and the fragile possibilities of making peace with the past.”

At a recent preview, renown actor Adrian Galley commented about the play:  “What is most striking is the elegance with which the production honours the classical unities. Time, place, and action converge with remarkable discipline, allowing a richly layered narrative to emerge from an apparently simple premise…a psychological duel in which roles of victim and aggressor continually exchange masks….a gripping, intelligent, and deeply human work.”

Spanish Steps is Werner's WGSA Award Winning play starring himself alongside powerhouse performer Dianne Simpson (The Sound of Music; Rose Red).

Directed by Caroline Midgley, this coming-of-middle-age comedy-drama won the WGSA Award Winner For Best Produced Script  (2025) and was selected for the curated programme at the National Arts Festival in 2022.

Meet Barry and Maureen, who are trapped together in close quarters with nowhere to hide from each other - or themselves. As tempers flare and buttons are pushed, they become mirrors to one another's blind spots in a sharp satire about the roles we play in society.

Funny, uncomfortable, and unexpectedly moving, this acclaimed play balances biting humour with genuine heart.

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