Mzansi Theatre Review

Hamilton Dhlamini and Thulani Mtsweni star in the revival of Woza Albert! which is being showcased at The Market Theatre. More than four decades after it first electrified audiences, Woza Albert! remains as urgent, provocative and emotionally devastating as ever. Its return to The Market Theatre as part of the venue's 50th anniversary celebrations is more than an act of nostalgia; it is a reminder that some of South Africa's deepest wounds have not healed, only changed shape. Originally created in 1981 by Mbongeni Ngema, Percy Mtwa and Barney Simon, Woza Albert! is a call for ancestral spirits of liberation struggle heroes that were led by Chief Albert Luthuli to provide direction to the lost country.  Woza Albert!  imagined an extraordinary premise: what if Jesus Christ, referred to as Morena, returned not to biblical Jerusalem but to apartheid South Africa? Through this seemingly absurd question, the play dismantled the cruelty and hypocrisy of apartheid with biting satire,...

Maria McCloy, an icon of South Africa's music, fashion and entertainment industry. There are some people in the entertainment industry whose names become so familiar, so deeply woven into the culture, that it becomes difficult to imagine the industry without them. Maria McCloy was one of those rare people. If you spent any amount of time in South Africa’s music, media or fashion circles over the past three decades, chances are Maria knew you, worked with you, dressed you, introduced you to someone important, promoted your work, played your music or simply encouraged you when the industry became too loud or too lonely. And she did it all with class and style. Maria McCloy, who passed away on Tuesday evening at Johannesburg’s Milpark Hospital following heart failure, was more than a publicist, DJ or fashion creative. She was a connector of worlds. A bridge between artists and audiences. A trusted voice behind the scenes of some of the country’s most defining cultural moments sinc...

The cast of "Marabi", Gabisile Tshabalala (as Martha) and Katleho Moloi (as Ginger George). Photo: Ngoma ka Mphahlele. South Africa’s iconic musical theatre production Marabi has returned to The Market Theatre in a powerful revival that launches the venue’s year-long 50th anniversary celebrations. Anchored by an all-star cast, the production reclaims its place as one of the country’s most important theatrical works, blending searing social commentary with rich musical expression. Set in the harsh Doornfontein yards of the 1930s, Marabi follows the lives of an ordinary family of first-generation black migrants to Johannesburg , uprooted from a stable rural existence and thrust into the uncertainty of city life. Bound together by an evocative musical score, the play meditates on love and loss, while showing how music and memory act as a bridge between the past and the present. Adapted from Modikwe Dikobe’s seminal novel Marabi Dance , the story unfolds through the eyes of J...

The cast of pantomime, Pinocchio, on stage at the Joburg Theatre. Credit: enroC  If you heard loud laughter, saw a suspicious number of pointy noses, or spotted a grown adult arguing with a cricket this weekend, don’t panic— Pinocchio has officially returned to Joburg Theatre, and the city may never recover. South Africa’s most cherished holiday theatre tradition is back, brighter and more mischievous than ever. Legendary theatre maker Janice Honeyman returns for her 38th annual pantomime, bringing an all-new, laugh-loaded production of Pinocchio . This year’s production is a spectacular carnival of stagecraft—packed with music, dance, circus magic, puppet shows, techno-trains, pirate ships, and an unforgettable cast of characters. From the gentle Papa Geppetto to the mischievous Pussy Galore and the wise, ever-patient Jiminy Cricket, audiences will journey alongside Pinocchio through wonder, temptation and transformation. The holiday favourite has burst back onto the stage in a s...