South Africa Theater Reviews

Review: TELL ME ON A SUNDAY at the Avalon Auditorium Is a Musical Journey of Self-Discovery
by Jaime Uranovsky - April 25, 2024

Most of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals comprise a large cast and elaborate sets. TELL ME ON A SUNDAY is different: this understated, one-woman musical tells the story of Emma, a Brit who journeys to America to find a man and who ends up finding herself along the way....

Review: ROUND OF APPLAUSE – SOUTH AFRICA STILL STANDING at the Baxter Theatre Centre Should Be Required Viewing for All South Africans
by Jaime Uranovsky - April 25, 2024

Just because you saw ROUND OF APPLAUSE in 2023 does not mean that you’re exempted from seeing Round 2.0. On the contrary, the follow-up to Marianne Thamm’s performative journalism is an absolute must – especially for those who attended last year’s show. It’s one of those rare occasions when the sequ...

Review: SHORTS – A FESTIVAL OF POCKET OPERAS at Artscape Arena Offers Bite-Sized Operatic Treats
by Jaime Uranovsky - April 14, 2024

While there are three mini-operas within the SHORTS programme, this reviews centres around two of them: LA VOIX HUMANE and THE IMPRESARIO. Over the last couple of years, I have been lucky enough to attend various operas staged in Cape Town. They are magnificent: grand and opulent....

Review: OTHELLO at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is a Relevant Retelling of the Classic Tragedy
by Jaime Uranovsky - April 13, 2024

Shakespeare’s OTHELLO, written in the early 1600s, predates traditional notions of decoloniality and, arguably, colonialism itself. Nonetheless, it is a text that, some contend, contains a built-in decolonial perspective or, at the very least, lends itself to be staged through this lens....

Review: SPRING AWAKENING at Theatre On The Bay And Pieter Toerien Montecasino Main Theatre
by Michelle B Lewis - April 09, 2024

At its core, SPRING AWAKENING is a coming-of-age tale that resonates across generations. The play follows a group of teenagers as they navigate the turbulence of adolescence, longing for knowledge about the mysteries of womanhood, the trauma of abuse and the challenges of societal norms. This produc...

Review: MAMMA MIA is an ABBA-solutely fantastic time!
by Faeron Wheeler - April 01, 2024

I am so glad I got to catch MAMMA MIA here in Cape Town. This cast is brilliant - you will have an ABBA-solutely fantastic time, you will want to get up and be the Dancing Queen, and you will certainly be saying 'thank you for the music' by the end of the show....

Review: WRONG FACES and TOMMY AND DOMINICK at the Masque Theatre's One-Act Play Festival Showcase Local Playwrights
by Jaime Uranovsky - March 24, 2024

During my adolescence, the annual one-act play festival held at my high school was the highlight of my academic year. So, whenever I hear that a one-play festival is being staged, I am filled with excitement and nostalgia. For the first time, the Masque Theatre has introduced what will become its an...

Review: THE GOOD DAD/ DIE GOEIE PA Is Riveting, Raw and Redemptive
by Jaime Uranovsky - March 12, 2024

I knew going into THE GOOD DAD that this production was not going to make for easy watching. And it doesn’t. The subject matter is rough and audience members should know that sexual abuse and rape are prominent topics in this piece of theatre. That being said, the piece is superb and should not be m...

Review: SUOR ANGELICA and GIANNI SCHICCHI at Artscape Celebrates Comedy and Tragedy in Puccini's Operas
by Jaime Uranovsky - February 18, 2024

Cape Town Opera presents a Puccini double-bill of operas: SUOR ANGELICA and GIANNI SCHICCHI. Each opera runs for just under an hour, with an interval in between. The two operas are vastly different – SUOR ANGELICA, despite containing comedic moments, is ultimately tragic....

Review: EXPELLED Explores the Impact of Social Media at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio
by Faeron Wheeler - February 17, 2024

EXPELLED is a brand-new play from Rosalind Butler, and it deals with just how damaging social media can be for all ages. The characters in the play and the story feel incredibly relatable as many of us spend time questioning how much we live our lives through social media....

Review: LUNGS at Theatre On The Bay is Like a Runaway Train You Want to Be On
by Faeron Wheeler - February 17, 2024

Duncan MacMillan’s play LUNGS has been described as 'off-kilter' and 'brutally honest' - and that's exactly what you get with this production. It races forward at a gallop as the pair on stage move through their relationship. There's an element of a runaway train to the pace, but it's a train I want...

Review: THE GOLD RHINO OF MAPUNGUBWE at Baxter Theatre Is a Fresh, Vibrant, African-infused Ballet
by Jaime Uranovsky - February 13, 2024

It is always gratifying to witness performers staging highly technical artforms, like ballet, and giving them fresh, local twists. THE GOLD RHINO OF MAPUNGUBWE BALLET is such an example. The show tells the story of Van Graan, a white man in the 1930s who embarks on a journey to discover the treasure...

