South Africa Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: LISTENING TO WALLS WEAR OFF THEIR COLOUR at Baxter Theatre
by Michelle B Lewis - January 21, 2026

Listening to Walls Wear Off Their Colour is an intimate, thought-provoking experience that demands more than passive observation. From the moment the performance begins, the audience is called to be still, to sit back and listen, allowing the narrator’s voice to guide reflection....

Review: COLLEEN THE MUSICAL at Pam Golding Theatre At The Baxter
by Michelle B Lewis - December 27, 2025

Colleen the Musical arrives with a flourish of sass, sparkle and unmistakeable Cape Town flavour. It is a joyous return that few could have predicted yet many will celebrate....

Review: MOANA JR at THEATRE ARTS
by Judith Herbig - December 17, 2025

MOANA JR. at Theatre Arts Observatory, directed by Sonwa Sakuba, is joyful, visually rich holiday theatre, captivating young audiences with a story of courage, self-belief and bravery....

Review: ALICE IN WONDERLAND - A PANTOMIME is good fun for all
by Faeron Wheeler - December 03, 2025

I'm pretty sure that you will love ALICE IN WONDERLAND - A PANTO (and don't you tell me 'oh no, I won't' because I'll just say 'oh yes, you will'). It's a true pantomime with all the audience interaction hijinks and hilarity. It's a lot of fun!...

Review: GISELLE at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is an Entrancing and Ethereal Tryst of a Ballet
by Jaime Uranovsky - November 20, 2025

I have never been as entranced by a ballet as I was by this breathtaking production of GISELLE. Set in a rustic village surrounded by a dense wood, Michael Mitchell’s set is immensely atmospheric and one feels immediately drawn into its lush depths....

Review: MS. B-HAVED Schools Us on the Life of a Teacher in the 2020s
by Jaime Uranovsky - November 19, 2025

MS. B-HAVED, directed by Natasha Sutherland, tells the story of Sally Burkett, “Ms B”, (played by Sue Diepeveen, who is also the writer of the play), a beloved yet disgraced grade 3 teacher....

Review: Cape Town's JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is A Hit
by Faeron Wheeler - October 15, 2025

This production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT brings the joy, the oomph and the laughter in buckets! I can see exactly why they've returned for another season here in Cape Town....

Review: Daniel Anderson is delightful as THE TRAMP at the Artscape
by Faeron Wheeler - October 07, 2025

This production is a beautiful journey through the life of Charlie Chaplin using both song and narrative storytelling, and it's all told through the eyes of his most famous character, The Tramp....

Review: MOFFIE at Baxter Flipside Is a Scathing Commentary on the Violence of Toxic Masculinity
by Jaime Uranovsky - September 24, 2025

Read BroadwayWorld's review on MOFFIE at Baxter Flipside! See what BroadwayWorld's critic thought of the show and learn more about the production here. ...

Review: SALT celebrates South African choreographers
by Faeron Wheeler - September 22, 2025

It's important to know that this is three separate pieces that are linked together through the themes of memory, emotion and thoughts. What you're getting as an audience member is raw athleticism and performance from the dancers as the music moves them....

Review: THE MAGIC FLUTE at Joseph Stone Auditorium
by Michelle B Lewis - September 22, 2025

This was more than a performance, it was an educational excursion not to be missed. With narration in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa, and a storyline that aligns beautifully with the school music curriculum, learners were offered an accessible and unforgettable introduction to opera....

Review: NOISES OFF at Theatre on the Bay Is a Seamless and Side-Splittingly Funny Farce
by Jaime Uranovsky - September 09, 2025

NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn is hailed as one of the funniest plays ever written. To succeed with a farce like this, however, requires exceptional execution. It’s no surprise then that this production hits all the right notes; I laughed from start to finish....

Review: CHICAGO THE MUSICAL at Artscape, Opera House
by Michelle B Lewis - September 02, 2025

Chicago isn’t just a show, it’s a full throttle experience, sharp satire, irresistible music and performances that demand your attention. It’s bold, cheeky and undeniably sexy. Truly, a classic that keeps getting better with time....

Review: FEEDBACK at the Baxter Studio Is a Physical Theatre Feast
by Jaime Uranovsky - August 28, 2025

As a starter (pun intended), FEEDBACK is one the most bizarre shows I’ve ever seen – it starts with two detectives being violently attacked by foodstuffs, and that’s just the beginning. I loved every second....

