That Boy Has No Shoes Share this show Dates at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Voila! Festival 2024 and Lara van Huyssteen present THAT BOY HAS NO SHOES.

Following a four-star run at Camden Fringe 2024, THAT BOY HAS NO SHOES, “an immersive and emotional” performance comes to Upstairs at the Gatehouse for one night only as part of Voila! Festival. 

South African theatre maker, Lara van Huyssteen, reflects on the horrors of Apartheid from the perspective of a young person who was born in the democracy. With folksong and narrative storytelling, this “poignant production” highlights riots, forced removals, and protests that shaped the cultural and economic landscapes of democratic South Africa.

On four illuminated plinths appear an axe, an eviction notice, a passbook, and a camera who each take their turn with the microphone. In the performance, Lara facilitates the space and the objects become repositories for the Apartheid struggle; they tell stories of who they saw, what they did, and where they were left behind. The result is “compelling” and “powerful”.

Praise for THAT BOY HAS NO SHOES:

“Instructive, moving and horrific”

EVERYTHING THEATRE

“Thought-provoking”

THE REVIEWS HUB

“An interesting work of art,That Boy Has No Shoesis a moving retrospective”

A YOUNG(ISH) PERSPECTIVE

Created and performed by Lara van Huyssteen.

Featuring the voices of Stellenbosch University drama students, recorded in 2022. 

Running time: 60 mins | Age guidance: 16+

Trigger warnings: A prolonged blackout, strobe lights, and loud noises. Audio descriptions of racism, violence, and death. Viewers may be disturbed by sensitive imagery.