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Mail & Guardian
Keith Bain

Creator

Keith Bain

Jonny Grundy and Manuel Artino perform their lyra hoop act which has
been added to the line-up.

Splish splash: Zingara’s new high-flying dance of bathtub joy

A daring duo turn a humble bathtub into a stage for sensual acrobatics, aerial feats and playful humour in the latest show at Zingara’s Cape Town spiegeltent

Full on: The world’s most demanding musical lands in South Africa,
guided by veteran performer Matt Krzan (centre), whose passion and precision
keep Cats alive. Photos: Jesse Kramer

The new cats’ meow

South Africa’s new Cats cast learns the brutal beauty behind a musical defined by sweat, stamina and sheer ensemble brilliance

Jailhouse rock: Tankiso Mamabolo as Matron Mama Morton and Samantha Peo as Velma Kelly in Chicago. Photos: Showtime Management

Chicago at 50: A musical that never loses its bite

Chicago storms back onto the South African stage with sizzling performances, biting satire and timeless razzle-dazzle that feels surprisingly fresh after 50 years

Behind the soundscape: Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, above, behind the scenes of Moffie, for which he  created soundscape.  Photos: Daniel Rutland Manners

Moffie: The goosebumps are real

Charl-Johan Lingenfelder transforms theatre through sound, turning noise into emotion in his latest work Moffie

Asanda Ruda’s body of healing

Melding protest, lyricism and ancestral tradition, Asanda Ruda’s Kemet is a visceral journey of emancipation, healing and artistic defiance

With razor-sharp timing, gymnastic vocals and uproarious performances, this production of The Barber of Seville is a riot of theatrical delight

Opera’s comedy slipstream: A barber worth buzzing about

With razor-sharp timing, gymnastic vocals and uproarious performances, this production of The Barber of Seville is a riot of theatrical delight

Calvin Ratladi sees beyond the script, conjuring ghosts of land, legacy and loss in ‘Breakfast with Mugabe’

The world through Calvin Ratladi’s eyes

The playwright sees beyond the script, conjuring ghosts of land, legacy and loss in ‘Breakfast with Mugabe’

In from the cold: A scene from Bitter Winter, Paul Slabolepszy’s new play, which is on at the Baxter in Cape Town. Photos: RegardsVisser

Bitter Winter: the show will go on but what of the people in it?

An old actor, a young upstart, and a kettle on the fritz — Bitter Winter turns the ordinary into something unforgettable

Set in 3025, Cape Town Opera’s Aida reinvents itself for a new generation but the voices and the music remain timeless

Aida Reimagined: A galactic opera for the ages

Set in 3025, Cape Town Opera’s Aida reinvents itself for a new generation but the voices and the music remain timeless

Actor Tony Miyambo

Kafka’s Ape is brave, gripping, important theatre

In a one-man show that has been touring the world for years, a larger-than-life actor offers theatre at its pure, raw, fearless best

Louise Coetzer’s work autoplay — Africa’s first AI opera — explores the intersection between human creativity and machine learning and where it could lead, with a soundscape featuring Inge Beckmann.

Dancing with the machine: autoplay and the future of AI-driven art

Louise Coetzer flirted with the enemy to create experimental dance-opera autoplay. But her message is one of resistance

Ballet gave runner-turned-dancer Jerome Barnes purpose, strength and the power to defy limits

Defying gravity: Jerome Barnes’ story of dance, determination and destiny

Ballet gave runner-turned-dancer Jerome Barnes purpose, strength and the power to defy limits

My Fair Lady is playing at the Teatro Montecasino until 2 March.

My Fair Lady turns misogyny and classism on their head

A fresh take on the classic musical balances humour, class satire and powerhouse performances

Save the last dance for me: Renowned South African dancer and choreographer Gregory Maqoma says the most important thing in his work is the audience. Photo: Marijke Willems Photography

Gregory Maqoma: Dancing so his soul might soar

The dancer talks about his career and inspiration as he hangs up his shoes — again

A from mAnJE! MaNJe (an epic), which uses ancient stories as a lens through which to explore the human condition in an age of rapidly evolving technology, big data, AI and climate change catastrophe.

Past the future: Right here, right now-now theatre

A new play shows that, like Icarus, today’s tech-bro puppeteers such as Elon Musk seem hell-bent on flying too close to the sun

On point: The South African-born dancer Mthuthuzeli November incorporates his experiences of township life into his ballet choreography. Photo: Helena Fagen

Mthuthuzeli November: The next chapter in his dance of joy

South Africa’s news ballet company, Cape Ballet Africa, is giving expression to choreographer November’s latest bold works

Don’t let it bug you: Andrew Buckland is back with The Ugly Noo Noo, which was first brought to stage in 1988. Photos: Ruphin Coudyzer

Brilliant beauty of the ugly

In 1988, The Ugly Noo Noo catapulted Andrew Buckland into the limelight as a master of physical comedy and creator of a distinctive theatrical form. Among South Africa’s defining…

(John McCann/M&G)

Trial by Media a short but full-fat opera

Its composer says the Oscar opera will challenge audiences with things they have never heard before