Review: LEGALLY BLONDE at Artscape Is Fun, Frothy and Fierce
by Jaime Uranovsky - February 11, 2024

LEGALLY BLONDE needs little introduction: based on the cult-classic movie of the early 2000s, the story follows blonde bombshell Elle Woods to Harvard Law School as she attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III.  However, Elle’s love story ends up being about so much more than ‘ge...

Review: LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is a joyful occasion at the Artscape
by Faeron Wheeler - February 07, 2024

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is fun, vibrant, energetic and full of heart, and the team should be incredibly proud of the hard work they've put in....

Review: ROMEO AND JULIET comes to life at the Maynardville Open-Air Festival
by Faeron Wheeler - January 30, 2024

Overall, ROMEO AND JULIET is engaging and the director used the setting of Maynardville to create a haunting piece....

Review: DIE FEL OMSTREDE KROON VAN EDWARD II & GAVESTON at the Baxter Flipside Explores the Fine Line between Monarchy and Anarchy
by Jaime Uranovsky - January 19, 2024

At the outset, I beg potential patrons of this production not to avoid this play just because they cannot understand Afrikaans – this would be a grave error. The subtitles are comprehensive and, if you choose seats with a little height, you will have the perfect spot from which to observe the action...

Review: RAPUNZEL - UNTANGLING THE TRUTH is a Colourful Romp at The Masque Theatre
by Klara van Rooyen - January 01, 2024

RAPUNZEL - UNTANGLING THE TRUTH is the Masque Theatre’s latest offering for holiday entertainment. Directed by Matthew Kingwill, this festive season fairy tale is colourful and wacky, with lots of heart. It reimagines the classic Rapunzel fairy tale and incorporates its modern iterations, such as th...

Review: SPRING AWAKENING at Theatre on the Bay Is a Masterpiece: Mesmerising, Menacing, and Moving
by Jaime Uranovsky - November 28, 2023

If you have read any of my LAMTA show reviews before, you’ll know that I’m an avid fangirl of their productions. And while I always rave because the raving is deserved, SPRING AWAKENING, as LAMTA’s first performance of a full-scale musical, is extra special and extra rave-worthy. As always, with LAM...

Review: KING GEORGE at the Baxter Theatre Centre Is a Tense Game of Strategy and Power
by Jaime Uranovsky - November 27, 2023

KING GEORGE, a new play set in the heart of Cape Town, is a battle for domination between development mogul Shane Wyntock (played by Clyde Berning) and long-time, local strip club owner, George Megalos, ‘the Godfather of Lower Woodstock’ (played by Brent Palmer)....

Review: EVERY BRILLIANT THING at Theatre On The Bay is Life-Affirming and Tender
by Klara van Rooyen - November 26, 2023

What did our critic think of EVERY BRILLIANT THING at Theatre On The Bay?...

Review: THE MURDER OF THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD is a Charming Whodunnit at The Masque
by Klara van Rooyen - November 15, 2023

The Masque and Cape Town Theatre Company joined forces to bring their adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to the stage, aptly titled THE MURDER OF THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD. The production is adapted by Stephan Fourie and Faeron Wheeler, and Stephan helmed its direction. St...

Review: THE QUEEN SHOW Dazzled at Theatre On The Bay
by Klara van Rooyen - November 12, 2023

The music of Queen is timeless. Their hit songs are emotional and memory markers (and makers!) that withstand the test of time. Introduce ballet into the mix, and you might get some eyebrow raises. But Mzansi Ballet’s recent production, THE QUEEN SHOW, exemplifies the versatility of the medium and h...

Review: CONSTELLATIONS: THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL at Spier Wine Farm Provides a Unique Experience Among the Stars
by Jaime Uranovsky - November 06, 2023

What did our critic think of CONSTELLATIONS: THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL at Spier Wine Farm?...

Review: BUCKET BOY at Baxter Theatre Centre Is a Thrilling Exploration of the Banalities and Absurdities of Ordinary Existence
by Jaime Uranovsky - November 02, 2023

Is there anything more epitomic of the 1990s and early 2000s than the video store? In slightly more recent history, is there anything more epitomic of decay, decline, and dead dreams than the last of the DVD stores of the late 2010s? – dying prolonged, understated deaths: not with a bang but a whimp...

Review: LA TRAVIATA at Artscape Is a Visual and Audial Masterpiece
by Jaime Uranovsky - October 28, 2023

LA TRAVIATA needs little introduction. As one of Verdi’s most famous operas, it has moved audiences since the mid-1800s. This production, presented by Cape Town Opera and UCT Opera is no different. Indeed, the show is best described as a sensory overload (in the best way) from start to finish....