Review: THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH at Milnerton Playhouse

Ayn Rand’s THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH remains a theatrical curiosity: part courtroom drama, part moral debate, and part social experiment. Milnerton Players’ current production embraces this hybridity, transforming the stage into a functioning courtroom where the audience quite literally becomes the jury, deciding the fate of the accused each night. This participatory element adds tension and immediacy, keeping the audience alert and engaged throughout. The trial of Karen Andre grips New York. Once the brilliant secretary — and mistress — of powerful Swedish financier Bjorn Faulkner, she now stands accused of his death after he fell fifty stories from the penthouse they once shared.

Witnesses deliver testimony one by one: a doctor, the police inspector, a private investigator, the widow and more. Each with another piece of the puzzle, until an unexpected twist silences the courtroom.

Directed by Johann van der Merwe, the production is clearly well rehearsed and competently staged. The structure of the play, which relies heavily on testimony and cross-examination, demands precision, pacing, and clarity — all of which are largely achieved here. Van der Merwe’s direction ensures that the narrative remains coherent and intriguing, allowing the moral questions at the heart of the play to surface without becoming didactic.

The set design is particularly effective and functional. The use of banisters on either side of the stage, where witnesses are seated when testifying or watching, allows the audience to see them clearly at all times, reinforcing the sense that everyone present is under scrutiny. The elevated seat for the judge and the wide tables for the prosecution and defence firmly establish the visual language of the courtroom and support the realism of the proceedings. There were, however, some blocking challenges: the space through which witnesses entered felt too narrow, and at times the District Attorney questioned witnesses from too great a distance, which reduced the immediacy and practicality of the exchanges.

Costume choices were strong and thematically sound. The predominantly black-and-white palette underscored the apparent binaries of guilt and innocence, truth and deception. Against this restrained backdrop, the accused Karen Andre’s striking red jacket became a powerful visual symbol when it was her turn to “tell the truth,” drawing the audience’s focus and subtly suggesting danger, passion, and moral ambiguity.

The cast handled American accents with commendable consistency, no small achievement in a text so dependent on credibility. Amy Malgas delivered a lovely, believable performance as Joan Hutchins, while Jan-Willem van Houweling’s Homer van Fleet stood out for his convincing New York/Brooklyn drawl and grounded characterisation.

Among the standout performances of the main characters was Gillian Vosloo as Defence Attorney Stevens, whose strong vocal control and clarity anchored the defence’s argument; with slightly more expressive use of her hands, her performance could gain even greater dynamism. Tumelo Mogashoa impressed as District Attorney Flint, offering an excellent, expressive characterisation filled with facial nuance and a confident swagger that conveyed bravado and authority. As the central figure, Kendra Maduray’s Karen Andre was compelling, demonstrating fine control over both vocal and physical aspects of the role, and holding the audience’s attention during her pivotal moments on the stand.

Jean-Marie Schoots, as the widow Nancy Lee, showed commitment to the role, though the American accent wavered at times and the physical characterisation could be further refined; with continued work, this performance has the potential to grow in confidence and specificity. Danalia Borman and Dominique Bolligelo-Smith handled their foreign accents with assurance, adding texture and variety to the parade of witnesses. Ingrid Penzhorn commands the courtroom as the Judge, anchoring the action with a strong voice and assured stage presence.

Overall, THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH remains an intriguing and thought-provoking play, and this production sustains audience interest through a clear narrative, solid performances, and a well-judged sense of suspense. The unexpected twist at the end lands effectively, reminding us that in Rand’s courtroom, it is not only the accused who is on trial, but the values of the society judging her.

6 February 2026 to 21 February 2026  (6 , 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 February at 19:30 and 8, 14 and 21 February at 14:30)

Booking:  https://milnertonplayers.co.za/product/nightofjan16/

R150,00pp