Review: TO LIFE, WITH LOVE at Societas Theatre Is a Lesson in Accepting Mortality
by Jaime Uranovsky - August 28, 2025

See what BroadwayWorld's critic thought of TO LIFE, WITH LOVE at Societas Theatre. Learn more about the production and read the review for it here! Learn more. ...

Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Masque Theatre Is a Deliciously Dark Triumph
by Jaime Uranovsky - August 28, 2025

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Masque Theatre soars over every one of those potential hurdles and knocks it out of the park, delivering a deliciously dark, triumph of a production. From the performers to the set to the props to the effects to the message, this is up there with some of the best-ever p...

Review: THE GLASS MENAGERIE at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is Haunting, Fantastical and Poignant
by Jaime Uranovsky - August 11, 2025

For me, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, widely known to be Tennessee Williams’ most autobiographical work, epitomises what so many of Williams’ plays do: that hope springs eternal even in the direst of circumstances. We wish and we yearn for the fantasies of each of the characters to come true, even when we al...

Review: EARTHSIDE Is a Candid, Raw and Hilarious Ode to Love and Grief
by Jaime Uranovsky - August 04, 2025

EARTHSIDE, written and performed by Candice Bernstein and directed by Jennifer Steyn, is a deeply personal exploration of the duality of love and loss. In this brave autobiographical production, Bernstein shares the grief of losing various figures in her life, including her indomitable grandfather, ...

Review: BECOMING BENNO is a Fun Look at The Truth Behind Emigrating from South Africa
by Faeron Wheeler - August 04, 2025

Ben Voss has come home with his show about moving away - BECOMING BENNO. This one-man show, directed by Michael Richard and dramaturgy by John van de Ruit, is full of heart and humour - and definitely worth catching as Voss tours around SA with it....

Review: UNRULY at the Baxter Studio Is Theatre in its Purest Form
by Jaime Uranovsky - July 24, 2025

Cape Town is blessed with a rich array of theatre, much of which provokes thought, evokes deep feelings and holds a mirror up to society. Very rarely, however, a piece of theatre transcends even that – it is a spiritual experience of sorts. You feel changed by it. This is how I feel about UNRULY – i...

Review: BEYOND at Theatre on the Bay Is Beyond Words
by Jaime Uranovsky - July 24, 2025

LAMTA has done it again with BEYOND: A FANTASY CIRQUE EXPERIENCE. This gorgeous, cirque variety show is packed with awe-inspiring numbers by a range of choreographers: Anna Olivier, Ashley Searle, Gain Collective, Duane Alexander, Jared Schaedler, Jasmine Minter, Michelle Reid, Naoline Quinzin, the ...

Review: JACK AND THE BEANSTALK at KickstArt Theatre Productions
by Faeron Wheeler - July 13, 2025

Durban's KickstArt Theatre Productions has finally brought one of their hilarious creations down to Cape Town and it is a lot of fun. Children and adults were crying with laughter and singing along throughout the show....

Review: BLOOD AND SILVER at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is a Compelling Tale of Identity, Heritage and Grit
by Jaime Uranovsky - July 10, 2025

Directed and designed by Fred Abrahamse, BLOOD AND SILVER brings the fascinating memoir of Jan Glazewski to life. Glazewski, beautifully portrayed by David Muller, is born to Polish refugees who fled their home-country on the cusp of WWII, eventually settling in Paarl. Before Glazewski’s parents esc...

Review: DOUBLE BILL OF GERALDINE ARON at The Milnerton Playhouse
by Faeron Wheeler - July 07, 2025

Milnerton Players is delving into the world of playwright Geraldine Aron this winter, with a double bill of one-act plays. Under the direction of Godfrey Johnson, the society is presenting MICKEY KANNIS CAUGHT MY EYE and BAR AND GER....

Review: LA RONDE at the Baxter Studio Explores the Power Dynamics Inherent in Sex
by Jaime Uranovsky - July 07, 2025

LA RONDE, originally written by Arthur Schnitzler at the tail end of the 1800s and first performed in the early 1900s, exhibits ten interlinking scenes, each depicting a different sexual encounter. The tones of the scenes vary from sweet and endearing, to passionate, to violent. Some, in fact, depic...