Review: UNTIL I ARRIVE at Baxter Theatre Studio

Waiting is at the heart of UNTIL I ARRIVE, and, as the title promises, there is a lot of it. Lindokuhle Melaphi's one-woman show, which she also wrote, tells the story of a young woman waiting for the approval of a father who is rarely there. It is the first of two Finest of the Fest productions to be staged at the Baxter Studio, and it arrives as the winner of Best Script at the 2026 Zabalaza Theatre Festival.

The story is a search for belonging. Our protagonist is starved of attention from an emotionally distant (and, most of the time, physically absent) father and a distracted, downtrodden mother. Her need to be seen by one parent and her inability to be seen by the other drive her towards the army, following in her father’s footsteps. The shape of a strong story is clearly there, but the script needs more development in key places. Her hunger for approval and her decision to enlist are stated more than they are established, and her relationship with her father ironically needs more attention for the final payoff to carry its full weight.

The structure compounds the problem. The story is episodic and bitty, which suits a solo performance with no costume changes and no set, where physical theatre does most of the heavy lifting. It does, however, work against the story’s arc. The back story takes up most of the hour and becomes repetitive, so the waiting we are asked to share starts to feel like waiting we are simply doing. The ending, when it comes, is emotionally satisfying, but it is abrupt and a little too easy, as though the show ran out of time to earn it.

What keeps you engaged though is Melaphi herself, who is a truly wonderful performer. The show is captivating when it does move, and her characters are distinct and well executed, both vocally and physically. Her physicality is spot-on throughout and her use of the space is commanding. With nothing else on stage but a chair, she holds the room entirely on her own.

The production elements support her without crowding her. Sound designers Jeanne Steenkamp and Melaphi have created a soundscape that supports the story admirably without the story becoming reliant on it. Solomon Mashiane’s lighting design is simple but effectively used, focusing attention and clearly delineating the episodes.

UNTIL I ARRIVE is a piece with real promise, a performer to watch and a script that deserves a further draft. It is easy to see why the festival judges rewarded its potential. Go for Melaphi, who is worth the wait.

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