Review: COMMISSION CONTINUA at Masambe At The Baxter

Thirty years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, COMMISSION CONTINUA arrives at the Baxter as a challenging and deeply unsettling piece of theatre that asks whether South Africa's countless commissions of inquiry have ever truly delivered justice.

Created by Tony Bonani Miyambo and Phala Ookeditse Phala, this internationally acclaimed production is less concerned with telling a conventional story than with exploring ideas and exposing contradictions. The result is theatre that often feels almost absurdist in nature, presenting a landscape where reports are written, files are archived, and recommendations are made, yet meaningful change remains elusive.

At the centre of the work is Bright Maluleke, a records clerk whose seemingly mundane task of photocopying and archiving commission reports becomes a journey into the heart of South Africa's unresolved past. Surrounded by mountains of paperwork, affidavits and official records, he confronts the painful reality that documenting injustice is not the same as correcting it.

The production's stripped-back set proves remarkably effective. A central desk, photocopier, recorder and endless files become potent symbols of a bureaucracy that continues to process information while often failing the very people it is meant to serve. These simple elements establish a world where procedure appears to have replaced action and where justice is trapped beneath layers of documentation.

The play's greatest strength lies in its ability to communicate concepts rather than narrative. It reflects on the hundreds of commissions established over decades and asks difficult questions: What have they achieved? Have they brought closure, accountability or justice? Or have they simply generated more paperwork while corruption and inequality persist? The production never offers easy answers, instead inviting audiences to confront the uncomfortable reality that many victims of historical and contemporary injustices continue to suffer despite the meticulous recording of their stories.

The emotional centre of the production is an extraordinary performance by the lead actor. Over the course of the evening, he gradually works himself into an almost unbearable frenzy, carrying the weight of accumulated testimonies and unresolved trauma. By the final moments, his emotional collapse into tears is devastating to witness. It is a raw, committed performance that transforms abstract political questions into deeply human anguish.

Using the photocopier, microphone and sound equipment to create a haunting theatrical language, COMMISSION CONTINUA succeeds as both a critique and a lament. It exposes the gap between truth and justice, between inquiry and action, and between documentation and accountability.

This is not comfortable theatre, nor is it intended to be. Instead, it serves as a powerful reminder that while South Africa has become adept at recording its problems, the challenge of solving them remains painfully unresolved. Thought-provoking, emotionally charged and fiercely relevant, COMMISSION CONTINUA demands that its audience consider whether the country's endless commissions represent progress—or merely another layer in an ever-growing archive of unfinished business.

Having toured internationally to critical acclaim in London, Los Angeles, Germany and Singapore, Commission Continua continues to resonate globally as a bold interrogation of bureaucracy, memory and the politics of documentation.

Playing at the Masambe Theatre at the Baxter from 2 - 13 June 2026.

Tickets can be booked on Webtickets at R150 - R180pp.

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