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Alive and thriving
Theatre in South Africa
Did you know?
Tstotsi, the South African feature film awarded the Foreign Language Academy Award, was based on Athol Fugard’s lone novel. The film also won 9 international awards, and is a turbulent story about a gangster who leaves terror in his wake, until a chance encounter brings about his redemption.
Long before Shakespeare bequeathed his celebrated comedies, sonnets and tragedies to audiences, ancient South African Bushmen were re-enacting the drama of a thrilling hunt in their homesteads, around roaring bonfires.
Tapping into our ancient wisdom, South Africans are masterful in the art of storytelling; they are natural born yarn spinners. Theatre has survived the ravages of time because it is a nexus for the arts - an explosive interaction of song and dance, a masterful blend of acting and storytelling, and a creative fusion of design and fashion.
There is nothing quite like the thrill of anticipation as you wait for the stage curtain to rise, the magic and electricity of a live performance, live theatre is, simply put, an altogether spellbinding affair.
South African theatre encompasses everything from Broadway shows, to Shakespearean dramas, excellent-value-for-money student productions, and razzmatazz musicals, period dramas, laugh-out-loud comedies, colourful children's productions and pantos, matinees, and even bold experimental fare. All are staged in South Africa's profusion of theatres, spanning across the country.
South Africa has major and minor theatres in all its main centres, and even in the country's nooks and crannies. From Johannesburg's slick, world-class theatre complexes, to balmy Durban's parochial, cosy affairs, and then there's Cape Town's uber cool sets.
Grahamstown, the cornerstone of theatre culture in South Africa, stages the annual National Arts Festival where South African plays enjoy unrivalled, sell out support, and often go on to tour the rest of the globe.
Among the best known South African playwrights are Athol Fugard, Barney Simon and controversial writer, lyricist, composer and director Mbongemi Ngema, whose talents have enriched South African theatre, where their plays continue to captivate audiences today.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Computicket
Computicket has outlets at shopping centres countrywide, or
tel: +27 83 915-8000 or book online at www.computicket.com.
How to get here
Most South African theatres are city- or town-based, and therefore easily accessible by road.
Tours to do
Any reputable tour company will be able to advise on 'must-see' theatre shows in all the country's main cities.
Get around
Ttaxi cabs will be able to collect you and drop you at the theatre door.
What will it cost
Cost of shows differ from theatre complex to theatre complex, and sometimes are even free! Consult each theatre's website, or check with national ticket tout Computicket.
Length of stay
Bank on an evening, and throw in a dinner and post show cappucino too.
What to pack
A shawl, or jumper to cover your shoulders during showtime.
What to eat
Some of South Africa's theatre complexes come replete with restaurants and coffee shops offering meals and refreshments. At some, for instance the Barnyard chain, you can even bring your own pre-packed picnic basket.
What's happening
Check out the annual festivals, especially the National Arts Festival held every winter in the picturesque Eastern Cape hamlet of Grahamstown.
Best buys
Look out for the student productions at the acclaimed University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, these are oftentimes free to the public.