Following a powerful and widely acclaimed first run, Confessions of a Blacklisted Woman: She Bellows returns to the stage, reigniting its urgent conversation with audiences. This time, the play heads to The Alexander Playhouse in KuGompo, East London, from 25 September to 26 September 2026, presented in collaboration with the Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts.
This season builds on the momentum of a compelling one-night-only interactive showcase held in East London on 22 August 2026 at Legends Showcase Exclusive Venue, where audiences were invited into an interactive theatrical experience that moved beyond passive viewing into active dialogue and reflection.
Created by theatre-maker Zimkitha Kumbaca, Confessions of a Blacklisted Woman: She Bellows remains a provocative and socially urgent work that continues to resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. Powered by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, this reimagined, full-length staging brings the production to life with renewed intensity, drawing audiences into the complex themes at its core.
The Alexander Playhouse season will be brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of emerging performers from the Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts: Zintle Mtwa, Sinenlanhla Ngema, Siphesihle Khathali, Anusha Maaotla, Ricky Ncukana, Masande Blenjana, Asibonge Mthethwa, Siyabonga Temba and Princé Jay Jacob who are given a powerful platform to engage with a significant South African theatre text. They are joined by original cast members Dineo Komane, Kgaogelo Monama and Idabeth Ranake, whose continued presence brings both continuity and depth to the production’s evolving performance journey, while introducing audiences to fresh, dynamic voices.
“I am deeply grateful for the overwhelming response and support the production has received during its first run,” says Kumbaca. “It’s been powerful to witness how audiences are connecting with the work. We now look forward to welcoming even more people to The Alexander Playhouse. I hope audiences come in their numbers to experience, engage with, and carry these conversations forward.”
Originally written by Kumbaca, the production is a sharp, satirical, and deeply unsettling exploration of Black womanhood, patriarchy, and systemic gender-based violence. Set in a haunting Doll Factory Expo, the play follows five life-sized dolls on a quest to become “real” African women, raising piercing questions: What does it take to become an African woman? And at what cost?
Through the character of the Doll Master, a symbolic and controlling force, Kumbaca exposes the pervasive voice of patriarchy, while the dolls themselves embody women navigating cycles of societal policing, submission, censorship, and identity erasure. The use of dark humour and surrealism draws audiences in, only to confront them with increasingly raw and uncomfortable truths.
The urgency of the work has only intensified over time. Originally written before widespread public discourse on gender-based violence and consent culture, the play now returns within a context where these issues remain critically unresolved across South Africa and beyond.
Audiences are invited to experience Confessions of a Blacklisted Woman: She Bellows not just as a performance, but as a space for collective engagement, critical dialogue, and reflection. Tickets are available via Webtickets.
Confessions of a Blacklisted Woman: She Bellows is more than theatre; it is a call to witness, to engage, and to act.